And let's hop to it, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 26 January 2012.
C1: Champion Sri Gutta (1 win, 101 points.) A strategy manager from Crawley, West Sussex. He also reveals that while Australia are having their national day, India is also having its national day too.
C2: Challenger David Airey. A revenue management analyst from Watford, but weirdly, he supports Newcastle United. He was in the RAF for 8 years and had been serving his country in the Falklands, Iraq & Afghanistan.
DC: Susie Dent and Michael Vaughan.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G C G O E S T I G
R02: F M O S A I R O C
R03: T N Q V A E I L S
R04: Y H D E U A R N R
R05: 25, 4, 10, 7, 8, 10. Target: 536.
TTT: FINDYETI - "Find Yeti and work out exactly what it is"
R06: D I N L E M T A N
R07: X R I T D O U W E
R08: D I S J E R T A E
R09: I E N T R O V N S
R10: 9, 6, 10, 2, 6, 8. Target: 127.
TTT: NEWSKILL - "They leave his nibs feeling black and blue"
R11: S D P E I S N O T
R12: F P A T N U I E L
R13: T C U A E B S U L
R14: 50, 75, 3, 10, 10, 1. Target: 769.
R15: L O O N L I T U P (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: G C G O E S T I G
C1: GOES (4)
C2: TOGS (4)
DC: EGOIST (6)
OT: COTISE (6) GIGOTS (6) STOGIE (6)
Score: 4–4 (max 6)
Nick's off on one already after hearing 4's from the contestants, but if you got one of those 6's, well done to you.
A COTISE is a diminutive of the bendlet, containing one half its area or one quarter the area of the bend. When a single cottise is used alone it is often called a cost.
A GIGOT is a leg of lamb.
A STOGIE is either a long, slender, roughly made, inexpensive cigar or a coarse, heavy boot or shoe.
Round 2: F M O S A I R O C
C1: formic
C2: MOSAIC (6)
OT: MAFIOSO (7)
Score: 4–10 (max 13)
Oh dear, Sri falls into the formic acid trap, giving David the first lead of the day.
Round 3: T N Q V A E I L S
C1: SALIENT (7)
C2: ENTAILS (7)
DC: SLAINTE (7)
OT: ALEVINS (7) ELASTIN (7) LEVANTS (7) NATIVES (7) SALTINE (7) VAINEST (7) VENTILS (7)
Score: 11–17 (max 20)
It maybe a few weeks early, but bring out the pancakes
An ALEVIN is a fry, especially a salmon, whose yolk is depleted.
ELASTIN is a protein constituting the basic substance of elastic tissue.
To LEVANT is to leave secretly or hurriedly to avoid paying debts.
A SALTINE is a crisp, salted cracker.
Round 4: Y H D E U A R N R
C1: UNHEARD (7)
C2: HARDEN (6)
DC: UNREADY (7)
OT: HURRAYED (8)
Score: 18–17 (max 28)
And Sri now takes the lead with his UNHEARD of 7.
Round 5: 25, 4, 10, 7, 8, 10. Target: 536.
C1: 535. (7 x 8 x 10) - 25 (7)
C2: -
RR: 536. (((25 - 7) x 8) - 10) x 4 (10)
Score: 25–17 (max 38)
Even Rachel admits that she got this just after time. Too tricky for David, leaving Sri to take the honours in this round.
Michael talks about how he declared early when England played Bangladesh in 2005, so he could hop over to Cardiff to see his beloved Sheffield Wednesday play Hartlepool United in the League 1 play-off final.
Teatime teaser: FINDYETI -> IDENTIFY
Round 6: D I N L E M T A N
C1: LINEMAN (7)
C2: MENTAL (6)
DC: DENTINAL (8)
OT: LANDMINE (8)
Score: 32–17 (max 46)
Hmmm, I actually thought this needed the S in the middle to be a proper word, but what do I know
Round 7: X R I T D O U W E
C1: OUTRIDE (7)
C2: ROUTED (6)
OT: OUTDREW (7) WIDEOUT (7)
Score: 39–17 (max 53)
The ever popular OUTRIDE returns to the fold, and Sri's lead extends to a score and 2.
Round 8: D I S J E R T A E
C1: READIEST (8)
C2: TIRADES (7)
OT: SERIATED (8) STEADIER (8)
Score: 47–17 (max 61)
Sri is showing the same brilliant skills that got him his well-deserved win yesterday, and at this rate, he's surely going to win today too.
Round 9: I E N T R O V N S
C1: VERSION (7)
C2: introves
DC: INVENTORS (18)
Score: 54–17 (max 79)
David now goes into desperation mode to try and claw himself back in it, but it's DC that are shining in this round with the 9.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the food terms, "vermicelli", "linguine", "lobster", "burrito" and "lasagne".
Round 10: 9, 6, 10, 2, 6, 8. Target: 127.
C1: 127. ((6 + 6) x 10) + 9 - 2 (10)
C2: 128.
Score: 64–17 (max 89)
Oh dear, Daddy Airey won't be happy with that, and he can say so, cos he's been on here too. Stan Airey was a contestant back in Series 44, winning 2 shows before losing.
Teatime teaser: NEWSKILL -> INKWELLS
Round 11: S D P E I S N O T
C1: POINTED (7)
C2: pistoned
DC: PISTON (6) DEPOSITS (8) DOPINESS (8)
OT: STIPENDS (8) TOPSIDES (8)
Score: 71–17 (max 97)
Well, at least that was a credible guess by David there, and definitely unlucky not to score there.
A STIPEND is a periodic payment, especially a scholarship or fellowship allowance granted to a student.
Round 12: F P A T N U I E L
C1: PLANET (6)
C2: PAINFUL (7)
DC: INFLATE (7) PETUNIA (7)
OT: FLEAPIT (7) INFULAE (7) NUPTIAL (7) PANTILE (7)
Score: 71–24 (max 104)
He may have scored for the first time since round 3, but the writing is now on the wall for David and Sri will be moving onto tomorrow's show as the champion.
An INFULA (plural INFUALE) is one of the two embroidered lappets of the mitre of a bishop.
Round 13: T C U A E B S U L
C1: TABLES (6)
C2: cutable
DC: BUSTLE (6)
OT: SUBACUTE (8) SUBULATE (8)
Score: 77–24 (max 112)
Another desperate play by David there, even with 2 T's (which seemed the more likely), still no joy, and no joy for DC either, as they miss both 8's available.
SUBACUTE is an adjective meaning, originally, somewhat or moderately acute.
SUBULATE is an adjective meaning slender, somewhat cylindrical, and tapering to a point; awlshaped.
Round 14: 50, 75, 3, 10, 10, 1. Target: 769.
C1: 769. ((75 + 3) x 10) - 10 - 1 (10)
C2: 770.
Score: 87–24 (max 122)
And even switching back to 2 large doesn't get David off zero for the numbers rounds, and Sri will hope for a good finish to take his average up to 99.
Round 15: L O O N L I T U P
C1 buzzes on 2.25 seconds to say POLLUTION which is correct.
Final Score: 97–24 (max 132)
And he obliges with a fairly quick conundrum solve, to wrap another very convincing win, and he's looking like a very impressive competitor, who definitely could be an octochamp in the making. Whereas David, can't emulate his dad, but finds himself on the low scores board instead.
Sri will return tomorrow to try and complete his hat-trick, so join Thomas for that.
I'll be back next week, unless you're coming to COLIN, then I'll meet you there on Saturday.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Sri:
Total score - 97
Raw score - 103
Total % of max - 73
Raw % of max - 78
Total average score per round - 6.5
Raw average score per round - 6.9
Number of maxes - 6
David:
Total score - 24
Raw score - 63
Total % of max - 18
Raw % of max - 48
Total average score per round - 2.6
Raw average score per round - 4.2
Number of maxes - 2
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=66
