Spoilers For Wednesday August 26th 2009

[James Robinson]

Another day, another Countdown and another chance for Paul to... oh, no he lost yesterday didn't he?

Never mind, still there's our new champ Ed to look forward to, although I somehow think that most people are waiting to see Mr Davies in around 54 hours time.

P.S. I'm not trying to set up every spoiler for this week's shows, I just seem to be the first to think about it. Having said that, I doubt I'll be first for tomorrow, since I'm heading to up to St. James' Park tonight to see my beloved Terriers kick some Magpie butt in the Carling Cup, so I actually see today's show until tomorrow, but there you go.

[Chris Davies]

AGOGOS in r2 - got this in the green room.

[Craig Beevers]

GALAGOS is good according to Apterous

[Kirk Bevins]

AGOGOS in r2 - got this in the green room.

Was just going to post this - damn you Davies.

[Craig Beevers]

Interestingly AMINO is purely adjectival in CSW (Scrabble's wordlist). SOZIN(S) is Scrabble-only.

[Andrew Hulme]

Challenger seems good too

[JimBentley]

Couple of unlucky risks by Ed but it's not over yet. Been a really excellent game so far.

[Craig Beevers]

Surprised they didn't edit that (further) or re-shoot it.

[Phil Reynolds]

Round 10 was distinctly uncomfortable to watch, so I can't imagine what it must have been like in the studio.

[Matt Morrison]

Round 10 was distinctly uncomfortable to watch, so I can't imagine what it must have been like in the studio.

Agreed, I presume there wasn't really a precedent set for what to do when this happens? I guess Jeff didn't/doesn't have the power to make such adjudications by himself - if he had been able to, you'd think Ed would have been stopped whilst he paused. Presumably Jeff had to wait for the direction in his earpiece, and by then Ed had continued with the "4 x 2" part of his solution and it just looked cringeworthily messy.

[Craig Beevers]

Hmm PIXILATE is another that wouldn't be allowed in Scrabble, although PIXILATED is okay there.

[Kai Laddiman]

Intersting game today, The challenger scored more against me than the champion did, and I blobbed on Rd 6 and 11, but made up for it with TERAPHIM and the mentioned PIXILATED. Also easy numbers today.

[Kirk Bevins]

SEIGNIOR as a nice equaller in round 11. Argh, I missed TERAPHIM yet again, ffs.

Davies, how did you do in the green room? Were you annoyed to potentially play this scrabbler or was it reassuring to know he kept offering phoneys and isn't that great on the numbers?

[Phil Reynolds]

I was surprised to find that PIXILATE is in the dictionary as an alternative spelling to PIXELATE, given its derivation from PIXEL. One to remember.

I found the whole of today's game oddly uncomfortable to watch for some reason. If someone told me that the players had had a huge falling out in the green room just before the recording, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

[Kirk Bevins]

I was surprised to find that PIXILATE is in the dictionary as an alternative spelling to PIXELATE, given its derivation from PIXEL. One to remember.

I found the whole of today's game oddly uncomfortable to watch for some reason. If someone told me that the players had had a huge falling out in the green room just before the recording, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Really? It looked OK to me. The champ looked nervous (still) and got visibly red in the third part of the show. The challenger looked cool and collected to be honest.

[JackHurst]

Im assuming the champs scrabble experience came to be partly detrimental in this game, because he appeared to have risked words that were valid in scrabble but not in countdown. I liked todays conundrum.

[Chris Davies]

SEIGNIOR as a nice equaller in round 11. Argh, I missed TERAPHIM yet again, ffs.

Davies, how did you do in the green room? Were you annoyed to potentially play this scrabbler or was it reassuring to know he kept offering phoneys and isn't that great on the numbers?

I was a little worried about potentially playing him because of his strength on the letters and quick conundrum spots, but playing against him in the green room I was the clear winner. I didn't know PIXILATED though (at the time) - I remember thinking 'PIXELATED is almost there', but hey.

[Phil Reynolds]

I found the whole of today's game oddly uncomfortable to watch for some reason. If someone told me that the players had had a huge falling out in the green room just before the recording, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Really? It looked OK to me. The champ looked nervous (still) and got visibly red in the third part of the show. The challenger looked cool and collected to be honest.

Just had another quick look and I thought they both seemed incredibly nervous throughout. I'm sure there wasn't really any ill-feeling, just that the nerves gave both of them a tendency to look surly. Take a look at Adam's expression after declaring PRIMATE in round 3 - he looks down at the desk, then glances up with an expression that seems to say, "Somebody get me out of here..."

[Jojo Apollo]

Good high quality game that. Hardlines to Adam, well done to Ed on the good comeback, a worthy champ.

[Gavin Chipper]

Round 10 was distinctly uncomfortable to watch, so I can't imagine what it must have been like in the studio.

Agreed, I presume there wasn't really a precedent set for what to do when this happens? I guess Jeff didn't/doesn't have the power to make such adjudications by himself - if he had been able to, you'd think Ed would have been stopped whilst he paused. Presumably Jeff had to wait for the direction in his earpiece, and by then Ed had continued with the "4 x 2" part of his solution and it just looked cringeworthily messy.

What happened?

[Matt Morrison]

Round 10 was distinctly uncomfortable to watch, so I can't imagine what it must have been like in the studio.

Agreed, I presume there wasn't really a precedent set for what to do when this happens? I guess Jeff didn't/doesn't have the power to make such adjudications by himself - if he had been able to, you'd think Ed would have been stopped whilst he paused. Presumably Jeff had to wait for the direction in his earpiece, and by then Ed had continued with the "4 x 2" part of his solution and it just looked cringeworthily messy.

What happened?

R10: 75, 2, 9, 4, 7, 1. Target: 561
Can't remember the method, but Ed declared 561 and then started with a multiplication of 75. He then "er"-ed and went quiet whilst looking down at his notes. After a very long-feeling silent pause (probably about 6 seconds in real time) he went to carry on with "4 x 2", and just after he said that Jeff interrupted and explained that he'd taken too long and his method couldn't be accepted.

[Joyce Phillips]

James, you could have had a cup of tea with me in Newcastle, just to make your trip worthwhile.

[Phil Reynolds]

What happened?

R10: 75, 2, 9, 4, 7, 1. Target: 561
Can't remember the method, but Ed declared 561 and then started with a multiplication of 75. He then "er"-ed and went quiet whilst looking down at his notes. After a very long-feeling silent pause (probably about 6 seconds in real time) he went to carry on with "4 x 2", and just after he said that Jeff interrupted and explained that he'd taken too long and his method couldn't be accepted.

He actually began with "75 - 4 = 71", then after the long pause continued with "4 x 2 = 8" so he'd used the 4 twice in any case. But seriously Gavin, why not simply watch it online?

[John Bosley]

Round 10 was distinctly uncomfortable to watch, so I can't imagine what it must have been like in the studio.

Agreed, I presume there wasn't really a precedent set for what to do when this happens? I guess Jeff didn't/doesn't have the power to make such adjudications by himself - if he had been able to, you'd think Ed would have been stopped whilst he paused. Presumably Jeff had to wait for the direction in his earpiece, and by then Ed had continued with the "4 x 2" part of his solution and it just looked cringeworthily messy.

Questions from a layman -
(1) at what point in that process does it become unfair play?
(2) why doesn't the other contestant (Adam) then get a go. I think he was one away but could be wrong.

[Darren Carter]

(2) why doesn't the other contestant (Adam) then get a go. I think he was one away but could be wrong.

Adam didn't declare anything.

[John Bosley]

OK - thanks, Darren.

[Douglas Wilson]

If anyone wants to see the incident again/for the first time but can't be bothered to see the whole show go straight for 24 minutes exactly, on 4OD. (You'll still have to watch the adverts first though)

There was 8 of silence between calculations, although that may have been edited down.

Also noticed that on 4OD Countdown now lasts 37 minutes, compared to 36 before the summer break.

[Michael Wallace]

Also noticed that on 4OD Countdown now lasts 37 minutes, compared to 36 before the summer break.

Really? I just checked Wednesday's and it's 36.09.

[James Robinson]

James, you could have had a cup of tea with me in Newcastle, just to make your trip worthwhile.

Thanks for that offer, Joyce, although me and my dad met up with grandparents in Whitley Bay before the match.

Having said that, it was a thrilling match , despite the result.

I also had to sit right at the back of the stadium, so all in all I was satisfied.

[Gavin Chipper]

He actually began with "75 - 4 = 71", then after the long pause continued with "4 x 2 = 8" so he'd used the 4 twice in any case. But seriously Gavin, why not simply watch it online?

Well I've never used the 4 online service thing before but I suppose I should.