c4countdown

Countdown recap for Monday 17 October 2011.

The Brief: Nikki Roberts is bidding to be an octochamp by winning today. Simple.

NR: Champion Nikki Roberts (7 wins, 598 points.)
AH: Challenger Anne Haley, who LOVES Emmerdale. So at least someone watches it.
DC: Susie Dent and Les Dennis.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
DOM: Darren-o-meter.
DC Max: Just what if DC couldn't be beaten?

R01: K J D E I O S L E
R02: A E R S X P H I S
R03: R C D E U A R G O
R04: E I E C W N Z I D
R05: 75, 9, 6, 8, 3, 8. Target: 755.
TTT: ARIDROTA - "It can be heartless and cold, but you'll soon warm to it."
R06: E A E M T M L S U
R07: D N T I O A V G R
R08: E I L N A L M D I
R09: F S R A O U H S E
R10: 50, 75, 3, 7, 3, 7. Target: 610.
TTT: ANYPOWER - "There's lots of power here, collectively speaking."
R11: L R N A O I T N A
R12: E O U Q S T R I N
R13: P T G O E U N P O
R14: 75, 100, 4, 8, 9, 9. Target: 968.
R15: A L L D A Y R U G (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: K J D E I O S L E

NR: SIDLE (5)
AH: SOILED (6)
DC: OLDIES (6)
OT: KELOIDS (7) OILSEED (7)
DOM: 0
Score: 0–6 (max 7, DC Max 6)

The pressure is starting to get to Nikki. But now, all the calmness has been soiled by Anne.

Round 2: A E R S X P H I S

NR: PHRASES (7)
AH: HARPIES (7)
DC: PARISHES (8)
OT: SHARPIES (8)
DOM: 0
Score: 7–13 (max 15, DC Max 14)

The phrases of play must be a very good thing for Nikki as Anne, who's not such a sharpie, can't extend her lead into the next parish.

Round 3: R C D E U A R G O

NR: COURAGE (7)
AH: COURAGE (7)
OT: CORDAGE (7)
DOM: 0
Score: 14–20 (max 22, DC Max 21)

And they both pluck up courage.

Round 4: E I E C W N Z I D

NR: WIZENED (7)
AH: denizen
DOM: 1
Score: 21–20 (max 29, DC Max 28)

WOW

The lead changes hands as Anne offers a tribute to Les Dennis who's in Dictionary Corner. However Susie made the same mistake - you need 3 N's, not 2.

Round 5: 75, 9, 6, 8, 3, 8. Target: 755.

NR: 756. ((8 / 8) + 9) x 75 + 6 (7)
AH: 756. ((8 / 8) + 9) x 75 + 6 (7)
RR: 755. (75 + 8) x 9 + 8 (10)
Score: 28–27 (max 39, DC Max 38)

Not that simple, but 7 useful points picked up by both parties.

Les will be "name-dropping" this week, but first of all, he says that he's been in TV for 40 years. 40! He once met Tommy Cooper, who fell asleep in his previous job, the army.
Oh, and you know what he said about name-dropping? Well, on Friday, he'll pick them all up.

Teatime teaser: ARIDROTA -> It can be heartless and cold, but you'll soon warm to it.
Answer: RADIATOR

Round 6: E A E M T M L S U

NR: AMULETS (7)
AH: LAMEST (6)
DC: MALEMUTES (18)
DOM: 2
Score: 35–27 (max 57, DC Max 56)

Too close for comfort for Nikki and she responds beautifully.

NINE ALERT! NINE ALERT! A malemute (mal-e-mute) (or malamute (mal-a-mute)) is not a quiet man, but is in fact a breed of dog developed in Alaska.

Round 7: D N T I O A V G R

NR: RATING (6)
AH: ADORING (7)
DC: DARTING (7) DROVING (7)
OT: GRAVITON (8)
DOM: 3
Score: 35–34 (max 65, DC Max 63)

Anne can't help adoring herself and as such, she closes the short-lived gap.

Graviton escapes every single person in the room - it is a hypothetical particle postulated to be the quantum of gravitational interaction and presumed to have an indefinitely long lifetime, zero electric charge, and zero rest mass.

And yes, I did just copy that.

Bleugh.

Round 8: E I L N A L M D I

NR: MEDIAN (6)
AH: MAILED (6)
DC: LIMINAL (7)
OT: DIAMINE (7) MIDLINE (7)
DOM: 3
Score: 41–40 (max 72, DC Max 70)

The mail's gone straight down the middle of the letterbox.

Round 9: F S R A O U H S E

NR: houser
AH: HOUSES (6)
DC: AROUSES (7) SHOFARS (7)
DOM: 3
Score: 41–46 (max 79, DC Max 77)

Schoolboy error. Ouch. Capital Punishment may be required, as it was if she was typing it into a kewboard ansd makde a typo.

A Bucket shop comes from America where you could buy a bucket of beer.

Round 10: 50, 75, 3, 7, 3, 7. Target: 610.

NR: -
AH: 607. ((3 / 3) + 7) x 75 + 7 (7)
RR: 610. (75 + 3 + 3) x 7 - 7 + 50 (10)
Score: 41–53 (max 89, DC Max 87)

Double whammy.

Teatime teaser: ANYPOWER -> There's lots of power here, collectively speaking.
Answer: WEAPONRY

Round 11: L R N A O I T N A

NR: NATIONAL (8)
AH: NATIONAL (8)
DC: RATIONAL (8)
OT: NOTARIAL (8)
DOM: 3
Score: 49–61 (max 97, DC Max 95)

Nationally irrational, but for Nikki, it's not quite good enough.

ROUNDS REMAINING: 4
POINTS AVAILABLE: 56
NIKKI NEEDS AT LEAST 13 POINTS TO WIN
ANNE NEEDS AT LEAST 9 POINTS TO WIN

Round 12: E O U Q S T R I N

NR: QUESTION (8)
AH: QUESTION (8)
DC: ROUTINES (8)
OT: REQUINTOS (18)
DOM: 4
Score: 57–69 (max 115, DC Max 103)

A requinto is a type of Mexican guitar.

ROUNDS REMAINING: 3
POINTS AVAILABLE: 38
NIKKI NEEDS AT LEAST 13 POINTS TO WIN
ANNE NEEDS AT LEAST 7 POINTS TO WIN

Round 13: P T G O E U N P O

NR: UNPEG (5)
AH: TOUNGE (6)
DC: GENTOO (6)
OT: OUTGONE (7)
DOM: 5
Score: 57–75 (max 122, DC Max 110)

Nikki needed to be out of the door and gone with the word ( ) but she's not. It's possible though...

ROUNDS REMAINING: 2
POINTS AVAILABLE: 20
NIKKI NEEDS AT LEAST 19 POINTS TO WIN
ANNE NEEDS AT LEAST 3 POINTS TO WIN

Round 14: 75, 100, 4, 8, 9, 9. Target: 968.

NR: 967.
AH: 968. (100 + 8) x 9 - 4 (10)
Score: 57–85 (max 132, DC Max 120)

And that's it. Il est finit.

ROUNDS REMAINING: 1
POINTS AVAILABLE: 10
NIKKI NEEDS AT LEAST 19 POINTS TO WIN
ANNE NEEDS AT LEAST 0 POINTS TO WIN

Round 15: A L L D A Y R U G

AH buzzes on 1.5 second to say GRADUALLY which is correct.
Final Score: 57–95 (max 142, DC Max 130)

ROUNDS REMAINING: 0
POINTS AVAILABLE: 0
NIKKI NEEDS AT LEAST 29 POINTS TO WIN
ANNE NEEDS AT LEAST 0 POINTS TO WIN

And that is a very sad conclusion to an excellent heptochamp run. Join Liam tomorrow.

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

Well done Rhys a good recap and very timely done.

Actually I'm thinking of doing that POINTS etc. thing every recap for all of it.

Yes, good to have a recap on time. Good idea for the points thing. Also Jayne, well done on qualifying, hope you do well in the finals!

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Actually I'm thinking of doing that POINTS etc. thing every recap for all of it.

I don't understand it.
If Anne is leading 61-49 with four rounds to play, why does she need at least 9 points to win, while Nikki needs 13?

Rhys Benjamin wrote:AH: TOUNGE (6)

Tongue.

Jon Corby wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Actually I'm thinking of doing that POINTS etc. thing every recap for all of it.

I don't understand it.
If Anne is leading 61-49 with four rounds to play, why does she need at least 9 points to win, while Nikki needs 13?

Not sure I understand this either. The figures for Nikki look right, but Anne can still win without scoring nine points, and even if she does score nine more points she hasn't definitely won. If it means that she needs to score nine points over the next two rounds without Nikki scoring any, that makes sense, but I'm not sure why it changes to seven in the next round.

Rhys Benjamin wrote:However Susie made the same mistake - you need 3 N's, not 2.

Sorry to pick... don't you mean "2 N's, not 1"?

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Round 3: R C D E U A R G O

NR: COURAGE (7)
AH: COURAGE (7)
OT: CORDAGE (7)
DOM: 0
Score: 14–20 (max 22, DC Max 21)

And they both pluck up courage.

NOTE: DC got ROARED and COUGAR for 6 in this one.

MEGA NOTE: WHY DOES IT SAY THIS ON THE TITLE:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Monday 17 SEPTEMBER 2011

Graeme Cole wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:AH: TOUNGE (6)

Tongue.

Oops.

Graeme Cole wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Actually I'm thinking of doing that POINTS etc. thing every recap for all of it.

I don't understand it.
If Anne is leading 61-49 with four rounds to play, why does she need at least 9 points to win, while Nikki needs 13?

Not sure I understand this either. The figures for Nikki look right, but Anne can still win without scoring nine points, and even if she does score nine more points she hasn't definitely won. If it means that she needs to score nine points over the next two rounds without Nikki scoring any, that makes sense, but I'm not sure why it changes to seven in the next round.

It's the points Anne required to gain an unassailable lead.

James Robinson wrote:MEGA NOTE: WHY DOES IT SAY THIS ON THE TITLE:

Rhys Benjamin wrote: Monday 17 SEPTEMBER 2011

Oops.

James Robinson wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote: Round 3: R C D E U A R G O

NR: COURAGE (7)
AH: COURAGE (7)
OT: CORDAGE (7)
DOM: 0
Score: 14–20 (max 22, DC Max 21)

And they both pluck up courage.

NOTE: DC got ROARED and COUGAR for 6 in this one.

Haven't we always done the longer words available?

Mike Brown wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:However Susie made the same mistake - you need 3 N's, not 2.

Sorry to pick... don't you mean "2 N's, not 1"?

There's 3 N's in the word, but 2 in that section of the word.

Rhys Benjamin wrote:It's the points Anne required to gain an unassailable lead.

(...but only if Nikki doesn't score them as well). And even then it's not actually, is it? Anne could a 9 in the next round, which will smash your 9 points needed, then Nikki cleans up on the remaining rounds and wins the game.

Jon Corby wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:It's the points Anne required to gain an unassailable lead.

...(but only if Nikki doesn't score them as well).

No, for example:

3 rounds to play - 38 points available. Lead is 37. If they both get a one-lettered-word ( ) then Anne wins.

Rhys Benjamin wrote:

Graeme Cole wrote:

Jon Corby wrote: I don't understand it.
If Anne is leading 61-49 with four rounds to play, why does she need at least 9 points to win, while Nikki needs 13?

Not sure I understand this either. The figures for Nikki look right, but Anne can still win without scoring nine points, and even if she does score nine more points she hasn't definitely won. If it means that she needs to score nine points over the next two rounds without Nikki scoring any, that makes sense, but I'm not sure why it changes to seven in the next round.

It's the points Anne required to gain an unassailable lead.

But you've got this as 7 after round 12. If Anne had scored 7 points in round 13 that wouldn't be an unassailable lead, even if Nikki hadn't scored. Not sure the "number of points needed to win" has a well-defined meaning.

Rhys Benjamin wrote:

James Robinson wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote: Round 3: R C D E U A R G O

NR: COURAGE (7)
AH: COURAGE (7)
OT: CORDAGE (7)
DOM: 0
Score: 14–20 (max 22, DC Max 21)

And they both pluck up courage.

NOTE: DC got ROARED and COUGAR for 6 in this one.

Haven't we always done the longer words available?

No, EVERY word that's mentioned, but only the longest words on the wiki.

Rhys Benjamin wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:However Susie made the same mistake - you need 3 N's, not 2.

Sorry to pick... don't you mean "2 N's, not 1"?

There's 3 N's in the word, but 2 in that section of the word.

The word is DENIZEN.

That looks like 2 N's to me, Rhys.........

James Robinson wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:

Mike Brown wrote:
Sorry to pick... don't you mean "2 N's, not 1"?

There's 3 N's in the word, but 2 in that section of the word.

The word is DENIZEN.

That looks like 2 N's to me, Rhys.........

Look it up on 4od - she says "denizen" and it's not valid.

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Look it up on 4od - she says "denizen" and it's not valid.

Yes, it's not valid because there is only one "n" in the selection! Denizen is a perfectly good word - provided all the letters are there!

James Robinson wrote:MEGA NOTE: WHY DOES IT SAY THIS ON THE TITLE:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Monday 17 SEPTEMBER 2011

P.S. It still says this, Rhys.

I think there is a lesson to be learnt here: Quick is good, but accurate is better.

James Robinson wrote:

James Robinson wrote:MEGA NOTE: WHY DOES IT SAY THIS ON THE TITLE:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:Monday 17 SEPTEMBER 2011

P.S. It still says this, Rhys.

Not any more it doesn't. But there's still only 2 N's in denizen.

Rhys Benjamin wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:

Rhys Benjamin wrote:It's the points Anne required to gain an unassailable lead.

...(but only if Nikki doesn't score them as well).

No, for example:

3 rounds to play - 38 points available. Lead is 37. If they both get a one-lettered-word ( ) then Anne wins.

Your figures in the recap make no sense. After round 11 the score is Nikki 49-61 Anne, and you say Anne needs 9 points to win (and Nikki 13). Even if Anne scores 18 points in the next round to lead 49-79, Nikki can still get a nine in the last letters round, then the numbers and the conundrum to win 87-79.

And that's even ignoring using exactly the same wording in consecutive sentences to mean "...to stand any chance at all of winning..." and "...to guarantee victory" without indicating which is which.