Tuesday 21st April 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 53)

[Dinos Sfyris]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 21 April 2009.

2 things to mention before the start of today's game:

1. Shane Roberts completed his octochamp run yesterday, so we have 2 new challengers today
2. Its not only The Queen's birthday today, but Susie's mum as well. Happy birthday to them both

C1: Challenger Karyn Cooke, a gap year student from Seaham in County Durham first appeared on Countdown in Series 58 aged 17 where she made a valiant effort against octochamp Michael Macdonald-Cooper. She enjoys foreign languages and assists teaching them at her former 6th form. She likes Formula 1 and would like to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan at snooker. Next year she'll be studying maths at Oxford (watch out Rachel!) Such is her love for the subject that she has a tattoo of the symbol Pi. Strangely she didn't mention where...
C2: Challenger James Robinson, a fellow forumite and administrative assistant from Mirfield in West Yorkshire. He supports Huddersfield Town FC and is a big Roger Moore fan, although his favourite book is On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Also his nickname is The Human Calculator, which sounds like some shady knock-off of our dear Kirkulator
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M X W N U I A F E
R02: C Q U B H I E C A
R03: S O T I D R A R E
R04: A E I E Y D S R N
R05: 25, 8, 4, 6, 2, 3. Target: 797.
TTT: BRIANCAN - "Where wrongdoers drink perhaps. Its bright red."
R06: N T R E O N I U T
R07: P O T E M U H S M
R08: A E A S V C N P P
R09: J O S Z A S N E M
R10: 50, 75, 10, 6, 3, 6. Target: 597.
TTT: FUSEROOM - "More than three playing golf."
R11: G O R O B R U D A
R12: L D S E A I F I R
R13: L A G E D A T R L
R14: 7, 4, 7, 1, 10, 2. Target: 218.
R15: V I L E T I L E S (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: M X W N U I A F E

C1: FAMINE (6)
C2: FAMINE (6)
DC: FAMINE (6) nun (Tim)
OT: It's the Darren. Here's some sub-optimal 5s though: ANIME (5) AMINE (5) AUXIN (5) MUNIA (5) UNFIX (5) WAXEN (5)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

Round 2: C Q U B H I E C A

C1: BEACH (5)
C2: QUICHE (6)
OT: CACIQUE (7) CAIQUE (6) QUAICH (6)
Score: 6–12 (max 13)

A cacique is a native leader or chieftain
A caique is a wooden fishing boat
A quaich is a shallow two-handled drinking cup or bowl in Scotland

Round 3: S O T I D R A R E

C1: TIRADES (7)
C2: TIRADES (7)
DC: ASTEROID (8)
OT: ROADSTER (8) ROTARIES (8)
Score: 13–19 (max 21)

Round 4: A E I E Y D S R N

C1: DRAINS (6)
C2: SANDIER (7)
DC: RAISED (6) ANISEED (7) NEARSIDE (8)
OT: ARSENIDE (8)
Score: 13–26 (max 29)

Arsenide as you might have guessed is an arsenic anion with charge -3. Go chemists.

Round 5: 25, 8, 4, 6, 2, 3. Target: 797.

C1: 797. 8x4x25-3 (10)
C2: 797. 8x4x25-3 (10)
Score: 23–36 (max 39)

Teatime teaser: BRIANCAN -> CINNABAR

Round 6: N T R E O N I U T

C1: NUTRIENT (8)
C2: NEUTRINO (8)
OT: RITENUTO (8) (Kai)
Score: 31–44 (max 47)

Some lovely 8s from the contestants.

A neutrino is an elementary particle with zero charge and zero mass
Ritenuto means the sudden slowing down in tempo in a musical score

Round 7: P O T E M U H S M

C1: UPSHOT (6)
C2: THUMPS (6)
DC: UPMOST (6) MOUTHS (6) STEPMUM (7) (JS)
OT: METHOS (6) SEPTUM (6) TEMPOS (6) TOPHUS (6)
Score: 37–50 (max 54)

Round 8: A E A S V C N P P

C1: vances
C2: CANAPES (7)
DC: CAN (3) APES (4) (Tim, APES is better obviously)
OT: PAVANES (7)
Score: 37–57 (max 61)

A pavane is a stately court dance or the music composed for dancing to it.

Round 9: J O S Z A S N E M

C1: SEASON (6)
C2: OMENS (5)
DC: ZEN MASONS (6)
OT: NOSEMAS (7)
Score: 43–57 (max 68)

James fails to score for the first time in the game.

Round 10: 50, 75, 10, 6, 3, 6. Target: 597.

C1: 597. (6+6)x50-3 (10)
C2: 597. (6+6)x50-3 (10)
Score: 53–67 (max 78)

Teatime teaser: FUSEROOM -> FOURSOME

Round 11: G O R O B R U D A

C1: BROOD (5)
C2: BOARD (5)
DC: BROOD (5) ODOUR (5)
OT: ARBOUR (6) (Kai) ARDOUR (6) BURGOO (6) DURBAR (6)
Score: 58–72 (max 84)

Burgoo is a type of stew or porridge
A durbar is a royal court, particularly that of a shah.

Round 12: L D S E A I F I R

C1: DERAILS (7)
C2: DERAILS (7)
DC: AIRFIELDS (18)
OT: AIRFIELD (8) LADIFIES (8)
Score: 65–79 (max 102)

Round 13: L A G E D A T R L

C1: GRATED (6)
C2: TALLER (6)
DC: LATERAL (7) GRADATE (7)
OT: GALLATE (7) TALLAGE (7)
Score: 71–85 (max 109)

James wisely didn't risk allegra (its allegro)

Round 14: 7, 4, 7, 1, 10, 2. Target: 218.

C1: 219.
C2: 218. 7x7x4+(10+1)x2 (10)
Score: 71–95 (max 119)

A 6 small selection pays off for James, putting the game out of reach from Karyn.

Round 15: V I L E T I L E S

C2 buzzes on 3 seconds to say LIVELIEST which is correct.
Score: 71–105 (max 129)

Upon solving the conundrum James ceremoniously punches the air. Quite rightly so, as 105 is a pretty respectable debut score. Karyn reveals she doesn't actually play snooker. She just likes the idea of chalking Ronnie's cue Frankly I'd pot her pink anytime

Recap written by Dinos Sfyris, very upset that he isn't attending the recording of Leeds' final Countdowns!

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

[Kai Laddiman]

It's really bugging me, is this the same guy? How many other James Robinsons are there going to be this week? (With reference to his welcome post, which someone will post a link to)

[Malcolm James]

This is presumably the first time that a game has involved two contestants for whom it was a second chance at appearing.

It seems that it's almost become a rule, that if you're under 18 and lose to an octochamp in your first game you get a second chance. There seem to be more contestants appearing for a second time in series 60 than have ever appeared before, particularly if you exclude those who are asked back because they got a bad call or something.

[Ben Wilson]

It's not an entirely new rule (and I'm sure there's another Whiteley-era example I've forgotten) but it does seem to be pretty prolific nowadays- esp. with Mr. Hulme set to tear through Series 61.

[Oliver Garner]

It's not an entirely new rule (and I'm sure there's another Whiteley-era example I've forgotten) but it does seem to be pretty prolific nowadays- esp. with Mr. Hulme set to tear through Series 61.

I don't know if this counts
Another Example

[Derek Hazell]

Next year she'll be studying maths at Oxford (watch out Rachel!) Such is her love for the subject that she has a tattoo of the symbol Pi. Strangely she didn't mention where...

I thought that! You've got a cute girl perfectly open and inviting to talk about her tattoo, and you don't ask where it is? Bit slow there Jeff

[Howard Somerset]

Such is her love for the subject that she has a tattoo of the symbol Pi. Strangely she didn't mention where...

Perhaps we'd have been disappointed if she'd told us. As it is we can all enjoy our imaginations. Indeed, later on yesterday, my mind went back to that tatoo when discussing pi with a student.

Nice recap, Dinos

[James Robinson]

That's a pretty good posting there, Dinos. Although, I would like to point out, it's MIRFIELD, not MERFIELD where I come from. Mirfield famously where Patrick Stewart, the greatest living Huddersfield Town fan comes from.

[Howard Somerset]

Ah James. Good to see you here; you well played yesterday. Did she tell you where the tatto is? Or did you perhaps glimpse it in the green room?

[Dinos Sfyris]

That's a pretty good posting there, Dinos. Although, I would like to point out, it's MIRFIELD, not MERFIELD where I come from. Mirfield famously where Patrick Stewart, the greatest living Huddersfield Town fan comes from.

Thanks James, I'd never heard of Mirfield but Merfield seemed the most sensible guess, more so than Myrrhfield anyway but I've fixed it now. Good luck with your games to come

[James Robinson]

Thanks a lot, Dinos. I remember when you were on the show, probably because of that interesting name of yours! I was so certain you were going to become an octochamp, so I was disappointed when you lost your 4th show, was it? Ah well, never mind.

P.S. For Howard, I'm afraid she didn't say where the tattoo was! Sorry for the lack of insider knowledge!

[Dinos Sfyris]

Oh and its been a while since I included them but here are C1 and C2's stats if anyone's interested:

Maxes 4-7
Raw Score 89-110
Rounds Won 1-5
Rounds Lost 5-1
Rounds Drawn 9
% of Max Score 55.0-81.4
Raw Score % of Max 69.0-85.3

[Dinos Sfyris]

Thanks a lot, Dinos. I remember when you were on the show, probably because of that interesting name of yours! I was so certain you were going to become an octochamp, so I was disappointed when you lost your 4th show, was it? Ah well, never mind.

P.S. For Howard, I'm afraid she didn't say where the tattoo was! Sorry for the lack of insider knowledge!

Well remembered. Although I certainly wasn't octochamp quality. Made too many stupid guesses. Shame I was just on the above side of the 18 mark when I lost!