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Thursday 11th December 2025 ( Series 92 1st Quarter Final )

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2025 2:31 pm
by Tracey Anne Mills
Hello and welcome to another recap...........it's that time again..........Countdown finals week............and here is the first of our quarter finals...........with Christmas just around the corner........let's tuck in to our mulled wine and our Stollen Cake as we get this show on the road

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C1: Champion Jason "Jase and Status " Cullen (8 wins, 926 points.)
C2: Champion Shemina "The Oxfordshire Onager " Kirby (7 wins, 615 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Nisha Katona .
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: C S T F O U E N B
R02: N R G I E A M L I
R03: 75, 50, 25, 4, 9, 2. Target: 557.
TTT: NOELAMISS - "Something's amiss if you serve these puddings at Christmas"
R04: T W N S A E I H E
R05: R G T L O E I A D
R06: 100, 5, 4, 3, 10, 5. Target: 999.
R07: S J N S O U E R G
R08: D S B I A O G L I
R09: 25, 5, 3, 10, 5, 4. Target: 130.
TTT: TREEDRIVE - "I took a drive and brought the Christmas tree home"
R10: H M F E A O D N I
R11: C P S G A E U L T
R12: L N X A I E P M O
R13: K D S N A I E R V
R14: 75, 5, 3, 1, 2, 4. Target: 887.
R15: L E X I C A L H D (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: C S T F O U E N B

Jason: BOUNCES (7)
Shemina: BOUNCES (7)
DC: CONFUTES (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Sevens all round from our quater finalists to kick off the days proceedings..........over in DC they get to shine with their eight Confutes as does our recap writer too !

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Round 2: N R G I E A M L I

Jason: MIGRAINE (8)
Shemina: EMAILING (8)
DC: MALINGER (8)
OT: GERMINAL (8) IMAGINER (8) MALIGNER (8)
Score: 15–15 (max 16)

Eights all round.........nothing worth a catfight.........let's play nicely now !

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Round 3: 75, 50, 25, 4, 9, 2. Target: 557.

C1: 557. (75 − 2) × 9 − 25 × 4 (10)
C2: -
Score: 25–15 (max 26)

Game changer and an early lead and First Blood to our top seed Jason as he has no trouble solving this bad boy !

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Teatime teaser: NOELAMISS -> SEMOLINAS

Round 4: T W N S A E I H E

Jason: ENSWATHE (8)
Shemina: WHITENS (7)
DC: ENSWATHE (8)
Score: 33–15 (max 34)

Another brilliant round from our top seed Jason with his eight Enswathe

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Round 5: R G T L O E I A D

Jason: IDOLATER (8)
Shemina: LIGATED (7)
DC: TAILORED (8)
Score: 41–15 (max 42)

Round 6: 100, 5, 4, 3, 10, 5. Target: 999.

C1: 999. 10 × 100 − (5 − 4) (10)
C2: 999. 10 × 100 − (4 − 3) (10)
Score: 51–25 (max 52)

Our quarter finalists solve this bad boy in a emergency and bag themselves 10 points in the process.........in countdown land bagging three 9 letter words gets you an ambulance


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Round 7: S J N S O U E R G

Jason: SURGEONS (8)
Shemina: jongeurs
DC: SURGEONS (8)
Score: 59–25 (max 60)

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Round 8: D S B I A O G L I

Jason: BIOGAS (6)
Shemina: daigios
DC: LIBIDOS (7)
OT: IDIGBOS (7)
Score: 65–25 (max 67)

Round 9: 25, 5, 3, 10, 5, 4. Target: 130.

C1: 130. 25 × 5 + 5 (10)
C2: 130. 25 × 5 + 5 (10)
Score: 75–35 (max 77)

Piss easy solve this numbers game...........but there is an LNAFP !

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Large Numbers

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Are for

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Pussies

10+3=13
5+5=10
13*10=130

Teatime teaser: TREEDRIVE -> RETRIEVED

Round 10: H M F E A O D N I

Jason: DOMAINE (7)
Shemina: MOANED (6)
DC: DOMAINE (7)
Score: 82–35 (max 84)

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Round 11: C P S G A E U L T

Jason: UPSTAGE (7)
Shemina: PETALS (6)
DC: CAPSULE (7) PULSATE (7) TEACUPS (7)
OT: CAPLETS (7) CUSPATE (7) GELCAPS (7) PLACETS (7) PLAGUES (7) SCUTAGE (7) SPECULA (7) SULCATE (7) UPSCALE (7)
Score: 89–35 (max 91)

Round 12: L N X A I E P M O

Jason: EXPLAIN (7)
Shemina: MOPANI (6)
DC: OPALINE (7)
OT: IMPANEL (7) MANIPLE (7)
Score: 96–35 (max 98)

Round 13: K D S N A I E R V

Jason: SANDIVER (8)
Shemina: INVADERS (8)
Score: 104–43 (max 106)

Eights all round.........lets move on shall we ?

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Round 14: 75, 5, 3, 1, 2, 4. Target: 887.

C1: 888. (75 − 1) × 4 × 3 (7)
C2: 889.
RR: 887. (75 × 3 − 2) × 4 − 5 (10)
Score: 111–43 (max 116)

Our top seed Jason bags himself 7 points with this one away solve.........888 can bag you three eight letter words in a row.........or can be handy if you are hard of hearing and need subtitles.......Rachel says one away is as good as it gets

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Round 15: L E X I C A L H D

C1 buzzes on 2.75 seconds to say CHILLAXED which is correct.
Final Score: 121–43 (max 126)

A rather speedy conundrum solve from our top seed Jason, firstly congratulations to Jase and Status for reaching the semi-final where Ciaran McCarthy or John Payne will await him, secondly take nothing away from Shemina she gave as good as she got, it was always going to be a tall order to beat Jason who was in really good form. Shemina can be proud of her achievement as a quarter finalist which is good in it's self........you can join me for the next quarter final recap where the second seeded Brett Davids takes on the seventh seeded Mark Allen...........in meantime folks it is bye for now.

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