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Countdown tens

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:23 pm
by Martin Gardner
Because I'm bored and there's no Countdown today I thought I'd post a normal game of Countdown but with 10 letters instead of nine, in the same way that I posted some 10-letter conundrums a few years ago. 9 letter words score 9 points, a ten gets 20. I'm too lazy to do 15 rounds so it's going to be a nine rounder. The dictionary in use is the current edition of the ODE as used by Countdown itself. Answers in private or on here, I don't really care.

Martin

1. T R L M Y L I E E I

2. X V N R T M O O E A

3. T R C N S N I I E E

4. 8, 10, 5, 100, 9 4, TARGET : 645

5. W N S N T A I O U I

6. S S P R R O E E O A

7. B R Z D D S A E A E

8. 6, 2, 50, 9, 8 4, TARGET : 662

9. (CONUNDRUM) EIGHTHSOUL

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:32 pm
by Martin Gardner
Without counting the conundrum (which I set myself) I can get 63. Possibly a few points higher if I checked words in the dictionary.

Martin

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:28 am
by Matt Coates
1. Timely 6
2. Overman 7
3. Intenser 8
4. (8/4) X 10 = 20, 20 + 100 + 9 = 129, 129 X 5 = 645 10
5. Nations 7
6. Spoorers 8
7. Breaded 7
8. (9+4) = 13, 13 X 50 = 650, (6 X 2) = 12, 650 + 12 = 662 10
9. Lighthouse 10

Total 73, although im sure it will be soundly beaten

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:55 am
by David O'Donnell
1. TIMELIER
2. ANTEROOM
3. INSINCERE
4.( 8/4*10+9+100)*5
5. SONATINA
6. SPOORERS
7. DEBASED
8. (9+4)*50+(6*2)
9. LIGHTHOUSE

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:39 pm
by Matt Coates
timelier isnt a word i dont think, im sure it was disallowed once when i played a game

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:41 pm
by David O'Donnell
Matt Coates wrote:timelier isnt a word i dont think, im sure it was disallowed once when i played a game
It was probably just spelled wrong. How can you deny its existence when you you posted "timely" as an option LOL? :D

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:45 pm
by Jon Corby
David O'Donnell wrote:was probably just spelled wrong. How can you deny its existence when you you posted "timely" as an option LOL :D
The bald chap is right - it is definitely allowed, but his logic that because TIMELY is in, TIMELIER is assuredly valid, is utter turd. I'm sure I don't need to post a list of -LY words with no -LIER and -LIEST comparatives before he will meekly apologise.

Although, loyal friends, I do have to say: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:05 pm
by David O'Donnell
Corby wrote:
David O'Donnell wrote:was probably just spelled wrong. How can you deny its existence when you you posted "timely" as an option LOL :D
The bald chap is right - it is definitely allowed, but his logic that because TIMELY is in, TIMELIER is assuredly valid, is utter turd. I'm sure I don't need to post a list of -LY words with no -LIER and -LIEST comparatives before he will meekly apologise.
Just when I thought your posts couldn't be phrased absurdlier.

PS I thought the LOL and the flashing grin emoticon might have indicated that I was making a joke.

PPS Me apologise? In the words of big Ian: "NEVER!"

PPPS Stop bringing up my balding pate: it's hurtful :cry:

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:17 pm
by Jon Corby
David O'Donnell wrote:PS I thought the LOL and the flashing grin emoticon might have indicated that I making a joke.
No, it didn't. I read it as poking fun at Matt, hence why I leapt to his defence, you big bully.

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:21 pm
by David O'Donnell
Corby wrote:
David O'Donnell wrote:PS I thought the LOL and the flashing grin emoticon might have indicated that I making a joke.
No, it didn't. I read it as poking fun at Matt, hence why I leapt to his defence, you big bully.
Wait a minute! Have I just been called a bully by the king of the trolls?

Shome mishtake shurely.

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:48 pm
by Charlie Reams
David O'Donnell wrote:Wait a minute! Have I just been called a bully by the king of the trolls?
Hmm, I didn't notice any posts from Paul "Tranmere" Thomson.

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:24 pm
by Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner wrote:
1. T R L M Y L I E E I

2. X V N R T M O O E A

3. T R C N S N I I E E

4. 8, 10, 5, 100, 9 4, TARGET : 645

5. W N S N T A I O U I

6. S S P R R O E E O A

7. B R Z D D S A E A E

8. 6, 2, 50, 9, 8 4, TARGET : 662

9. (CONUNDRUM) EIGHTHSOUL
Using an anagrammer, I get

MILLERITE (9), extremely tough that one

OVERMAN (7), ANTEROOM is hyphenated in my NODE but it may well be one word in the latest edition.

INSINCERE and other 9s

9 * 4 = 26, 100 - 36 = 64, 64 * 10 + 5

UNIONIST (8) and others

One of the eights in the Scrabble dictionary must be good here, but I can't be arsed checking. I don't want to list all of them here because they might not all be valid

BEARDED (7) loads of sevens, ZAREBAS is the nicest one that I could find.

9 + 4 = 13, 13 * 50 = 650, 2 * 6 = 12, 650 + 12

LIGHTHOUSE is indeed the right answer.

I think that makes the maximum 79 unless ANTEROOM is not good.

Martin

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:39 pm
by Jason Larsen
Ten-letter words?

If the game is going to change and get harder out of nowhere, that's the way to do it.

So, in other words all of you loyal friends are saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:45 pm
by Charlie Reams
Jason Larsen wrote:So, in other words all of you loyal friends are saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
No one said that.

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:47 pm
by Jason Larsen
Is that just an idea?

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:07 am
by Dinos Sfyris
Its just for fun Jason. Countdown would never switch to 10 letters. For one thing after the initial title sequence where COUNTDOWN is displayed on the letters board, it wouldn't fully occupy the 10 spaces. Could you imagine? :o Same goes for the CONUNDRUM. They would have to find a 10-letter letter simile for it!

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 2:12 pm
by Jason Larsen
So, if they really wanted to they could change the name to Countdowno. In that case, I would bet they would make it similar to Bingo.

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:03 pm
by Charlie Reams
dinos_the_chemist wrote:They would have to find a 10-letter letter simile for it!
Synonym?

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:11 am
by Jon Corby
Charlie Reams wrote:
dinos_the_chemist wrote:They would have to find a 10-letter letter simile for it!
Synonym?
That's only seven letters :)

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:37 pm
by Jason Larsen
What have we been meaning to say?

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 3:23 pm
by Dinos Sfyris
Charlie Reams wrote:
dinos_the_chemist wrote:They would have to find a 10-letter letter simile for it!
Synonym?
Yeah thats the one :oops:

Re: Countdown tens

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:54 pm
by Conor
INCENTRES in round 3, I think.