Today is a promising day because Wimbledon starts for the next 2 weeks which makes me happy. However, in rather sadder news, daredevil Ryan Dunn died today in a car accident although early signs suggest he was both drink driving and speeding so he kind of lived up to his Jackass moniker. Still, RIP Ryan Dunn. Now on a much lighter note....Countdown.
C1: Champion Matt Croy (1 win, 86 points.)
C2: Challenger Pete Snowdon.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T N A S O E V H A
R02: N U P G I Y S T U
R03: C N E T O E B A R
R04: S L E D A O W D E
R05: 25, 7, 9, 1, 3, 5. Target: 986.
TTT: PITYDORA - "After exploring with boots, Dora might need this treatment"
R06: H I M X G A E D R
R07: M R U P I F E U G
R08: D T I N A B F U Q
R09: P N E S O A C M R
R10: 100, 25, 9, 1, 9, 8. Target: 355.
TTT: BIGADDER - "Shorten the trip over the river perhaps"
R11: L D E A T L I T R
R12: S N R O E N A D I
R13: C G E O T V E A R
R14: 50, 100, 25, 75, 3, 8. Target: 689.
R15: B I T S B E L O W (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Matt Croy is the current King of Countdown after his first victory on Friday. Until recently his avatar on apterous was, in the words of Charlie Reams, the most bad ass one on the site although somewhat disappointingly he is smiley on the show. I'd like to see him with a bit more swagger which I think Countdown needs. About Matt - he is a police officer and admits the best part is driving the car with the flashing blue light and in addition to this he supports Grimsby Town FC which (it has to be said) are a pretty grim team.
Pete Snowdon flies into the Challenger's chair from Dunfermline and he is a HGV driver but also used to be in the armed forces. He has several tattoos on his arms, one of which is Sunderland FC badge, which makes sense because he supports the Mackems, and has done for life.
And returning alongside Susie for the countless time (James could tell us how many) is...Tim Vine. Woooo!
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T N A S O E V H A
C1: SHAVEN (6)
C2: HAVENS (6)
DC: HAVE (4) SAVANTE (7)
OT: NOVATES (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
Hahahahahaha!! Funniest bit of Countdown so far. Matt has a bit of smirk on his face before announcing SHAVEN so we can see how his mind works but then seemingly nobody else cracks at all when Pete announces HAVENS after Matt's declaration. Jeff even repeats the words saying "we've got SHAVEN and HAVENS" but still no one shows signs of cracking. I wonder if this was a retake? Also, coincidence?
Openbook picked up on it all with that being the most commented on moment of Countdown today. I came across this one too which made me pmsl.
This kid could be the most ironic child of his generation though.
Round 2: N U P G I Y S T U
C1: SPYING (6)
C2: SPYING (6)
DC: GIST PIGSTY (6)
OT: PIGNUTS (7) STUPING (7)
Score: 12–12 (max 14)
Back to normality and a selection with 2 U's is not always great but this time it did chuck out 2 nice words. PIGNUTS are the testicles of pigs...just kidding, they're nuts that you feed to pigs...got you again! They're actually an object for tightening something up and work in accordance with pigbolts. Of course not! A PIGNUT, in all seriousness, is somebody who is obsessed with the film Babe: Pig in the City. Shall I stop? OK. I'm just being stuping...I mean stupid. Christ, I'm stuping to new lows.
(Psssst....a PIGNUT is a tree. Boring or what?)
Round 3: C N E T O E B A R
C1: BARONET (7)
C2: BERATE (6)
DC: CAROTENE (8)
Score: 19–12 (max 22)
Matt manages to find one of a few 7's lurking and forges an early lead whilst DC pluck the darren out of thin air.
Round 4: S L E D A O W D E
C1: WADDLES (7)
C2: WADDLES (7)
JS: DAWDLES (7)
OT: SWADDLE (7)
Score: 26–19 (max 29)
A very lovely and pleasing set of maxes here since they are all anagrams of each other. Very nice indeed. Just stop and admire the three words in all their beauty. Wonderful.
Round 5: 25, 7, 9, 1, 3, 5. Target: 986.
C1: 990. (9-1)*5*25-(7+3) (7)
C2: -
OT: 986. (9*3+7)*(25-1+5) (10)
Score: 33–19 (max 39)
An extremely tough numbers game sees Matt get a very creditable 4 away whilst Rachel whose dream is to do sums to music manages just 1 away. No worries though, our little friend the Internet helps us out supplying one of two possible solutions.
Tim Vine: The punslinger is back in town with some more punnery. Ahh I feel so complete when Tim is in DC.
Teatime teaser: PITYDORA -> PODIATRY
Round 6: H I M X G A E D R
C1: MIRAGE (6)
C2: HARMED (6)
DC: IMAGED (6) HEDARIM (7)
Score: 39–25 (max 46)
Another darren here although not the type of word that the contestants were expected to spot. It is listed under HEDER in the dictionary and it is the plural of the word which is a Jewish school, that is, a school for Jews.
Round 7: M R U P I F E U G
C1: UMPIRE (6)
C2: GRUMP (5)
DC: FIGURE (6) FUMIER (6)
OT: REFUGIUM (8)
Score: 45–25 (max 54)
Like earlier a selection with 2 U's again although this time a fricking sick word comes out of it. REFUGIUM wow, I don't give a shit about anything else in this round. It turns out that a REFUGIUM is an area that resists ecological change whereas other places would succomb to it therefore it provides a nice habitat for things to survive. Hope that makes a bit of sense.
Round 8: D T I N A B F U Q
C1: BANDIT (6)
C2: BANDIT (6)
DC: QUINTA (6)
OT: DIQUAT (6) QUAINT (6)
Score: 51–31 (max 60)
Flat. Which reminds me. Did I tell you my joke that I think I created? No? Oh, well I'll tell you then. I've only written 3 jokes in my lifetime and this is one of them so brace yourself.
Q. What do you call an Irish dancer that likes stamps?
A. Michael Philately.
Good, huh?
Round 9: P N E S O A C M R
C1: CAMPERS (7)
C2: CRAMPONS (8)
DC: ROMANCES (8) COMPARES (8)
OT: MESOCARP (8)
Score: 51–39 (max 68)
Meanwhile Matt concedes some ground to Pete as Pete comes up with that classic word CRAMPONS which are very poor absorbers of menstrual blood (crap+tampons, come on, keep up).
Susie's Borigin of Words: Today GODSPEED is the word discussed which is only interesting if you read it as GODS-PEED...God's done a piss and all that, which isn't a good thing since he wears sandals and presumably nothing under his robes. Wet feet.
Round 10: 100, 25, 9, 1, 9, 8. Target: 355.
C1: 358. (9+1)*25+100+8 (7)
C2: -
RR: 355. (9-1+25)*8+100-9 (10)
Score: 58–39 (max 78)
Another stinker of a numbers game and another blank from Pete. Rachel does well to get this one though. Well done!
Teatime teaser: BIGADDER -> ABRIDGED
Round 11: L D E A T L I T R
C1: RATTLED (7)
C2: DILATE (6)
DC: LITTER (6) TRIALLED (8)
OT: DETRITAL (8)
Score: 65–39 (max 86)
Matt is pulling further away now and looks to be putting this game to bed whilst DC continue their excellent form today by finding yet another max.
Round 12: S N R O E N A D I
C1: ANODISER (8)
C2: ORDAINS (7)
DC: ANEROID (7) ANEROIDS (8)
OT: ANDIRONS (8)
Score: 73–39 (max 94)
A bizarre moment (for me) as Susie and everyone seems to be completely perplexed by the word ANODISER (which has to be one of the most hit words on apterous) and this whole cloud of mystery seemed to surround the word when Matt announced it:
Susie: Oooo ANODISER, hmmm, hmmmm.
Jeff: Hmmmmmm
Susie: Have you heard this Tim? ANODISER, eh?
Tim: ANODISER eh, mmmm, mmmm, interesting.
Susie: How are you spelling it Matt?
Matt: A-N-O-D-I-S-E-R
Susie: Yeah, wow, amazing, fantastic, ANODISER. It's there! I can't believe it. Mmmmm....
Round 13: C G E O T V E A R
C1: OCTAVE (6)
C2: CREATE (6)
DC: OVERACT (7) COVERAGE (8)
Score: 79–45 (max 102)
DC at it again whilst Matt tying with Pete in this round ensures he has victory number 2 sealed.
Round 14: 50, 100, 25, 75, 3, 8. Target: 689.
C1: 694. 75*8+100-((50/25)*3) (7)
C2: -
OT: 688. 50*8+((75-3)*(100/25)) (7)
Score: 86–45 (max 109)
Just time for a third numbers blank from Pete who seems completely bemused by the concept of numbers as though they are a new thing in our world.
Round 15: B I T S B E L O W
C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say WOBBLIEST which is correct.
Final Score: 96–45 (max 119)
And a quick conundrum solve from Matt Croy sees him score his biggest score to date and just 4 short of a century. A pretty solid performance from the former PCSO from Oldham whilst Pete Snowdon barely managed to ruffle Matt's feathers. I'd now like to see who would win in a physical fight between them both, they were definitely the hardest looking set of contestants this series so far.
Another Monday sails by with only sunburn to show for my day. Ah well. Have a Happy Tuesday and I'll see you next weeks!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65
