c4countdown

If you want to watch, this is happening tonight on apterous! Very probably within the next hour or so.

Edit: It's all over, watch this space for a recap.

Countdown recap for Sunday 12 October 2008.

C1: Ben Wilson
C2: Paul Howe
DC: The mighty brain of apterous
CV: The mighty brain of apterous
OT: Other words or solutions, courtesy of the mighty brain of apterous
Spectators: Several people announced their presence in a rather Orwellian manner

R01: R Z R R A E I G S
R02: N B S T E I I U A
R03: F C N L E E A R K
R04: H T D D E I O A X
R05: 100, 9, 9, 8, 5, 7. Target: 316.
R06: Y P S T O E A J E
R07: T M L S O E U I D
R08: M N L H A E O U T
R09: B P D F A I E C R
R10: 75, 7, 2, 9, 8, 3. Target: 983.
R11: S S P Q A I O P D
R12: T R R M E O I G A
R13: L C D N E E O A R
R14: 50, 4, 5, 10, 9, 10. Target: 582.
R15: S I L D N A T T Y (conundrum)


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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R Z R R A E I G S

C1: GRAZERS (7)
C2: GRAZERS (7)
DC: GRAZIERS (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Round 2: N B S T E I I U A

C1: AUNTIES (7)
C2: BASINET (7)
OT: SINUATE (7) UNITIES (7) UNITISE (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)

Round 3: F C N L E E A R K

C1: FRECKLE (7)
C2: CLEANER (7)
OT: FLANKER (7)
Score: 21–21 (max 22)

Round 4: H T D D E I O A X

C1: oxidate
C2: TOADIED (7)
Score: 21–28 (max 29)

Round 5: 100, 9, 9, 8, 5, 7. Target: 316.

C1: 316. (8-5)*100+9+7 (10)
C2: 315.
Score: 31–28 (max 39)

Probably not my finest hour there.

Round 6: Y P S T O E A J E

C1: PEYOTES (7)
C2: PEYOTES (7)
OT: EYESPOT (7) TEAPOYS (7)
Score: 38–35 (max 46)

Round 7: T M L S O E U I D

C1: MOULDIEST (18)
C2: MOULDIEST (18)
Score: 56–53 (max 64)

I thought I was going to grab the 18 points for myself here as Neb didn't end the round early, but he nonchanantly announced he'd been sipping water.

Round 8: M N L H A E O U T

C1: METHANOL (8)
C2: METHANOL (8)
Score: 64–61 (max 72)

Round 9: B P D F A I E C R

C1: CARBIDE (7)
C2: CARBIDE (7)
OT: PEDICAB (7)
Score: 71–68 (max 79)

Round 10: 75, 7, 2, 9, 8, 3. Target: 983.

C1: 987.
C2: 983. (9+7-3)*75+8 (10)
Score: 71–78 (max 89)

Round 11: S S P Q A I O P D

C1: qipaos
C2: papsids
OT: DIPSOS (6) OPPIDA (6)
Score: 71–78 (max 95)

Round 12: T R R M E O I G A

C1: MIGRATOR (8)
C2: MIGRATOR (8)
Score: 79–86 (max 103)

I wanted a final I for the rather lovely GRIMOIRE here. Which is why Goatdown is better than regular Countdown.

Round 13: L C D N E E O A R

C1: OLEANDER (8)
C2: OLEANDER (8)
OT: CALENDER (8) COLANDER (8)
Score: 87–94 (max 111)

Round 14: 50, 4, 5, 10, 9, 10. Target: 582.

C1: 582. (50+10)*10-9-5-4 (10)
C2: 582. (50+9)*10 - 4*10/5 (10)
Score: 97–104 (max 121)

Round 15: S I L D N A T T Y

C2 buzzes on 1.6 seconds to say DISTANTLY which is correct
Score: 97–114 (max 131)

Thus ends another fine game between myself and Mr Wilson, and just as good as the first one IMO (with the possible exception of some mediocre numbers gaming).

Indeed- well done Paul on nabbing your revenge. :p I'm really pissed off about missing round 10, and OXIDATE is one of the more baffling omissions from the ODE, but all in all, I was beaten by the better player on the day.

Ben Wilson wrote:OXIDATE is one of the more baffling omissions from the ODE

It's not really. The -ATE suffix generally means "containing oxygen" so an OXIDATE would be some kind of compound of oxygen with, err, itself. Is it good in CSW? I guess there might be some verb sense but I think OXIDIZE already covers that.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm baffled by the offerings in round 11.

Round 11: S S P Q A I O P D

C1: qipaos
C2: papsids
OT: DIPSOS (6) OPPIDA (6)
Score: 71–78 (max 95)

I thought these might've been Scrabble words, but I can't find them in the dictionary.

A qipao is a Chinese dress, so QIPAOS could be valid in some dictionary, but not this one. A friend of mine owns one so I encountered the word some years ago and it was one of the words that inspired me to write this, which I believe is the most comprehensive such list anywhere.

Joseph Bolas wrote:I don't know about anyone else, but I'm baffled by the offerings in round 11.

Round 11: S S P Q A I O P D

C1: qipaos
C2: papsids
OT: DIPSOS (6) OPPIDA (6)
Score: 71–78 (max 95)

I thought these might've been Scrabble words, but I can't find them in the dictionary.

Qipaos is bad no matter the dictionary, but the next best I had for that round was a 4 (for some reason I'm always weak on letters games immediately after numbers games). Paul only risked his 7 because I'd declared a 6- false sense of insecurity perhaps?

And Charlie- oxidate is indeed a verb in Collins, hence my confusion.

Really well played both great stuff

Although you have labelled the thread "QF"

Nice performance from both. Paul would've beaten me 114-72! Also well put, Charlie, with the whole oxidate business. Your Krazy Khemist Klub badge is in the post. Looking forward to your debut on Wednesday

Ben Wilson wrote:Qipaos is bad no matter the dictionary, but the next best I had for that round was a 4 (for some reason I'm always weak on letters games immediately after numbers games). Paul only risked his 7 because I'd declared a 6- false sense of insecurity perhaps?

Its a nice word, pity it's not allowed even in scrabble, it's a good use of the 'Q'.

Charlie Reams wrote:A qipao is a Chinese dress, so QIPAOS could be valid in some dictionary, but not this one. A friend of mine owns one so I encountered the word some years ago and it was one of the words that inspired me to write this, which I believe is the most comprehensive such list anywhere.

Nice list Charlie. I think I am right in saying that there are 26 U-less 'Q' words allowed on Countdown:

CINQ, CINQS, FIQH, MBAQANGA, NIQAB, NIQABS, QANAT, QANATS, QAWWAL, QAWWALI, QAWWALS, QI, QIBLA, QIGONG, QINDARKA, QINTAR, QINTARS, QWERTY, SUQ, SUQS, TALAQ, TARIQA, TARIQAS, TARIQAT, TARIQATS and WAQF.

NB: QAWWAL, QAWWALI and QAWWALIS are very unlikely to come up, unless a 2nd 'W' is added in the consonant pile.

Joseph Bolas wrote: Nice list Charlie. I think I am right in saying that there are 26 U-less 'Q' words allowed on Countdown:

CINQ, CINQS, FIQH, MBAQANGA, NIQAB, NIQABS, QANAT, QANATS, QAWWAL, QAWWALI, QAWWALS, QI, QIBLA, QIGONG, QINDARKA, QINTAR, QINTARS, QWERTY, SUQ, SUQS, TALAQ, TARIQA, TARIQAS, TARIQAT, TARIQATS and WAQF.

I'm too lazy to double-check these but it looks about right.

Joseph, you're obviously including words with a U in them somewhere, just not immediately following the Q - in which case BURQAS is good for Countdown as well

Julian Fell wrote:Joseph, you're obviously including words with a U in them somewhere, just not immediately following the Q - in which case BURQAS is good for Countdown as well

I only knew about SUQ and SUQS (from Scrabble), so I actually didn't think to look for words with a 'U' just not before or after the 'Q'

Also BURQA would be allowed, as well as BURQAS, so thats 28 total words. I don't think I have missed any others out.

I don't know why QIBLAS is not a word - it's not in Countmax (well the version I have) yet in the ODE2r in clearly just says "noun" (no mass noun or "in singular" in sight). Hmmmm