Tuesday 5th July 2011 (Series 65, Prelim 22)

[Liam Tiernan]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 5 July 2011.

C1: Champion Gareth Lee (3 wins, 242 points)
C2: Challenger John Symonds.
DC: Susie Dent and Robin Cousins.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: R Q N A O I T N E
R02: S A R E B O X T R
R03: D E F N D O A T R
R04: S E W I G T A R B
R05: 100, 7, 10, 6, 8, 9. Target: 999.
TTT: DEADGRIN - "Full of fear about having hair braided"
R06: S E N O S D I P N
R07: G F E O I M T R E
R08: N A C E T N O M C
R09: T S H I E I D L E
R10: 50, 25, 100, 75, 10, 9. Target: 910.
TTT: TEATIMES - "If you don't know the answer, have a rough guess."
R11: W R P A I U O D A
R12: N O P A D V E S K
R13: L T S A O U E Z J
R14: 75, 100, 25, 50, 9, 4. Target: 120.
R15: W E L S H F A N S (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Champion Gareth Lee from Aylesbury is a student at Nottingham University who has spent some time living in Mexico where he taught English.

Challenger John Symonds from Forest Hill in London. John is a languages supply teacher who has spent a year living in Korea where he taught English.

DC guest today is Robin Cousins who will shortly be spending some time in Mexico where he will....... err, be producing "Peter Pan on Ice"

Rachel believes in fairies, because the alternative is seemingly too horrible to talk about.

Jeff believes in tax breaks because, well.... he's Jeff. Let's put it this way, he thinks tooth fairies are overpaid.

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R Q N A O I T N E

C1: NATION (6)
C2: NATION (6)
DC: ANOINTER (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)

A tale of two NATIONs, but DC blessedly find the darren.

Round 2: S A R E B O X T R

C1: BOATERS (7)
C2: boaster
DC: ROASTER (7) BOASTER (7) BOATERS (7) BARTERS (7)
OT: BORATES (7)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)

John misdeclares his seven as an eight, as Gareth sails to the front.

Round 3: D E F N D O A T R

C1: DONATED (7)
C2: FRONTED (7)
DC: TRODDEN (7) FEDORA (6)
OT: ADORNED (7) DRAFTED (7) FRONDED (7)
Score: 20–13 (max 22)

Gareth doesn't give up his lead here, but at least John stays right behind with FRONTED

Round 4: S E W I G T A R B

C1: girates
C2: WAITERS (7)
DC: EARWIGS (7) WARIEST (7) WAITERS (7)
OT: AGISTER (7) BARITES (7) GAITERS (7) STAGIER (7) TRIAGES (7)
Score: 20–20 (max 29)

Gareths' poor spelling puts him into a bit of a tailspin, while Johns' choice serves him well.

Round 5: 100, 7, 10, 6, 8, 9. Target: 999.

C1: 999. (100*10)-(9-8) (10)
C2: 999. (100*10)-(9-8) (10)
Score: 30–30 (max 39)

No sense of emergency from either player with this simple numbers game.

Robin talks about Dancing on Ice, which is a subject I know even less about than cricket.
Moving on......

Teatime teaser: DEADGRIN -> DREADING
Clue:"Full of fear about having hair braided"

Round 6: S E N O S D I P N

C1: PONIES (6)
C2: PONIES (6)
DC: PENSIONS (8) DOPINESS (8)
Score: 36–36 (max 47)

They're still neck and neck on these PONIES.

Round 7: G F E O I M T R E

C1: METRE (5)
C2: FORGET (6)
DC: GOITRE (6)
OT: EMIGRE (6) EMOTER (6) METEOR (6) METIER (6) REGIME (6) REMOTE (6) RETIME (6)
Score: 36–42 (max 53)

John gets the measure of Gareth in this round, while it's DCs' turn to get their neck in front.

Round 8: N A C E T N O M C

C1: CANTON (6)
C2: CONNECT (7)
DC: CONNATE (7)
OT: CONTEMN (7) MONTANE (7)
Score: 36–49 (max 60)

John CONNECTs with another solid blow to Gareths chances, while DC naturally get one of the other sevens; CONNATE (existing at birth,inborn or inherent). MONTANE is the highland area located below the subalpine zone, typically heavily forested. CONTEMN means to view or treat with contempt.


Round 9: T S H I E I D L E

C1: SHIELD (6)
C2: HEISTED (7)
DC: SHELTIE (7)
OT: DEITIES (7) SHEITEL (7)
Score: 36–56 (max 67)

Gareth mounts a stout defence of his title, but everybody (even John himself), is taken by surprise by Johns' steal.
A SHELTIE is a Shetland sheepdog.A SHEITEL is the Yiddish word for a wig or half-wig worn by Orthodox Jewish married women.

Origin of Words: Things You Didn't Know Had A Name:
TMESIS (pl. TMESES) is the insertion of word into the middle of another word, such as "abso-bloomin'-lutely".
HORRIPILATION is what happens when the hair on your body stands on end. (bet that will be pencilled before the month is out).

Round 10: 50, 25, 100, 75, 10, 9. Target: 910.

C1: 910. (100*9)+10 (10)
C2: 910. (100*9)+10 (10)
Score: 46–66 (max 77)

Flat.

Teatime teaser: TEATIMES -> ESTIMATE
Clue:"If you don't know the answer, have a rough guess."

Round 11: W R P A I U O D A

C1: PROUD (5)
C2: RADIO (5)
DC: UPWARD (6)
OT: APORIA (6)
Score: 51–71 (max 83)

Gareth keeps his chin up. John doesn't exactly radiate confidence though, despite his 20 point lead.
APORIA is the expression of a simulated or real doubt, as about where to begin or what to do or say. Okay, not quite sure what that's about.

Round 12: N O P A D V E S K

C1: SPANKED (7)
C2: SOAKED (6)
DC: DAPSONE (7)
Score: 58–71 (max 90)

BOTH contestants get SPANKED in this round, but only Gareth takes the points. Could this be the start of a comeback?.
DAPSONE is a drug used to treat leprosy, according to Susie. It's also used to treat malaria, and, rather less exotically, acne.

Round 13: L T S A O U E Z J

C1: -
C2: ZEALOTS (7)
DC: ZEALOUS (7) JEALOUS (7)
OT: AZULEJOS (8)
Score: 58–78 (max 98)

The Curse of the Phantom strikes for Gareth as John reaffirms his lead.
AZULEJO is a form of Portuguese or Spanish painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework.

Round 14: 75, 100, 25, 50, 9, 4. Target: 120.

C1: 120. 100+25+4-9 (10)
C2: 121.
Score: 68–78 (max 108)

Johns gamble of 4 large in the hope of an impossible target backfires badly as he stumbles on a simple numbers game. Gareth is back in with a shout, hoping to tie the game with the conundrum. John ruefully shakes his head.

Round 15: W E L S H F A N S

C2 buzzes on 12 seconds to say NEWSFLASH which is correct.

It's very rare to see anybody start writing down possible combinations during a conundrum, but it works for John here. I might give it a try myself.

Jeff puts Rachel forward as a possible candidate for "Dancing on Ice", mentioning her ample rear cushioning as a bonus safety feature. Rachel mentions that mentioning her ample rear cushioning is an unsafety feature.
Final Score: 68–88 (max 118)


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65

[James Robinson]

C2: Challenger .

Erm...........

[Liam Tiernan]

C2: Challenger .

Erm...........

Whoops, cut and paste instead of copy and paste.