Countdown recap for Thursday 29 April 2010.
C1: Champion Nicki Sellars (5 wins, 415 points.) She's a former teaching assistant currently in teacher training. Her ambition was to appear on Countdown before she was 50. When you see her in the flesh, she doesn't look anywhere near 50, but she admits that she is only just under the threshold.
C2: Challenger Alan Hibbert. From Bettisfield, near Whitchurch, Shropshire, although interestingly, his house is in Wales. He's a retired dairy farm manager. He owns lots of pets including Badger Face Welsh Mountain Sheep, which he keeps and breeds. He also performs in local operatic society musicals and sings in 2 different choirs. His most recent experience with the choir was when he did a performance at Chester Cathedral with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.
DC: Susie Dent and John Parrott.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M N P U O A C S E
R02: C G D E U A N M O
R03: N T R I E I E T G
R04: T K S N I O L O E
R05: 50, 6, 5, 10, 4, 3. Target: 936.
TTT: SEEDPELT - "Reduces the number of folds in trousers, perhaps?"
R06: R T H E O U G N T
R07: G V D O I A R L O
R08: R S L P E E S O J
R09: S N W A O E Y X R
R10: 100, 2, 4, 9, 5, 5. Target: 244.
TTT: GAINMAZE - "It can be read, but can also be fired"
R11: P N M E A U B R A
R12: S C D T I E V A T
R13: S F B N E A E I H
R14: 75, 8, 1, 9, 1, 7. Target: 308.
R15: D J E P I C U R E (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: M N P U O A C S E
C1: POUNCES (7)
C2: POUNCES (7)
DC: MOPANES (7)
OT: CONSUME (7) ENCAMPS (7) MUCOSAE (7) PNEUMAS (7) SPUMONE (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
A nice flat start to today's show.
MUCOSAE (the plural of MUCOSA) are the lubricating membranes lining an internal surface or an organ, as the alimentary, respiratory, and genitourinary canals.
A PNEUMA is a vital spirit or soul.
A SPUMONE is an Italian style of ice cream of a very fine and smooth texture, usually containing layers of various colours and flavours and chopped fruit or nuts.
Round 2: C G D E U A N M O
C1: MANGO (5)
C2: MOANED (6)
DC: MANUCODE (8)
Score: 7–13 (max 15)
Alan takes the lead, as a very impressive darren is spotted by DC, which co-incidentally is also the least favourite book of Manchester City fans all over the country.
Round 3: N T R I E I E T G
C1: TREEING (7)
C2: GREET (5)
OT: REIGNITE (8) RINGETTE (8)
Score: 14–13 (max 23)
Nicki retakes the lead with that unusual looking 7 there, but both 8's elude everyone in the studio.
RINGETTE is a team sport invented in Canada, which involves players using sticks to control a rubber ring on the ice.
Round 4: T K S N I O L O E
C1: STOLEN (6)
C2: LOONIEST (8)
DC: KILOTONS (8)
OT: OILSTONE (8)
Score: 14–21 (max 31)
This lead is exchanging nearly every turn in this game so far.
Round 5: 50, 6, 5, 10, 4, 3. Target: 936.
C1: 936. ((10 / 5) + 50) x 6 x 3 (10)
C2: 935.
Score: 24–21 (max 41)
And it changes hands again.
John talks about his love of quizzes, which leads to a quiz during the break, which is "Name the 4 British horse racing courses that don't have any of the letters of the word "RACE" in their name?"
Teatime teaser: SEEDPELT -> DEPLETES
After the break, Jeff gives all 4 correct answers: Goodwood, Plumpton, Huntingdon & Ludlow.
Round 6: R T H E O U G N T
C1: THRONE (6)
C2: ENOUGH (6)
DC: NOUGHT (6) TOUGHER (7)
OT: ROUGHEN (7) TOUGHEN (7)
Score: 30–27 (max 48)
Round 7: G V D O I A R L O
C1: AVOID (5)
C2: GRAVID (6)
DC: VIRAGO (6)
OT: OGIVAL (6) VIGORO (6)
Score: 30–33 (max 54)
A good spot by Alan in that very tricky mix of letters.
OGIVAL relates to OGIVE, which is a term in statistics for a distribution curve in which the frequencies are cumulative.
Round 8: R S L P E E S O J
C1: poreless
C2: LESSER (6)
DC: REPOSES (7) ELOPERS (7)
OT: PLESSOR (7) RESOLES (7)
Score: 30–39 (max 61)
Nicki's dodgy 8 is just that.
A PLESSOR (or PLEXOR) is a small hammer with a soft rubber head or the like, used in percussion for diagnostic purposes.
Round 9: S N W A O E Y X R
C1: OWNERS (6)
C2: REASON (6)
DC: ANSWER (6) YAWNERS (7)
Score: 36–45 (max 68)
Susie's Origin Quiz returns to Jeff.
Which of the following adjectives did the aristocrats bring over from France meaning the "pursuit of falconry"?
a) JOWLY
b) HAGGARD
c) KEEN
Jeff, looking like he had insider knowledge, correctly guessed that the answer was b).
Round 10: 100, 2, 4, 9, 5, 5. Target: 244.
C1: 241.
C2: 242. ((100 + 9 + 5 + 5) x 2) + 4 (7)
RR: 244. (2 x 100) + (5 x 9) - (5 - 4) (10)
Score: 36–52 (max 78)
Alan extends his lead into double figures with his 2 away there.
Teatime teaser: GAINMAZE -> MAGAZINE
Round 11: P N M E A U B R A
C1: BREAM (5)
C2: BREAM (5)
DC: URBANE (6) PENUMBRA (8)
Score: 41–57 (max 86)
Another magnificent darren by DC there.
Round 12: S C D T I E V A T
C1: DATIVES (7)
C2: STATED (6)
DC: DICTATES (8)
Score: 48–57 (max 94)
That's 3 darrens in a row for DC, as Nicki reduces the deficit to 9.
Round 13: S F B N E A E I H
C1: beefish
C2: BEANIES (7)
DC: BANSHEE (7)
Score: 48–64 (max 101)
But it doesn't last long as she offers another dodgy word, meaning Alan is within touching distance of knocking out our champion.
Round 14: 75, 8, 1, 9, 1, 7. Target: 308.
C1: 308. ((9 - 7 + 1 + 1) x 75) + 8 (10)
C2: 309.
Score: 58–64 (max 111)
Woah
Nicki's maths skills return to her, meaning that all of a sudden, we have a crucial conundrum.Round 15: D J E P I C U R E
C1 buzzes on 9 seconds to say PREJUDICE which is correct.
Score: 68–64 (max 121)
Well, what do you know
Nicki completes her sleepsuit and with it, gets her place in the top 8 seeds for the moment, at least.Join Mike tomorrow to see if she can reach the Magnificent 7.
Till next week from me, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Nicki:
Total score - 68
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 56
Raw % of max - 75
Total average score per round - 4.5
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 4
Alan:
Total score - 64
Raw score - 89
Total % of max - 53
Raw % of max - 74
Total average score per round - 4.3
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62