Countdown recap for Wednesday 12 May 2010.
C1: Champion Paul Stevenson (1 win, 85 points.) A physics lecturer from the University Of Surrey, Guildford. In his spare time he enjoys running and blogging about nuclear physics.
His favourite place in the world is India.C2: Challenger Derrick Awcock. A retired civil servant from Teignmouth, Devon. He enjoys canal boating and once dragged his canal boat 18 miles to raise money for 2 charities. He dragged it on the Llangollen Canal in Wales, which took 2 days. According to his wife, his biggest talent is stirring it.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr. Hilary Jones.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: Z L A J I R S A H
R02: V R N E I A G L D
R03: T P C E U Y K E D
R04: S G M I A U P M E
R05: 100, 1, 6, 2, 7, 9. Target: 555.
TTT: HERSCRAM - "They might make an impression on Judith, perhaps?"
R06: T S R A E O S T D
R07: W N U T A M L E R
R08: N W L I O A M D E
R09: D G A S R O H A N
R10: 50, 75, 4, 3, 4, 6. Target: 171.
TTT: PHILDONS - "These creatures might be fans of podcasting"
R11: V R E G A C R I T
R12: B R N E O I T P E
R13: Q O R F E S N O E
R14: 100, 50, 1, 10, 8, 8. Target: 362.
R15: T A N G E L O D E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: Z L A J I R S A H
C1: HAILS (5)
C2: ALIAS (5)
DC: RAJAHS (6)
OT: ALHAJIS (7)
Score: 5–5 (max 7)
A tricky selection to start with here. The darrenic 7 eluding everyone.
Round 2: V R N E I A G L D
C1: LEAVING (7)
C2: rangled
DC: VINEGAR (7) DRAGLINE (8)
Score: 12–5 (max 15)
Paul takes the early lead as Derrick's doubtful 7 is just that.
Round 3: T P C E U Y K E D
C1: TUCKED (6)
C2: TUCKED (6)
DC: DEPUTY (6)
OT: DEPUTE (6) EYECUP (6) PECKED (6) YUCKED (6)
Score: 18–11 (max 21)
An EYECUP is a device for applying eyewash to the eye, consisting of a cup or glass with a rim shaped to fit snugly around the orbit of the eye.
Round 4: S G M I A U P M E
C1: GAPES (5)
C2: IMAGES (6)
DC: MAGPIES (7) GUMMIES (7)
OT: GUIMPES (7)
Score: 18–17 (max 28)
Derrick gets back in it with his 6 there.
A GUIMPE is a chemisette or yoke of lace, embroidery, or other material, worn with a dress cut low at the neck.
Round 5: 100, 1, 6, 2, 7, 9. Target: 555.
C1: 555. (6 x 100) - ((7 - 2) x 9) (10)
C2: 555. ((100 - 7) x 6) - 2 - 1 (10)
Score: 28–27 (max 38)
2 very different ways of getting 10 points by our contestants there, but they're both impressive.
Dr. Hilary talks about a tight situation on live TV, when he was talking about palpatations. He also talks about his time on the island of Tristan De Cunha, where he was the only doctor.
Teatime teaser: HERSCRAM -> CHARMERS
Round 6: T S R A E O S T D
C1: ASSORTED (8)
C2: TOASTERS (8)
DC: TORSADES (8)
Score: 36–35 (max 46)
All 8's picked up by the people who matter.
Round 7: W N U T A M L E R
C1: LAMENT (6)
C2: ANTLER (6)
DC: NEUTRAL (7)
OT: NUMERAL (7)
Score: 42–41 (max 53)
Round 8: N W L I O A M D E
C1: WAILED (6)
C2: ALMOND (6)
DC: MELANOID (8)
Score: 48–47 (max 61)
Round 9: D G A S R O H A N
C1: HADRONS (7)
C2: DRAGONS (7)
DC: HANGARS (7)
OT: ANGORAS (7) DARGAHS (7) DARSHAN (7) SANDHOG (7)
Score: 55–54 (max 68)
That's 5 consecutive rounds in which the contestants have matched each other in terms of points.
ANGORA is the hair of the Angora goat or of the Angora rabbit.
A DARSHAN is a preacher or teacher of Aggadah or Halakhah in a synagogue in Judaism.
A SANDHOG is a labourer who digs or works in sand.
Susie's Origin Of Words continues with the nursery rhyme theme with the origins of Goosey, Goosey, Gander.
Round 10: 50, 75, 4, 3, 4, 6. Target: 171.
C1: 170. (3 x 50) + (4 x 6) - 4 (7)
C2: 170. (3 x 50) + (4 x 6) - 4 (7)
RR: 171. ((6 - 4) x 50) + 75 - 4 (10)
Score: 62–61 (max 78)
Teatime teaser: PHILDONS -> DOLPHINS
Round 11: V R E G A C R I T
C1: GRATER (6)
C2: CARTER (6)
DC: VIRGATE (7)
OT: ERRATIC (7)
Score: 68–67 (max 85)
Round 12: B R N E O I T P E
C1: REPINE (6)
C2: POINTER (7)
DC: PROTEIN (7) EBONITE (7)
OT: BORNITE (7) PIONEER (7) REPOINT (7)
Score: 68–74 (max 92)
Woah
After 7 consecutive rounds of equal scoring, Derrick takes the lead for the first time with that 7.BORNITE is a common mineral and important ore of copper, copper iron sulfide, Cu5FeS4, occurring in masses, of brownish color when first exposed to the air, such as peacock ore.
Round 13: Q O R F E S N O E
C1: SOONER (6)
C2: forseen
Score: 74–74 (max 98)
But, his doubtful 7, combined with Paul's darrenic 6 makes the scores level with 2 rounds to go.
Round 14: 100, 50, 1, 10, 8, 8. Target: 362.
C1: 376.
C2: 360. ((8 - 1) x 50) + 10 (7)
RR: 362. ((50 + 8 + 1) x 8) - 100 - 10 (10)
Score: 74–81 (max 108)
Paul declares too far away, so Derrick's 2 away gives him the lead, as we head for the crucial conundrum.
Rachel solved this after the conundrum, by the way, after declaring 363 before it.
Round 15: T A N G E L O D E
C1 buzzes on 15 seconds to say ELONGATED which is correct.
Score: 84–81 (max 118)
And bang on halfway, Paul completes the very tense victory in a very exciting game.
Derrick was very unlucky. It makes you wonder if he saw SOONER in round 13, and just decided to try and build a further lead if he could. But, it wasn't to be and Paul has his 2nd win.
Can he reach win No.3 tomorrow
Find out with me in around 24 hours time.Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Paul:
Total score - 84
Raw score - 95
Total % of max - 71
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 5.6
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 6
Derrick:
Total score - 81
Raw score - 81
Total % of max - 69
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 5.4
Raw average score per round - 5.4
Number of maxes - 5
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62