Monday 22nd April 2013 (Series 68, Prelim 30)

[Graeme Cole]

Countdown recap for Monday 22 April 2013.

C1: Champion Jill Hayward (1 win, 85 points) from Christchurch, Dorset, saw off John Gardner on Friday.
C2: Challenger JJ Burrows is the third contestant in a row whose name begins with J. In fact his first name doesn't have any other letters. He's from Guildford and he works in a photographic retail shop. An independent one, that is, not a large chain. So not the one beginning with J.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: J M D V O E A N O
R02: R L N E A S N E U
R03: 100, 1, 4, 7, 9, 3. Target: 523.
TTT: KIWILEAF - "Seemingly in need of a damn good meal."
R04: T R T I E A B R E
R05: D T L T I E U E L
R06: 25, 10, 2, 3, 4, 5. Target: 269.
R07: P M P D R I E I O
R08: D T U E A V G F E
R09: 100, 5, 9, 1, 9, 4. Target: 532.
TTT: NAGSALES - "It's been known for nags to end up in the sale of these."
R10: L O Q M A E S C N
R11: B N P D O I O E K
R12: R A T N R I A S O
R13: Z G R T X I U O I
R14: 100, 75, 4, 5, 9, 9. Target: 648.
R15: Q U A L I T I E D (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: J M D V O E A N O

C1: MOANED (6)
C2: MOANED (6)
DC: MOONED (6) MOJO
OT: DAEMON (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

Today's show has already established itself as having been brought to you by the letter J, so it's only fitting that the J comes out first.


Round 2: R L N E A S N E U

C1: arsenal
C2: UNLEARNS (8)
Score: 6–14 (max 14)

Jill realises too late that ARSENAL has got two As, but it wouldn't have beaten JJ's UNLEARNS anyway.


Round 3: 100, 1, 4, 7, 9, 3. Target: 523.

C1: 521. (4+1)*100+3*7 (7)
C2: 521. (4+1)*100+3*7 (7)
RR: 523. (100+7)*(4+1)-9-3 (10)
Score: 13–21 (max 24)

Both two away, and Rachel shows us something which until last week I always called split multiplication, until Gevin pointed out that it isn't called that.


Teatime teaser: KIWILEAF -> WAIFLIKE


Round 4: T R T I E A B R E

C1: BATTIER (7)
C2: BEATER (6)
DC: BATTERIE (8)
OT: BARRETTE (8) BATTERER (8) BRATTIER (8)
Score: 20–21 (max 32)

Jill closes the gap with BATTIER. Susie and Paul come up with BATTERIE, which is a move in ballet whereby the dancer claps their calves together while airborne.


Round 5: D T L T I E U E L

C1: TITLED (6)
C2: DILUTE (6)
DC: LILTED (6)
OT: ELUTED (6) ILLUDE (6) LETTED (6) LITTLE (6) TELEDU (6) TILLED (6) TILTED (6)
Score: 26–27 (max 38)

Lots of sixes. To ELUTE an adsorbed substance means to remove it using a solvent. ILLUDE (not to be confused with ALLUDE) is appropriate enough for Paul Zenon, as it means to trick or delude someone. A TELEDU is a badger native to Sumatra, Java and Borneo.


Round 6: 25, 10, 2, 3, 4, 5. Target: 269.

C1: 269. (25+2)*10-(5-4) (10)
C2: 269. (25+2)*10-(4-3) (10)
Score: 36–37 (max 48)

As Rachel put the numbers up right to left, I was hoping the 10 would be a 1, for that whole numbers-going-backwards-towards-zero kind of effect. There should be a word for that.


Round 7: P M P D R I E I O

C1: PRIMED (6)
C2: PRIMPED (7)
OT: DIPPIER (7) POMPIER (7)
Score: 36–44 (max 55)

JJ is unsure about PRIMPED, but it's fine - it's a word similar to PREEN.


Round 8: D T U E A V G F E

C1: DEFEAT (6)
C2: VAGUE (5)
Score: 42–44 (max 61)

Only one six letter word there, and Jill spots it to make up some of the ground lost just now.


Round 9: 100, 5, 9, 1, 9, 4. Target: 532.

C1: 532. 5*100+(9-1)*4 (10)
C2: 535.
Score: 52–44 (max 71)

And only Jill can spot this numbers game, which means she goes in front for the first time in the game.


Teatime teaser: NAGSALES -> LASAGNES

"It's been known for nags to end up in the sale of these." Quality teaser there.


Round 10: L O Q M A E S C N

C1: COALMEN (7)
C2: coleman
Score: 59–44 (max 78)

COLEMAN^ is only valid in terms of mustard, not in the dictionary, so Jill steams 15 points clear with COALMEN.


Round 11: B N P D O I O E K

C1: BOOKED (6)
C2: BONKED (6)
DC: BOOKEND (7)
OT: BOINKED (7)
Score: 65–50 (max 85)

BOOKED and BONKED are fine, but they weren't too far away from BOOKEND, which Paul and Susie find for seven. BOINK, the onomatopoeic word, is fine as a verb, but its brother DOINK^ isn't.


Round 12: R A T N R I A S O

C1: ARTISAN (7)
C2: RATIONS (7)
DC: TSARINA (7)
OT: ROSARIAN (8)
Score: 72–57 (max 93)

Sevens for everyone. ROSARIAN, someone who cultivates roses, was hiding away for eight.


Round 13: Z G R T X I U O I

C1: GROUT (5)
C2: GROUT (5)
OT: GRIOT (5) GUIRO (5) TORII (5)
Score: 77–62 (max 98)

Last letters round, and all that's left are the letters nobody wanted. Five's the best it gets.


Round 14: 100, 75, 4, 5, 9, 9. Target: 648.

C1: 643.
C2: 648. (75-4)*9+9 (10)
Score: 77–72 (max 108)

Now this is interesting. JJ spots 648 just in time, and Jill's five away. This means we have a crucial conundrum. If JJ wins he'll have overturned a deficit of 15 points in the last two rounds - the biggest comeback this late in the game since Nicki Sellars three years ago.


Round 15: Q U A L I T I E D

Jill buzzes on 6 seconds to say LIQUIDATE which is correct.
Final Score: 87–72 (max 118)

But it's Jill who spots her second conundrum in two games to win with 87 points. Will her opponent tomorrow be yet another contestant whose name begins with J? Join Jack to find out.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68

[Tony Atkins]

Coleman is in the dictionary, and not to do with mustard, but is a lantern used by campers in the US and, as a trademark,
starts with a capital and is only there in a phrase, and so is invalid for two reasons.

[Andy Platt]

I thought he declared COALMAN and it was disallowed because of the letters not being there, but it's hard to interpret really!

[Guy Barry]

Teatime teaser: NAGSALES -> LASAGNES

"It's been known for nags to end up in the sale of these." Quality teaser there.

Yes, a bit of topical humour there - don't know why Nick Hewer had to act so disgusted as he read out the solution. Jimmy Carr would have delivered it better (but it wasn't rude enough for him).