c4countdown

C1: Champion Cate Henderson (4 wins, 379 points). She reveals that she is a fan of Johnny Depp (nothing to do with his looks just his versatility - Yea right!!). Let's hope that Kirk doesn't get as grumpy as Cate after 30 years in the teaching profession
C2: Challenger Helen Kerr from Blackheath in Birmingham. Support worker for people with special needs, who enjoys reading, puzzles and quizzes. Also interested in Tudor history. She is a fan of U 2 and once enjoyed a glass of Champagne with Bono - Does she think that this will give her 'The Edge' over Cate? - Jeff jokes that the conversation was sparkling!!

DC: Susie Dent and Jon Gaunt. I must admit I have never seen or heard of him before, not being a Sun reader. I do recall John of Gaunt from History lessons at school though.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: A I U L J N D O T
R02: S R N A I E C K T
R03: O E A F S D C I N
R04: Y R S O O A T B L
R05: 10, 2, 3, 8, 4, 75. Target: 119.
TTT: LADSTUNE - "The healthier way to eat your nuts."
R06: F S M E A E T S C
R07: U E I T R T T G E
R08: L S V A E A P R U
R09: O E A D M T N I G
R10: 7, 9, 2, 10, 4, 50. Target: 602.
TTT: LOOKDRAW - "In the forest fool around with a bird"
R11: A O E D B D N G O
R12: X H N E I A P R I
R13: E O E R P S L M R
R14: 6, 4, 2, 5, 6, 100. Target: 380.
R15: T R I E D V I C E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: A I U L J N D O T

C1: UNTOLD (6)
C2: JAUNT (5)
DC: ADJOINT (7)
I was pleased to see that the letters for ADJOINT came out in the Duel on Saturday and it was fresh in my mind It is a complicated mathematical term to do with matrices.

Score: 6–0 (max 7)

Round 2: S R N A I E C K T

C1: CANISTER (8)
C2: TANKERS (7)
DC: CRANKIEST (18)
OT: NARKIEST (8)
Score: 14–0 (max 25)

Round 3: O E A F S D C I N

C1: CONFIDES (8)
C2: DEACONS (7)
DC: FANCIED, (7) DIOCESAN (8)
Score: 22–0 (max 33)

Round 4: Y R S O O A T B L

C1: BLOATS (6)
C2: BLOATS (6)
DC: BOOTY, (5) ABORTS (6)
OT: BORSTAL (7) OBLATORY (8) TOOLBARS (8)
Score: 28–6 (max 41)

Round 5: 10, 2, 3, 8, 4, 75. Target: 119.

C1: 119. 3+8=11x4=44+75 (10)
C2: 118.
Score: 38–6 (max 51)

Cate is off to a great start and Helen will do well to come back from this deficit against a player in such good form.

Jon tells us about his passion for cricket and how he discovered that his father-in-law and a guy he met in the Windies found a common interest in talking about matches they listened to on transistor radios about 40 years ago.
This also reminds me of having a little transistor radio at school and listening to test matches of a similar era when the late Colin Milburn opened the batting for a few tests and used to deal largely in boundaries due to his unathletic physique. Happy memories indeed.

Teatime teaser: LADSTUNE -> UNSALTED

Round 6: F S M E A E T S C

C1: STEAMS (6)
C2: STEAMS (6)
DC: SESAME (6)
OT: CASTES (6) CEASES (6) FACETS (6) FAECES (6) FASCES (6) FEASTS (6) FESTAS (6) SAFEST (6) TEASES (6) TMESES (6)
Score: 44–12 (max 57)
TMESES is the plural of TMESIS - separation of the parts of a compound word by an intervening word or words. Mainly used informally (e.g. can't find it any-flipping-where).

Round 7: U E I T R T T G E

C1: GUTTER (6)
C2: GREET (5)
DC: GUTTIER (7)
OT: TERGITE (7)
TERGITE is a part of an insect
Score: 50–12 (max 64)

Round 8: L S V A E A P R U

C1: PERUSAL (7)
C2: VALUERS (7)
DC: PALAVERS (8)
Score: 57–19 (max 72)

Round 9: O E A D M T N I G

C1: DOMINATE (8)
C2: DEMOTING (8)
Score: 65–27 (max 80)

Susie tells about the warlike origins of lacrosse. We had a pitch at our school for the girls to play it but I never actually saw the game being played in all the time I was there.

Round 10: 7, 9, 2, 10, 4, 50. Target: 602.

C1: 602. 10+(9-7)=12x50=600+2 (10)
C2: 602. 10+2=12x50=600+(9-7) (10)
Score: 75–37 (max 90)

It's all over bar the shouting now as poor Helen has struggled to go the pace and has not really got into the game.

Teatime teaser: LOOKDRAW -> WOODLARK

Round 11: A O E D B D N G O

C1: BANGED (6)
C2: BANDED (6)
DC: BONDAGE (7)
OT: DOGBANE (7) DEBONED (7)
Score: 81–43 (max 97)

DOGBANE is a shrubby plant.

Round 12: X H N E I A P R I

C1: panier
C2: parkie
DC: HAIRPIN (7)
Score: 81–43 (max 104)

A tough letters round and a good spot of HAIRPIN by DC.

Round 13: E O E R P S L M R

C1: EMPERORS (8)
C2: LOPERS (6)
DC: MOPERS (6)
Score: 89–43 (max 112)

EMPERORS was a great spot by Cate to beat Helen + DC - 'veni vidi vici!'

Round 14: 6, 4, 2, 5, 6, 100. Target: 380.

C1: 380. 4x100=400-((6-2)x5) (10)
C2: 380. 4x100=400-((6-2)x5) (10)
Score: 99–53 (max 122)

Round 15: T R I E D V I C E

C2 buzzes on 12 seconds to say DIRECTIVE which is correct.
Score: 99–63 (max 132)

Cate marches on but I feel that her scores are a little flattering as her opponents have been a bit weak and have not been able to put her under pressure.

To be fair, she has grown in confidence with every game and produced some good words and beaten them comprehensively. However, I would like to see her against a stronger opponent to see how she copes with the pressure.

Well done to Helen for a spirited recovery (including getting the Conundrum) after her initial nerves, which made her score more respectable.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php? ... ?series=60

Nice recap, Allan - going the extra mile is always appreciated!

I hesitate to do this after what happened last time, but just in the interests of accuracy:

Allan Harmer wrote:DC: Susie Dent and John Gaunt.

It's actually Jon Gaunt.

TMESES is the separation of the parts of a compound word by an intervening word or words. Mainly used informally (e.g. can't find it any-flipping-where).

What you've defined there is actually a TMESIS - I'm guessing TMESES is the plural.

Otherwise an excellent recap Allan - please don't shout at me for pointing out these very minor quibbles.

What you've defined there is actually a TMESIS - I'm guessing TMESES is the plural.

Great word, though - it is the plural. I shall remember that, and offer the following (Hollywood) tmeses:
In-f'king-credible
Un-f'king-believable
Cinder-f'kin'-rella
(struggling to think of clean ones!!)

also HEPARIN for 7 in round 12

tomrowell wrote:also HEPARIN for 7 in round 12

Good spot Tom - I have made the correction.

Thanks!

Phil Reynolds wrote:

Allan Harmer wrote:DC: Susie Dent and John Gaunt.

It's actually Jon Gaunt.

No problem with this - Thanks for pointing it out. Corrected.

TMESES is the separation of the parts of a compound word by an intervening word or words. Mainly used informally (e.g. can't find it any-flipping-where).

What you've defined there is actually a TMESIS - I'm guessing TMESES is the plural.

Fair enough - I have pointed this out.

Mike Brown wrote:Nice recap, Allan - going the extra mile is always appreciated!

IAWTP. Very nice recap Allan

Joseph Bolas wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:Nice recap, Allan - going the extra mile is always appreciated!

IAWTP. Very nice recap Allan

Thank you guys - Much appreciated!