Spoilers For Tuesday June 14th 2011

[James Robinson]

If anyone thinks that being a highly skilled Apterite almost guarantees you octochampdom, take a look at yesterday's game. Our Graeme was lucky to pass Graham Moonie-Dalton yesterday, and he will have to up his game today to make sure that that was just a blip and nothing permanent.

Liam will be joining you for the recap later.

[Stuart Arnot]

R1 SIMOLEON

[Tom Barnes]

Well done again Graeme, seriously concerned for my record there

[Tony Atkins]

Well done again Graeme, seriously concerned for my record there

It was higher score v zero, but that's not an official record.

I was quite please to equal Graeme in 12 rounds and nearly risked MATELESS, but didn't. Can anyone explain why TEAMLESS is not in ODE3, but MEATLESS and MATELESS are?

[Jon O'Neill]

It was higher score v zero, but that's not an official record.

Who decides what constitutes an official record, out of interest?

[Michael Wallace]

It was higher score v zero, but that's not an official record.

Who decides what constitutes an official record, out of interest?

Me.

[Dan McColm]

Good performance, Graeme, you missed very little. I spotted HAVELI in round 8.

[Joyce Phillips]

Well done Graeme. Hard to keep concentrating against such poor opposition.

[Brian Moore]

Good performance from Graeme after yesterday's scorcher, but oh dear, what a car crash for the challenger. I can only assume nerves got to him - lots of silly mistakes, missing obvious words and numbers. Not one of the most comfortable games to watch - even the last numbers I thought "phew", then he screwed it up. Oh dear indeed. Probably enough to make Graeme uncomfortable too.

[James Robinson]

It was higher score v zero, but that's not an official record.

Who decides what constitutes an official record, out of interest?

Well there was a record (of sorts) set today.

Since Graeme was 79 points ahead at the end of part 2, it was impossible for Mike to win, even with 3 9's and the numbers and conundrum.

So, that was the earliest a game was actually won in the history of the show.

It was also the 3rd highest winning margin, out of interest.

FOETID in round 12 and REBASING in round 13.

[Ryan Taylor]

It was higher score v zero, but that's not an official record.

Who decides what constitutes an official record, out of interest?

Well there was a record (of sorts) set today.

Since Graeme was 79 points ahead at the end of part 2, it was impossible for Mike to win, even with 3 9's and the numbers and conundrum.

So, that was the earliest a game was actually won in the history of the show.

It was also the 3rd highest winning margin, out of interest.

FOETID in round 12 and REBASING in round 13.

Please go on Mastermind and chooe Countdown as your specialist subject.

[Adam Gillard]

Please go on Mastermind and choo[s]e Countdown as your specialist subject.

This would be Really Kewell (Harry's cousin).

[Keith Bennett]

The letters rounds, fine. A lot of contestants faced with a top notch contestant like Graeme lose several rounds by one letter that they wouldn't to most other players; as a result their score on the day doesn't look too clever. But this guy screwed up 30 fairly straightforward points on numbers games. Graeme even abandoned 6 small for the first one which gave him a very fair chance.

The more I see heats like this the more I believe they need a rethink. Most of the people now in their 50s+ who both want to do the show and are genuinely good enough have probably already been on. If C4 insist, as they probably do, that the contestants are drawn from as wide a spectrum as possible in terms of age, gender, location and so on then sooner or later surely the rules have to change to let past contestants re-apply.

[Mike Brown]

Please go on Mastermind and chooe Countdown as your specialist subject.

**LIKE **

[Mike Brown]

Can anyone explain why TEAMLESS is not in ODE3, but MEATLESS and MATELESS are?

Presumably because it's less commonly used in written English, at least according to the Oxford corpus.

[Philip Jarvis]

Please go on Mastermind and choo[s]e Countdown as your specialist subject.

Yes - and just think ...... If you happen to lose, their rules allow you to go back on again at a later date. LOL

[Brian Moore]

Can anyone explain why TEAMLESS is not in ODE3, but MEATLESS and MATELESS are?

Presumably because it's less commonly used in written English, at least according to the Oxford corpus.

I sometimes have my doubts about how the Oxford corpus decides these things. Even if it is all computerised, the weighting given to different sources must be a human decision. Or is it a panel of the great and the good, cigar in one hand, glass of port in the other, taking a break from discussing the finer points of ancient Greece (or whatever Really Clever People do)?