It's a shame that this is the only Countdown this week, but a bit of sibling rivalry is always welcome on here, as we don't get to see it very often.
So, enjoy.
Special Countdown recap for Monday 12 March 2012.
C1: Series 64 Contestant Jordan Humphries (0 wins, 74 points.) From Lisburn, County Antrim, but she is currently studying primary teaching in Belfast.
C2: Series 64 Contestant Jamie Humphries (2 wins, 252 points.) A software engineer currently working in London.
DC: Susie Dent and Pam Ayres.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S K R D I A S E P
R02: N V N T O E A E D
R03: C R C I O T Y E B
R04: L R W O A S V U A
R05: 75, 25, 6, 1, 4, 9. Target: 908.
TTT: PLOTFISH - "Plot to steal the fish from the supermarket"
R06: D T F R O I A U P
R07: S S J F O A I M S
R08: X A O A R C T N Q
R09: G U E I S R L A R
R10: 3, 6, 6, 8, 4, 7. Target: 838.
TTT: DREWHOSE - "Drew the hose and covered the flowers with water"
R11: N S T N O E I R T
R12: P H S O E I E W T
R13: H Z T M O E I D E
R14: 25, 8, 2, 6, 1, 10. Target: 705.
R15: I T E L L C L U E (conundrum)
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Round 1: S K R D I A S E P
C1: SPARKIES (8)
C2: ASPIRES (7)
OT: DESPAIRS (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
A risk well taken by Jordan as she sparks into life with an impressive 8.
Round 2: N V N T O E A E D
C1: ATONED (6)
C2: evented
DC: NEONATE (7)
OT: ENDNOTE (7) NOVATED (7) TENONED (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 15)
Oh dear, a double mishap by Jamie as he sees a phantom 3rd E, and his word is invalid anyway.
An ENDNOTE is a note, as of explanation, emendation, or the like, added at the end of an article, chapter, etc.
Round 3: C R C I O T Y E B
C1: BITER (5)
C2: bitter
DC: EROTIC (6)
OT: ORECTIC (7)
Score: 19–0 (max 22)
Oh dear, Jamie's carrying on seeing phantom letters. This isn't looking good for him today..........
ORECTIC (as Chris Davies will tell you) is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to desire.
Round 4: L R W O A S V U A
C1: OVALS (5)
C2: AROUSAL (7)
DC: AVOWALS (7)
OT: LOUVARS (7)
Score: 19–7 (max 29)
Following DC's offering of EROTIC in the last round, Jamie is offering us an AROUSAL, which at least gets him into the game at last.
A LOUVAR is a red-finned, deep-sea, tropical fish, Luvarus imperialis, having the vent at the base of the pectoral fin.
Round 5: 75, 25, 6, 1, 4, 9. Target: 908.
C1: 906.
C2: 907. (25 x 4 x 9) + 6 + 1 (7)
RR: 908. (((25 x 6) + 75) x 4) + 9 - 1 (10)
Score: 19–14 (max 39)
Is this the start of a comeback, I wonder.........
Pam does a lovely poem about her and husband's constant snoring.
Teatime teaser: PLOTFISH -> SHOPLIFT
Round 6: D T F R O I A U P
C1: ADRIFT (6)
C2: FRUIT (5)
DC: PROUD (5) AUDITOR (7)
OT: PAROTID (7)
Score: 25–14 (max 46)
Maybe not, Jordan pushes her brother further ADRIFT.
Round 7: S S J F O A I M S
C1: FOAMS (5)
C2: FOAMS (5)
DC: MASSIFS (7)
Score: 30–19 (max 53)
Oui, oui, DC go French for an impressive 7. BIG UP TO THE DC MASSIF.
Round 8: X A O A R C T N Q
C1: CARTON (6)
C2: CARTON (6)
DC: ACORN (5)
OT: CANTOR (6) CRATON (6)
Score: 36–25 (max 59)
Both Humphrieses get boxed up with their CARTONs, and there's no better than that
A CANTOR is the religious official of a synagogue who conducts the liturgical portion of a service and sings or chants the prayers and parts of prayers designed to be performed as solos.
A CRATON is a relatively rigid and immobile region of continental portions of the earth's crust.
Round 9: G U E I S R L A R
C1: RAILERS (7)
C2: UGLIER (6)
DC: REGULARS (8)
Score: 43–25 (max 67)
Jordan's railing further ahead again, but DC go one better with a good darrenic 8.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "balderdash and piffle".
Round 10: 3, 6, 6, 8, 4, 7. Target: 838.
C1: -
C2: 835. Mistake in working.
RR: 840. ((3 x 8) - 4) x 6 x 7 (7)
OT: 839. (((6 x 6 x 3) - 4) x 8) + 7 (7)
Score: 43–25 (max 74)
Jamie goes into desperation mode, and backfires on him, meaning no advantage is gained by either player. P.S. C'est impossible!!!
Teatime teaser: DREWHOSE -> SHOWERED
Round 11: N S T N O E I R T
C1: STONIER (7)
C2: STONIER (7)
DC: TENORIST (8)
OT: SNOTTIER (8) TINSTONE (8) TONTINES (8) TRITONES (8)
Score: 50–32 (max 82)
Plenty of 8's available, but the contestants are sticking with their rock hard 7's.
TINSTONE (or CASSITERITE) is a brown or black mineral, tin dioxide, SnO2, that crystallizes in the tetragonal system: the principal ore of tin.
A TONTINE is an annuity scheme in which subscribers share a common fund with the benefit of survivorship, the survivors' shares being increased as the subscribers die, until the whole goes to the last survivor.
A TRITONE is an interval consisting of three whole tones; an augmented fourth.
Round 12: P H S O E I E W T
C1: HOPES (5)
C2: photies
DC: POETISE (7) PEEWITS (7)
OT: TOWHEES (7)
Score: 55–32 (max 89)
Jamie's HOPES seem to be fading as his risky Irish 7 hasn't gone over into the ODE3 yet.
A TOWHEE is any of several long-tailed North American finches of the genera Pipilo and Chlorura.
Round 13: H Z T M O E I D E
C1: DEMOTE (6)
C2: THEMED (6)
DC: METHODIZE (18)
Score: 61–38 (max 107)
WOW!! After seeing METHODIZE, I had a feeling that Jamie might've seen it and risked it in a last-ditch effort. However, he doesn't seem to have seen it, leaving the glory to DC and the win (and a teapot) to her sister.
Round 14: 25, 8, 2, 6, 1, 10. Target: 705.
C1: 705. (((2 x 10) + 8) x 25) + 6 - 1 (10)
C2: 705. (((2 x 10) + 8) x 25) + 6 - 1 (10)
Score: 71–48 (max 117)
Well, at least they've got a numbers max today, even if Jamie seemed to try and convince Rachel that 2 x 10 = 16.
Round 15: I T E L L C L U E
No one buzzes. The answer was CELLULITE.
Final Score: 71–48 (max 127)
Hehe, you can tell that they couldn't be bothered as they both put their hands up with 5 seconds to go, saying that they'd given up. So, it's left to their MOTHER to solve it for them. Bad children.
It may not have been a max-laden game, but specials never are to supposed to be in truth. This was an enjoyable one-off game with a difference, thanks to the sibling rivalry element. This was a very gentle and entertaining 45 minutes (well, 36 and a bit if you cut out the adverts.
), and the sooner that Countdown is back the better, so hurry up you horses. Shoo! Shoo!! 
So, Jack Worsley will be commenting on his possible challengers next Monday when the shows returns, and I'll be back on the first day of Spring (that's the 21st) for my next offering.
So till then, bye all.
Statistics Corner
Jordan:
Total score - 71
Raw score - 83
Total % of max - 56
Raw % of max - 65
Total average score per round - 4.7
Raw average score per round - 5.5
Number of maxes - 3
Jamie:
Total score - 48
Raw score - 66
Total % of max - 38
Raw % of max - 52
Total average score per round - 3.2
Raw average score per round - 4.4
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=66
