c4countdown

Countdown recap for Tuesday 5th February 2008.

C1: Challenger Ian Lamb. (A wise-cracking, Everton supporting, scouser with an interest in falconry)
C2: Challenger Sarah Flynn. (A rather lovely Cambridge graduate, and footballer who plays centre-half: no gags about swapping jerseys please)
DC: Alison Heard and Richard Digance.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: N E T A W U L S L
R02: D F A I S T O I S
R03: M A S A I T E R B
R04: G L N A O U T E L
R05: 9, 7, 4, 5, 6, 10. Target: 531.
TTT: PINTAGIN - "Get caught doing this with Nancy"
R06: C P O E S D A R E
R07: N A D E M I N T O
R08: R E I Y R E S D P
R09: T O Z I P R E S N
R10: 5, 7, 3, 1, 4, 25. Target: 553.
TTT: EWESTEIN - "Housemates for Jake and Bella"
R11: P A G I H O C M K
R12: C N R E I E T G V
R13: N A D I S E R A D
R14: 50, 4, 7, 1, 9, 6. Target: 140.
R15: N I G H T C H A T (conundrum)




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Today's game sees the departure of someone who began their octochamp run as a sweaty nervous mess and ended it ... in much the same fashion. I had got to know Ian as he had been the alternate for the last few days. He was the bloke who spotted DOGMATISE, the beater from a few days ago but by his own admission he can be a little inconsistent. Ian, who became my pool coach over a few drinks with Martin and Brian, proved to be a good laugh throughout my Countdown experience. Sarah (it is spelled with a "h" isn't it, apologies if not) appeared on my last day of filming so I didn't really get to know her but when I heard that she was a Cambridge graduate I expected a bit of a snob and not the down-to-earth, genuine girl we saw on today's program.

It would be wrong to nail my colours to the mast but since the majority of you lot will be rooting (ahem) for Sarah I am going to side with Ian as he is a good bloke. Let us now see what indeed did come to pass .............................



Round 1: N E T A W U L S L
C1: wallnuts
C2: WALLETS (7)
DC: WALNUTS (7)
OT: ELUANTS (7) LUNATES (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)

An ELUANT (also eluent) is a solvent used in chromatography; LUNATE means crescent shaped and is used to designate the bones in the wrist.

Round 2: D F A I S T O I S
C1: STIFADO (7)
C2: foids
DC: FATSO (5)
OT: No stifados apparently
Score: 7–7 (max 14)

I would have risked stifados and the Shorter Oxford does specify the plural but as I have no ODE2r I cannot completely confirm that it's invalid.

Round 3: M A S A I T E R B
C1: baiters
C2: baiters
DC: BARMIEST (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 22)

Round 4: G L N A O U T E L
C1: LOUNGE (6)
C2: gallent
DC: GALLEON (7) TANGELO (7) NUTGALL (7)
OT: GLUTEAL (7)
Score: 13–7 (max 29)

Round 5: 9, 7, 4, 5, 6, 10. Target: 531.
C1: 531.9*6*10-5-4 (10)
C2: -
Score: 23–7 (max 39)

Teatime teaser: PINTAGIN -> PAINTING

Round 6: C P O E S D A R E
C1: PROCEEDS (8)
C2: CREASED (7)
DC: CORPSED (7)
Score: 31–7 (max 47)

Round 7: N A D E M I N T O
C1: DOMINATE (8)
C2: INMATE (6)
DC: ANOINTED (8) NOMINATED (18)
Score: 39–7 (max 65)

Round 8: R E I Y R E S D P
C1: SPIDER (6)
C2: RESPIRED (8)
DC: SPIDERY (7)
OT: REPRISED (8)
Score: 39–15 (max 73)

Round 9: T O Z I P R E S N
C1: PROTEINS (8)
C2: POINTERS (8)
OT: REPOINTS (8)
Score: 47–23 (max 81)

Round 10: 5, 7, 3, 1, 4, 25. Target: 553.
C1: 551.
C2: 554.(7*3+1)*25+4 (7)
CV: 553. (4*7-5-1)*25+3 (10)
Score: 47–30 (max 91)

Teatime teaser: EWESTEIN -> TWEENIES

Round 11: P A G I H O C M K
C1: MAGIC (5)
C2: MAGIC (5)
DC: MACHO (5) MAGICK (6)
OT: KOCHIA (6)
Score: 52–35 (max 97)

KOCHIA is a plant in the goosefoot family.

Round 12: C N R E I E T G V
C1: CRINGE (6)
C2: VEERING (7)
DC: ERECTING (8)
OT: EVERTING (8)
Score: 52–42 (max 105)

To EVERT is to overthrow from power.

Round 13: N A D I S E R A D
C1: DRAINED (7)
C2: DRAINED (7)
DC: SANDIER (7) SARDINE (7) SARDINED (8)
OT: ARANEIDS (8)
Score: 59–49 (max 113)

ARANEIDS is quickly becoming a Countdown fave that never seems to get a mention on the show.

Round 14: 50, 4, 7, 1, 9, 6. Target: 140.
C1: 140.(7-4)*50-9-1 (10)
C2: 140.(9-6)*50-7-4+1 (10)
Score: 69–59 (max 123)

Round 15: N I G H T C H A T
C2 buzzes on 3 seconds to say THATCHING which is correct.
Score: 69–69 (max 133)

And the lights get even dimmer, just when the contestants are the polar opposite, for a crucial crucial conundrum!

Round 16: H O N E Y P L O X
C1 buzzes on 5 seconds to say XYLOPHONE which is correct.
Score: 79-69 (max 143)


A low scoring game but I don't think this reflected a low standard. Both contestants had their moments with Ian spotting STIFADO and PROCEEDS while Sarah got the excellent RESPIRED. In the end though Ian was probably the worthy winner but will need to watch the disallowed words if he is to continue his winning streak.
I didn't actually watch this game in the studio as I was on the way to the airport for a plane that would be delayed by three hours but I did hear that actually four conundrums were used in the game. Of the two superfluous conundrums one went unsolved and the other hadn't been scrambled: ah well, we might see it on a late night blooper show!



Further summaries are at:
http://www.thecountdowncorral.com/cd/se ... ?series=58

Quality game.

David O'Donnell wrote:Round 2: D F A I S T O I S
C1: STIFADO (7)
C2: foids
DC: FATSO (5)
OT: No stifados apparently
Score: 7–7 (max 14)

Does it not count under the mass noun rule for food? What if you were at a restaurant and you and your guest both wanted stifado? Or if you were a judge at a stifado cook-off?

Ben, one thing I've noticed through reading a lot of old recaps in a short space of time, is that there really are no absolutely consistent rules that you can pin down as to how DC will treat mass noun plurals.

Your argument as to ordering stifados in a restaurant etc. is plausible, and in the official guidance for contestants they do indeed say plurals of foodstuffs should be ok, as should plurals of types of rock or mineral, or plurals of fabrics or chemical compounds. But I've seen plenty of examples in the recaps where plurals of all of the above have been disallowed - or at least where DC have found the mass noun in question but only mentioned it in the singular, so we assume they would have disallowed the plural. Not only that, but they may allow a given plural for a while, and later change their minds and start disallowing it, as with OPALINES (I think it was you who told me about that wasn't it?).

The only trend I can discern is that DC are usually less keen on plurals of obscure mass nouns, which militates against STIFADOS (something ordinary like, say, LAGERS or BREADS would almost certainly be ok).

Gevin's also made the point that for mass nouns ending in -O or -Y, the dictionary specifies the plural form of some but not of others, suggesting that the ones they specify for are the ones they think can be pluralized. This would again militate against STIFADOS, since the word ends in O and has no specified plural. But I doubt this is really something DC pay attention to - they've allowed PENURIES in the past, which ends in Y and has no plural given. Though what's the betting that they'd disallow PENURIES if a contestant offered it now?

Basically there's no point in breaking your head endlessly trying to make logical sense of the 'rules' on mass noun plurals - DC will go and do something to prove you wrong. All I would say to future contestants is, avoid offering mass noun plurals at all times if you possibly can!

Charlie Reams wrote:Quality game.

I agree - it was a great comeback by Sarah. Maybe not quite in the Julian Hough or Richard Pay league, but still, to be 32 points down at the halfway point and finish by forcing a second (and third and fourth?) conundrum, is pretty impressive! Both contestants looked like they could go on to win a few more games, so it's a shame there had to be a loser.

David - about those extra conundrums not shown on TV - who told you about that? It's just because it reminds me of the John Mayhew issue - he maintained that there was a third, unsolved, conundrum which wasn't shown on TV in his series final (series 53), but Gary Male then said, in his experience on Mike Brown's site, that he thinks John is suffering from false memory on this, and that there were in fact only the two which were shown on screen. Has anyone thought to ask Damian whether there was a third conundrum in that final?

Right better go and watch today's game now...

PS David, you expect all Cambridge graduates to be snobs? Boo hoo...

I am fairly sure that Damian has confirmed there were only two conundrums and that Gary Male is indeed correct. I heard that there were four conundrums from a reliable source, of course Damian can confirm this if he is reading it.

Edit: Sorry Julian, just noticed your point about Cambridge grads being snobs, yes I suppose I am a little guilty of inverted snobbery given my council estate roots. I had also prejudged Alison but then had to make an immediate volte-face.

Ah right I'm glad Damian's cleared that one up, thanks for info David

Rather bizarrely, I got the first Teaser using a completely different apparent clue - Nancy Drew....

Was 'cervine' okay?

Yes big lad, it certainly would have been fine.