Friday 21 October 2011 (Series 65, Prelim 80)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Friday 21 October 2011 (Series 65, Prelim 80).

C1: Champion Beryl Upshall (2 wins, 157 points.)
C2: Challenger Sam Weissman.
DC: Susie Dent and Les Dennis.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

It’s Friday again and two-times champion Beryl Upshall takes on newcomer Sam Weissman in today’s game. Today we discover (after Jeff asks) that Beryl is 81 years old, but that doesn’t stop her keeping active and enjoying the delights of wrestling and motor racing, albeit watching them rather than taking part. Meanwhile, Sam, who is from Ilford in Essex, reveals that he would like to see a manned mission to Mars within his lifetime – me too. Shall we begin?

R01: P A S N E G O L A
R02: S R I N M E A S E
R03: G I L C O A R P U
R04: G E T F A H M O T
R05: 100, 7, 8, 1, 1, 6. Target: 170.
TTT: NAMERATE - "Oh oh, here she comes - watch out boy, she'll chew you up."
R06: Q I E D M B O A D
R07: R E S W O I S N A
R08: R E S P O B E N R
R09: T O R D L A E T S
R10: 100, 4, 5, 2, 6, 10. Target: 243.
TTT: LEMONCOD - "The mutineer is in a glass of his own."
R11: L X U C I E S N U
R12: R I T F N O A D E
R13: R I S P L A U A V
R14: 25, 10, 8, 1, 7, 3. Target: 977.
R15: K I S S A T E E N (conundrum)

Countdown is sponsored by Vitabiotics Pregnacare.

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The show opens with a poem sent in by a viewer on the subject of gardening, after which Rachel and Jeff both confess (probably not for the first time) that they’re not very good at it and generally leave it to others.

Round 1: P A S N E G O L A

C1: ANGLES (6)
C2: LASAGNE (7)
DC: SPANGLE (7)
OT: NOPALES (7) PONGALS (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)

A good spot from Sam, while Les reminisces about the confectionery that was Spangles.

Round 2: S R I N M E A S E

C1: MESSIER (7)
C2: REMAINS (7)
DC: REMAINS (7) SEMINARS (8)
OT: NEMESIAS (8) SERIEMAS (8)
Score: 7–14 (max 15)

As regulars may know, a NEMESIA is a plant related to the snapdragon, while a SERIEMA (also CARIAMA) is a South American bird, similar to the bustard.

Round 3: G I L C O A R P U

C1: groups
C2: GRAIL (5)
DC: COUGAR (6)
OT: COPULAR (7)
Score: 7–19 (max 22)

Beryl sees a phantom S, while Sam scores with the once-invalid GRAIL. COPULAR is the adjective relating to COPULA, which is a type of connecting word in grammar.

Round 4: G E T F A H M O T

C1: TOTEM (5)
C2: MATE (4)
DC: FATHOM (6) GHETTO (6) HOMAGE (6)
Score: 12–19 (max 28)

DC spot all of the available sixes; Beryl recovers some ground.

Round 5: 100, 7, 8, 1, 1, 6. Target: 170.

C1: -
C2: 170. (7x(8+1+1))+100 (10)
Score: 12–29 (max 38)

Oh dear. Beryl blobs on a fairly easy numbers game and it’s looking uncertain for the sprightly octogenarian.

Les rounds off his week with (surprise, surprise) some witty answers from his time on Family Fortunes. We do get to hear the ‘uh-uh’ sound made by Mr Babbage, though.

Teatime teaser: NAMERATE -> MANEATER

Two things: 1. MANEATER is no longer valid on Countdown (it’s now hyphenated); 2. Jeff sang the clue after the break – to a less than appreciative panel. (I didn’t think he did too bad a job, but I still prefer the Hall & Oates version.)

Round 6: Q I E D M B O A D

C1: ABODE (5)
C2: moded
DC: DIADEM (6)
OT: ABIDED (6) ABODED (6) BADDIE (6) BODIED (6)
Score: 17–29 (max 44)

I reckon ABODED is dodgy, as ABODE is listed as verb (archaic past of ABIDE). Discuss.

Round 7: R E S W O I S N A

C1: SWEARS (6)
C2: erasion
DC: WARINESS (8)
OT: SENSORIA (8)
Score: 23–29 (max 52)

The usual fuss is made over the fact that ERASION^ ‘isn’t a word’. It is, of course – just not in this dictionary. SENSORIA is one of the plural forms of SENSORIUM, which is the sensory apparatus taken as a whole. Try slipping that one into your everyday chat.

Round 8: R E S P O B E N R

C1: PROBES (6)
C2: BONERS (6)
DC: PROBERS (7)
OT: BOREENS (7) ENROBES (7) OPENERS (7) PERRONS (7) REBORES (7) REOPENS (7) SOBERER (7)
Score: 29–35 (max 59)

Susie points out that Beryl might be kicking herself for not putting an ‘r’ on PROBES, but to be fair it sounds like a bit of a dodgy agent noun to me. Susie defines a BONER as a stupid mistake, which I’m sure is what Sam was thinking of. A BOREEN is a narrow country road in Ireland and a PERRON is an exterior set of steps and a platform in a large building, such as a church or mansion.

Round 9: T O R D L A E T S

C1: STARTLED (8)
C2: ROTATED (7)
DC: TOADLETS (8)
OT: DELATORS (8) LEOTARDS (8) LODESTAR (8)
Score: 37–35 (max 67)

A great spot from Beryl means that she takes the lead for the first time today. DC offer up the always amusing TOADLETS, but no one says LEOTARD this time around.

OoW: Susie tells us about the expression ‘not on your nelly’, which has its origins in rhyming slang. Interesting.

Round 10: 100, 4, 5, 2, 6, 10. Target: 243.

C1: 245. (100x2)+(4x10)+5 (7)
C2: 241. (100x2)+(4x10)+6-5 (7)
RR: 243. ((100/4)+2)x(10+5-6) (10)
Score: 44–42 (max 77)

Both contestants are two away, so the slender gap remains. Part Three should be good.

Teatime teaser: LEMONCOD -> MONOCLED

Round 11: L X U C I E S N U

C1: UNCLES (6)
C2: UNCLES (6)
DC: SLUICE (6)
OT: LUCINES (7) NUCLEUS (7)
Score: 50–48 (max 84)

A LUCINE is a type of bivalve mollusc. Apparently it’s also a girl’s name. Fancy naming your daughter after a bivalve mollusc...

Round 12: R I T F N O A D E

C1: TRAINED (7)
C2: ORDINATE (8)
DC: FAINTED (7) RATIONED (8)
OT: DERATION (8)
Score: 50–56 (max 92)

A good spot from Sam means he takes the lead once more.

Round 13: R I S P L A U A V

C1: AVAILS (6)
C2: VIRUS (5)
DC: LUPARAS (7)
Score: 56–56 (max 99)

Good work from Beryl means it’s now even-stevens with two rounds to go. A LUPARA (as Susie points out) is a kind of sawn-off shotgun, as used by the Mafia.

Round 14: 25, 10, 8, 1, 7, 3. Target: 977.

C1: -
C2: 975. ((10x3)+8+1)x25 (7)
OT: 978. ((((25+7)x3)+1)x10)+8 (7)
Score: 56–63 (max 106)

Unfortunately, Beryl doesn’t get the relatively easy 975, which leaves her trailing by seven points - but can she pull another great conundrum spot out of the bag like she did yesterday and save the day?

Round 15: K I S S A T E E N

C2 buzzes on 12.25 seconds to say SNAKIEST which is incorrect.
C1 does not buzz.
The answer was SNEAKIEST.
Final Score: 56–63 (max 116)

After deciding to write it down, Sam buzzes on a little after twelve seconds, but he’s obviously not had a chance to check the number of E’s and he plumps for the almost-right SNAKIEST. However, Beryl fails to spot how close the solution is to Sam’s incorrect offering, and it’s left to a young lady in the audience to reveal the answer. Sadly we won’t see Beryl again, but Sam has earned to right to return on Monday, when Cheryl Baker will be making her Countdown debut alongside Ms Dent. See you next weekend!

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