Tuesday 28th September 2010 (Series 63, Prelim 57)

[Ryan Taylor]

JHC that guy was absolute dog crap on Perfect Recall today. Thick as pig shit some might say. Anyway, time for Countdown which I am home in time for again. Bliss.

Countdown recap for Tuesday 28 September 2010.

C1: Champion Heather Driver (1 win, 61 points.)
C2: Challenger Emma Looney.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr. Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S D E A S B E T I
R02: D Y T A E O C W M
R03: R N L A O E D N W
R04: R N T I E A S V U
R05: 100, 9, 3, 1, 6, 5. Target: 284.
TTT: IRONFIRE - "This teaser isn't as good as some of the others"
R06: S N P E I E T L O
R07: X H P I E R K A F
R08: T H D P E O A C T
R09: F Z N O A R O V E
R10: 75, 7, 2, 4, 6, 5. Target: 547.
TTT: RICEDEMO - "This teaser is about as good as it gets"
R11: G T N A E I S M A
R12: R D P E U O R A S
R13: T N Q O I U G L E
R14: 25, 10, 3, 4, 1, 8. Target: 695.
R15: E A T S M E T A L (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Mother of 3, Heather Driver, managed to win yesterday, not with an overly impressive score but a victory nonetheless. She is from Elgin and judging by her facebook page she likes The Inbetweeners which was still quite funny last night but not as good as the previous two of this series.

Emma Looney is a primary school teacher from Ballygunner, County Waterford. Again another Irish person on the show. She rushes home from school to catch Countdown each day and is a keen reader and karaoke singer. For those without a TV, you are missing out, because Emma is a TILF.

Dr. Phil Hammond is the DC guest all this week and was brilliant yesterday. More please.

Additional Information: Rachel has a nice frock on.

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S D E A S B E T I

C1: BEADIEST (8)
C2: BEASTIES (8)
DC: DIABETES (8) BASTIDES (8) BIDET (5)
OT: STEADIES (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)

Excellent start from both ladies with very fine 8's indeed. DC join them on 8 and that is the best the selection could offer.

Round 2: D Y T A E O C W M

C1: COATED (6)
C2: COATED (6)
DC: MEADOW (6) MEADOWY (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)

Even again whilst DC find the only 7 with MEADOWY.

Round 3: R N L A O E D N W

C1: WANDER (6)
C2: LOANER (6)
DC: LANDOWNER (18)
Score: 20–20 (max 33)

DC are relentless today, putting yesterdays troubles behind. An awesome 9 shows up both Heather and Emma who are sat on 6 and still matching each other.

Round 4: R N T I E A S V U

C1: varients
C2: TAVERNS (7)
DC: URINATES (8) VAUNTERS (8)
OT: UNRIVETS (8) VENTURIS (8)
Score: 20–27 (max 41)

Heather cracks first as she is seemingly confident of her 8 but like yesterday her spelling has let her down. Emma's decent 7 means she takes the lead heading into the first numbers game.

Round 5: 100, 9, 3, 1, 6, 5. Target: 284.

C1: 284. 100*3-(9+6+1) (10)
C2: 284. 100*3-(9+6+1) (10)
Score: 30–37 (max 51)

The easy numbers game is no hassle and the scores are looking decent, especially for Emma as we welcome Dr. Phil's anecdote.

DC Guest Time: Dr. Phil Hammond delivers a serious health message telling us to walk more and recommends a book called 'The Walking Cure' written by his friend Bernarr MacFadden.

Teatime teaser: IRONFIRE -> INFERIOR

Round 6: S N P E I E T L O

C1: PILOTS (6)
C2: POINTS (6)
DC: PENILE (6) PENSILE (7)
OT: PETIOLES (8)
Score: 36–43 (max 59)

DC actually miss something for once - PETIOLES - whilst Heather and Emma just manage sixes. Susie could have pointed out to Emma that she could slip the E into her word for POINTES to go one better. As it is, the 7 point advantage remains hers.

Round 7: X H P I E R K A F

C1: FAKIR (5)
C2: FIXER (5)
OT: KHARIF (6) PARKIE (6) PHREAK (6) PREFIX (6)
Score: 41–48 (max 65)

Ugly selection with some obscure 6's available. FAKIR is a lovely word from Heather meaning "a Muslim or Hindu mendicant monk who is regarded as a holy man". KHARIF means "Autumn" in Arabic as Gillard could tell you no doubt. It can refer to the rainy season or to a crop apparently. And with FREAK being available there was also PHREAK which is a cool word as I found it was coined to describe someone who works and explores telecommunication systems.

Round 8: T H D P E O A C T

C1: POTHEAD (7)
C2: CHATTED (7)
DC: CATHODE (7) PATCHED (7)
OT: CAPOTTED (8)
Score: 48–55 (max 73)

Another good word, sort of, from Heather and Emma still protects her lead by matching her. CAPOTTED beats everyone and I'm not surprised. It is a word used in the card game piquet and describes one player taking all the tricks.

Round 9: F Z N O A R O V E

C1: FROZEN (6)
C2: RAVE (4)
Score: 54–55 (max 79)

Emma's 7 point lead is finally slashed at with Heather managing to spot the darren.

Susie's Origins of Words: Susie talks about some words that are celebrating 50 years in the English language. Words mentioned included software, computerise, bionics, fab, klutz and kooky.

Round 10: 75, 7, 2, 4, 6, 5. Target: 547.

C1: 547. Mistake in working.
C2: 547. 75*7+5*4+2 (10)
Score: 54–65 (max 89)

I thought we were going to see Emma's 2 large but sadly not. Heather has thrown her hard work away after fluffing a numbers game, not for the first time. Emma wastes no time in taking the 10 points and achieves one of the most beautiful leads in the game of Countdown - 11 points.

Teatime teaser: RICEDEMO -> MEDIOCRE

Round 11: G T N A E I S M A

C1: STEAMING (8)
C2: ANIMATES (8)
DC: MANGIEST (8) MAGNESIA (8) MAGNATES (8)
OT: MAGENTAS (8)
Score: 62–73 (max 97)

Again this is good quality stuff from the ladies who both find the maximum with different 8's.

Round 12: R D P E U O R A S

C1: UPROARS (7)
C2: SPARRED (7)
DC: AROUSED (7)
OT: ADORERS (7) DROSERA (7) DRAPERS (7) PARURES (7) POURERS (7) PROUDER (7) SPURRED (7)
Score: 69–80 (max 104)

Emma is clinging onto her 11 point lead with a slightly risky 7 but relief for her as Susie says it is fine. Just two more rounds for Emma to survive being beaten in to clinch the game.

Round 13: T N Q O I U G L E

C1: QUOTING (7)
C2: TINGLE (6)
DC: ELUTION (7)
OT: ELUTING (7) OUTLINE (7) LENTIGO (7)
Score: 76–80 (max 111)

Oh no. Heather finds the simple -ING word to set up a very tense finish.

Round 14: 25, 10, 3, 4, 1, 8. Target: 695.

C1: 697. 25*4*(8-1)-3 (7)
C2: -
RR: 695. (25+4)*3*8-1 (10)
Score: 83–80 (max 121)


And Heather storms into the lead for the first time in the game. Rachel has a tidy solution to this tricky number. The girls have been matched evenly so far beating each other on occasions and a crucial conundrum is what this game deserved. Good luck to both.

Round 15: E A T S M E T A L

C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say STALEMATE which is correct.
Final Score: 93–80 (max 131)

A quick solve of a tricky conundrum means Heather picks up win number 2 after an absolute blitz of a final third (dropping only 3 points on that final numbers game). Emma seemed to just take her foot off the gas and maybe got a bit carried away having lead for so long. A shame we won't get to see more of her.

I would recommend watching this contest today, it was a pretty good contest and decent show all round. Tea time teasers were nice too.

Righty oh, it's the first night of The Big Quiz at university tonight so I will get swotting up. That's all from me. See you next time.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63

[Michael Wallace]

Emma Looney is a primary school teacher from Ballygunner, County Waterford.

Her kids must absolutely love that name.

[Emma Looney]

They do find it fairly funny yep

[Kai Laddiman]

Susie's Origins of Words: Susie talks about some words that are celebrating 50 years in the English language. Words mentioned included bionics

Wouldn't have thought this was in.

[Ryan Taylor]

Susie's Origins of Words: Susie talks about some words that are celebrating 50 years in the English language. Words mentioned included bionics

Wouldn't have thought this was in.

"The word bionic was coined by Jack E. Steele in 1958"

They do find it fairly funny yep

Also well played, hopefully my recap isn't at all offensive.

[Jon Corby]

They do find it fairly funny yep

Also well played, hopefully my recap isn't at all offensive.

What, like the bit where you say you want to fuck her, for example?

[Ryan Taylor]

They do find it fairly funny yep

Also well played, hopefully my recap isn't at all offensive.

What, like the bit where you say you want to fuck her, for example?

I only wrote what you were thinking Jon.

[Jon Corby]

I only wrote what you were thinking Jon.

Stay out of my thoughts