Countdown recap for Monday 26 April 2010.
C1: Champion Nicki Sellars (2 wins, 171 points.) From Swindon, Wiltshire. She's a former teaching assistant, but is currently in teacher training. She also claims to be the only non-musical member of her family. Her favourite singer is Rod Stewart, leading Jeff to suggest that she might be tonedeaf.
C2: Challenger Brian McAulay. From Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire. He works as a financial advisor. He's married and is a member of a band with friends and is a member of his local golf club, where his handicap is 18. His daughter, Kathleen was a contestant in Series 56, losing 100-75 to James Hurrell. The most deadly thing he has ever done is contradict his wife.
DC: Susie Dent and DC debutant John Parrott. (If he's as funny as he was when he was on A Question Of Sport, we're in for a great week
)RR: Rachel Riley, still suffering from a sore throat.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: W S T E A O S N A
R02: P M T O I Y E Q L
R03: R H T I E U R S A
R04: N V S G C I A E G
R05: 100, 7, 4, 3, 10, 2. Target: 475.
TTT: GOINFILM - "2 cars, but definitely no driving"
R06: D T D I E U S N X
R07: P B R E I E D W A
R08: K N S I E O R S N
R09: V F S I O E R M G
R10: 50, 10, 5, 8, 8, 7. Target: 975.
TTT: GROOMMAN - "A well-groomed man might have this on his robe"
R11: R F P A U I A N L
R12: D T R E O A S L N
R13: T L M O E E D H I
R14: 25, 9, 1, 4, 9, 2. Target: 988.
R15: G U N D R A M A S (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: W S T E A O S N A
C1: SWEATS (6)
C2: ATONES (6)
DC: SONATAS (7)
OT: ASSONATE (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)
ASSONATE means to correspond in sound.
Round 2: P M T O I Y E Q L
C1: EMPTILY (7)
C2: POLITE (6)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)
The very odd sounding darrenic 7 gives Nicki the early lead in this one.
Round 3: R H T I E U R S A
C1: HURRIES (7)
C2: URETHRAS (8)
DC: THESAURI (8)
OT: TRASHIER (8)
Score: 13–14 (max 23)
But, Brian takes over immediately with a brilliant 8.
Round 4: N V S G C I A E G
C1: CEASING (7)
C2: CEASING (7)
OT: SIGNAGE (7)
Score: 20–21 (max 30)
Round 5: 100, 7, 4, 3, 10, 2. Target: 475.
C1: 475. (100 x 4) + (7 x 10) + 3 + 2 (10)
C2: 472.
Score: 30–21 (max 40)
Oh dear. I thought that looked pretty straight forward, as did Nicki, but not for Brian.
John tells of his love for words and his time working as a pundit at the Grand National. Jeff also reveals that he and John first met while doing snooker commentary, where Jeff didn't know how many points each colour was worth
Teatime teaser: GOINFILM -> MINIGOLF
Round 6: D T D I E U S N X
C1: STUDIED (7)
C2: STUDIED (7)
DC: UNDIES (6)
OT: DISTEND (7)
Score: 37–28 (max 47)
Clearly Jeff & John STUDIED their underwear humour from a very pants society
Round 7: P B R E I E D W A
C1: WARPED (6)
C2: PAIRED (6)
DC: BAWDIER (7)
OT: BEADIER (7) BEARDIE (7) WEARIED (7)
Score: 43–34 (max 54)
Round 8: K N S I E O R S N
C1: SINKERS (7)
C2: SINKERS (7)
DC: SKINNERS (8)
Score: 50–41 (max 62)
Round 9: V F S I O E R M G
C1: FORGIVES (8)
C2: MOVERS (6)
Score: 58–41 (max 70)
Nicki seemed pretty surprised to see FORGIVES again, after declaring it on Friday, but she gets the 8 points, and her opponent doesn't. Pure and simple.
Susie's Origin Of Words returns with the quiz format, and Jeff's turn.
Which of these adjectives derives from the word for a small, flatulent dog
a) FEISTY
b) BELLIGERENT
c) CANNY
Jeff guesses the correct answer, which is a).
Round 10: 50, 10, 5, 8, 8, 7. Target: 975.
C1: -
C2: -
RR: 975. (8 + 7) x (50 + 10 + 5) (10)
Score: 58–41 (max 80)
Oh dear
Both contestants draw a blank in there, but Ms. Marvellous herself solves it in no time flat. Teatime teaser: GROOMMAN -> MONOGRAM
Round 11: R F P A U I A N L
C1: URINAL (6)
C2: UNFAIR (6)
OT: PAINFUL (7)
Score: 64–47 (max 87)
Round 12: D T R E O A S L N
C1: LEOTARDS (8)
C2: ROASTED (7)
DC: LODESTAR (8) SOLANDER (8)
OT: DELATORS (8)
Score: 72–47 (max 95)
The legend itself makes a return. Nicki now has one foot over the finishing line.
Round 13: T L M O E E D H I
C1: MELTED (6)
C2: DEMOTE (6)
DC: ETHMOID (7)
OT: LITHOED (7)
Score: 78–53 (max 102)
Rather than risk the dodgy hoteled, Nicki sticks with the safe 6 to wrap up win #3.
Round 14: 25, 9, 1, 4, 9, 2. Target: 988.
C1: 989. (25 x 4 x (9 + 1)) - (9 + 2) (7)
C2: 989. (25 x 4 x (9 + 1)) - (9 + 2) (7)
RR: 988. (((25 x 4) + 9 + 1) x 9) - 2 (10)
Score: 85–60 (max 112)
A slightly tricky one to get exactly, but yet again, Rachel shows us how it's done.
Round 15: G U N D R A M A S
No one buzzes. The answer was GUARDSMAN.
Score: 85–60 (max 122)
No contestant gets the conundrum, but our very own recapper extraordinaire Howard Somerset is picked out from the audience to give the correct answer.
Another fine performance by Nicki today. Can she make it to the finals
We'll have to wait and see.The #1 seed Oli Garner will be here tomorrow. Well, probably not, as I think he's in Manchester, as the finals are being recorded tomorrow. Good luck to everyone going. So annoyed that I can't go, but oh well. There's always Series 63, which from what I've heard is going to be one of the most interesting series ever.
I'll be back on Wednesday when normal service will resume..... hopefully.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Nicki:
Total score - 85
Raw score - 92
Total % of max - 70
Raw % of max - 75
Total average score per round - 5.7
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 6
Brian:
Total score - 60
Raw score - 86
Total % of max - 49
Raw % of max - 70
Total average score per round - 4.0
Raw average score per round - 5.7
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62