c4countdown

Countdown recap for Thursday 11th September 2008.

C1: Champion Mike Lambert (1 win, 107 points.)
C2: Challenger Paul Norton.
DC: Susie Dent and Anton Du Beke.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: B R T S A I E R I
R02: G L D E A Y I E T
R03: R N M M U E A S H
R04: D L O E N P L A I
R05: 50, 1, 8, 6, 1, 8. Target: 378.
TTT: TENTRADE - "Talked about Jack the toad, perhaps"
R06: A E I C P R T E N
R07: V N R C O O A O D
R08: W D A O E Q M S O
R09: N M R Z U I O L C
R10: 75, 9, 1, 6, 3, 5. Target: 573.
TTT: CREWOMEN - "Justin could be one of these"
R11: D L B G A I O D E
R12: T N S A E E N J A
R13: R F S R O E E K A
R14: 25, 4, 1, 3, 5, 2. Target: 794.
R15: S P I N E C O R D (conundrum)


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"Can you tell what's different about me today Carol?" asks Des as he opens the show. She can't... but... oh, wait he's got a letter from somebody about him doing a show in prison. I wonder what's different about him? He'll come to that in a minute I guess.

Now, we all have high expectations of champion Mike as yesterday he thwarted our own Debbi F who looked to be storming towards octochampdom. Indeed if Debbi hadn't been lightning quick on the conundrum, he may well have scored an enormous 117 which is probably like the joint highest score ever by a debutant or something. But he didn't. HE LIKES BIRDS. Today he meets Paul Norton from Portadown (County Armagh), who on first glance looks like Phill Jupitus after a crash diet. He's single, likes cooking and photography, and has a dog called Pepe. I'm sure he could combine all of those things to give some lucky zoophilic lady a very special night.

I'm still wondering what's different about Des as he introduces Anton Du Beke for the last time this stint, who I have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed. Very chirpy happy soul, doesn't take himself too seriously, hasn't hogged the words, and generally done very well. Let's hope he'll be back again.

On with the game then. But what is different about Des? He's certainly a master of suspense!

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

C1: BASTER (6)
C2: breast (declared as 5)
DC: RAREBITS (8)
OT: ARBITERS (8) RARITIES (8)
Score: 6–0 (max 8)

Round 2: G L D E A Y I E T

C1: GLADE (5)
C2: DAILY (5)
DC: GAIETY (6) LIGATED (7)
Score: 11–5 (max 15)

Round 3: R N M M U E A S H

C1: HUMMERS (7)
C2: HAMMERS (7)
DC: HAREMS (6) MANURES (7)
OT: SHAMMER (7) SURNAME (7)
Score: 18–12 (max 22)

Round 4: D L O E N P L A I

C1: PALLID (6)
C2: POLLED (6)
DC: PALINODE (8)
Score: 24–18 (max 30)

Round 5: 50, 1, 8, 6, 1, 8. Target: 378.

C1: 367.
C2: -
CV: 378. (50-1)*8-8-6 (10)
Score: 24–18 (max 40)

Teatime teaser: TENTRADE -> NATTERED

Round 6: A E I C P R T E N

C1: CARPET (6)
C2: CARPET (6)
DC: CREATINE (8)
OT: APERIENT (8) INCREATE (8) PATIENCE (8) PRENTICE (8)
Score: 30–24 (max 48)

Round 7: V N R C O O A O D

C1: CORONA (6)
C2: RACOON (6)
DC: CROON (5) CONDOR (6)
OT: CARDOON (7) CORDOVAN (8)
Score: 36–30 (max 56)

Racoon with one 'c' is a new one on me (and probably others who grew up watching The Raccoons as a kid). A cardoon is a tall thistle-like southern European plant related to the globe artichoke and cordovan is a kind of soft leather made originally from goatskin and now from horse hide.

Round 8: W D A O E Q M S O

C1: MOWED (5)
C2: MOOSE (5)
DC: MEADOWS (7)
Score: 41–35 (max 63)

Round 9: N M R Z U I O L C

C1: CUMIN (5)
C2: ICON (4)
DC: COLUMN (6) UNCOIL (6)
OT: CORIUM (6) MICRON (6) MOULIN (6) MUONIC (6) UNICOM (6) ZIRCON (6)
Score: 46–35 (max 69)

A few sixes up for grabs here, a couple of common ones and some not so, which I can't be arsed to look up.

Round 10: 75, 9, 1, 6, 3, 5. Target: 573.

C1: 573. (9-1)*75-6*5+3 (10)
C2: 573. Mistake in working.
Score: 56–35 (max 79)

Teatime teaser: CREWOMEN -> NEWCOMER

Round 11: D L B G A I O D E

C1: BOILED (6)
C2: BLADED (6)
DC: BODEGA (6) BADGED (6) OBLIGED (7)
OT: BEDLOAD (7)
Score: 62–41 (max 86)

Round 12: T N S A E E N J A

C1: NEATENS (7)
C2: antenas
DC: STEEN (5)
OT: ANNATES (7) JENNETS (7)
Score: 69–41 (max 93)

Annates are a year's revenue of a Roman Catholic see or benefice, paid to the Pope by a bishop or other cleric on his appointment. Jennets are small Spanish horses.

Round 13: R F S R O E E K A

C1: REFERS (6)
C2: forsakes
DC: FORSAKER (8)
Score: 75–41 (max 101)

Poor Paul, I did wince a little as he confidently declared eight here, as it would have seemed prudent to stick with FORSAKE (after hearing Mike declare six) over the uglier-sounding and less-commonly-heard FORSAKER.

Round 14: 25, 4, 1, 3, 5, 2. Target: 794.

C1: -
C2: 796. Mistake in working.
CV: 794. (((5+3)*25)-1)*4-2 (10)
Score: 75–41 (max 111)

Round 15: S P I N E C O R D

No one buzzes. The answer was CONSPIRED.
Score: 75–41 (max 121)

A tense-looking Mike stutters slightly to a less-convincing second victory with just three maxes today, probably leaving Debbi wondering what might have been as I'm sure she'd have had him with today's selections (and I also no longer think that she probably just pipped him to yesterday's conundrum!). Still, a victory's a victory so well done to him!







WHAT THE FREAKING HELL WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT DES TODAY?



Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=59

Jon Corby wrote:
A tense-looking Mike stutters slightly to a less-convincing second victory with just three maxes today, probably leaving Debbi wondering what might have been as I'm sure she'd have had him with today's selections (and I also no longer think that she probably just pipped him to yesterday's conundrum!). Still, a victory's a victory so well done to him!

You edited this before I had a chance to childishly highlight the error. You git.

Jon Corby wrote:WHAT THE FREAKING HELL WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT DES TODAY?

Carol did offer a suggestion, which Des denied. And that was that he'd changed to dressing to the right. Maybe she'd got close, and the difference was that he was dressing to the left. Perhaps Charlie will tell us.

And btw, in round 10, I think Mike used 75 rather than an 8 that he didn't have.

Howard Somerset wrote:And btw, in round 10, I think Mike used 75 rather than an 8 that he didn't have.

Oh yeah, cheers Howard

Jon Corby wrote:

I'm still wondering what's different about Des as he introduces Anton Du Beke for the last time this stint, who I have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed. Very chirpy happy soul, doesn't take himself too seriously, hasn't hogged the words, and generally done very well. Let's hope he'll be back again.

Agreed. Anton Du Beke had 'smash the TV' written all over him but he was surprisingly entertaining - I also like the fact that he seems to be a fan of the show.

David O'Donnell wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:

I'm still wondering what's different about Des as he introduces Anton Du Beke for the last time this stint, who I have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed. Very chirpy happy soul, doesn't take himself too seriously, hasn't hogged the words, and generally done very well. Let's hope he'll be back again.

Agreed. Anton Du Beke had 'smash the TV' written all over him but he was surprisingly entertaining - I also like the fact that he seems to be a fan of the show.

Come to think of it, Des didn't introduce him either, Carol would have done. What an utter arse-up of a recap.