Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 10 July 2013.
C1: Champion June Glasspell (2 wins, 172 points.) A retired school admin officer from Southampton.
C2: Challenger Jessamine O'Connor. From Monasteraden, County Sligo, Republic of Ireland. She likes writing poetry and her favourite song is The Chicken Cow by Wesley Willis.
DC: Susie Dent and Maureen Lipman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: F N A O V G A R U
R02: W P D E O S M E H
R03: 100, 9, 3, 3, 8, 5. Target: 690.
TTT: IRANSUED - "Iran sued the Romans for this valuable coin"
R04: N H S A E I D S T
R05: L M O E N B A C O
R06: 75, 5, 3, 7, 3, 7. Target: 831.
R07: L H E I M Q E P I
R08: Y T B D R O U E C
R09: 75, 1, 4, 8, 1, 7. Target: 831.
TTT: AIRFUELS - "They're not past it, but they haven't passed it"
R10: V N S O E I R W T
R11: N S A E P F O G A
R12: S N L K I U O E X
R13: T L I E D R I D A
R14: 100, 25, 3, 1, 8, 10. Target: 300.
R15: E R I C S N I N E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: F N A O V G A R U
C1: ANGORA (6)
C2: FAVOUR (6)
DC: GUAVA (5)
OT: FARANG (6) ORGANA (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)
Nothing much in this opening round, but our contestants get half the 6's on offer here.
An ORGANON (plural ORGANA) is an instrument of thought or knowledge.
Round 2: W P D E O S M E H
C1: DEPOSE (6)
C2: SHOWED (6)
DC: MOPEDS (6) MOSHED (6)
OT: WHOMPED (7)
Score: 12–12 (max 13)
6's galore in this one, but just a single unclaimed 7 there....
Round 3: 100, 9, 3, 3, 8, 5. Target: 690.
C1: 672.
C2: 691. ((8 - (3 / 3)) x 100) - 9 (7)
RR: 690. ((9 x 3) + 3 + 8 + 100) x 5 (10)
Score: 12–19 (max 23)
A tricky 690 to find, which leaves June completely off the scent, letting Jessamine take the first lead of the day, while Rachel uses my method to get to the answer!!
Teatime teaser: IRANSUED -> DENARIUS
Round 4: N H S A E I D S T
C1: SHADIEST (8)
C2: SANDIEST (8)
DC: SHANDIES (8) HANDIEST (8) STAINED (7)
OT: ANTHESIS (8) DESTAINS (8) HANDSETS (8) SHANTIES (8) STANDISH (8)
Score: 20–27 (max 31)
It's 8's galore in this round and our contestants take full advantage.
An ANTHESIS is the period or act of expansion in flowers, especially the maturing of the stamens.
A STANDISH is a stand for ink, pens, and other writing materials.
Round 5: L M O E N B A C O
C1: BACON (5)
C2: COALMEN (7)
DC: MONOCLE (7)
OT: CEMBALO (7)
Score: 20–34 (max 38)
A great find from Jessamine there, and she doubles her lead just like that.
A CEMBALO is another name for a harpsichord.
Round 6: 75, 5, 3, 7, 3, 7. Target: 831.
C1: -
C2: 830. ((7 + 7 - 3) x 75) + 5 (7)
RR: 831. (((75 - (3 x 7)) x 5) + 7) x 3 (10)
Score: 20–41 (max 48)
Another numbers of nastiness there. June is out of it again, and Jessamine gets within one again, while Rachel needs some extra time to solve this one!
Maureen talks about the time that she did a programme about memory and how to memorise things.
Round 7: L H E I M Q E P I
C1: IMPEL (5)
C2: HEEL (4)
OT: MIELIE (6)
Score: 25–41 (max 54)
A lifeline for June with a tricky 5 here, with an Africanised darrenic 6 staying underground.
Round 8: Y T B D R O U E C
C1: ROUTED (6)
C2: outcede
DC: COURTED (7) DOUBTER (7)
OT: OBTRUDE (7) OUTBRED (7) REDOUBT (7)
Score: 31–41 (max 61)
Dear oh dear, doubly bad luck for Jessamine, as her word is not only not in, but there was only one E anyway. Her lead is being cut all the time now..................
Round 9: 75, 1, 4, 8, 1, 7. Target: 831.
C1: 831. ((7 + 4) x 75) + 8 - 1 - 1 (10)
C2: 831. ((7 + 4) x 75) + 8 - 1 - 1 (10)
Score: 41–51 (max 71)
831 yet again!!! But, luckily this one isn't too taxing.
Teatime teaser: AIRFUELS -> FAILURES
Round 10: V N S O E I R W T
C1: VERSION (7)
C2: WORNEST (7)
DC: SNOWIER (7) INVESTOR (8)
Score: 48–58 (max 79)
Jessamine seems to be gambling again, but thanks to Susie's definition of the rules, she gets away with WORNEST, while DC find Nick an INVESTOR.
Round 11: N S A E P F O G A
C1: PAEONS (6)
C2: soapage
DC: PANGAS (6)
OT: AGAPES (6) APNOEA (6) GANEFS (6) GENOAS (6) PAEANS (6) PAGANS (6) PENGOS (6) PONGAS (6) SPONGE (6)
Score: 54–58 (max 85)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Jessamine doesn't really need to make these risks, and her lead is shrinking even further now.....
A GANEF is slang for a thief, swindler, crook, or rascal.
A GENOA is a large jib for cruising and racing yachts, overlapping the mainsail.
A PENGÖ is a former silver coin and monetary unit of Hungary, equal to 100 fillér: replaced by the forint in 1946.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about all the origins of the days of the week.
Round 12: S N L K I U O E X
C1: LESION (6)
C2: LIKENS (6)
DC: UNISEX (6) SILKEN (6) INSOLE (6)
OT: ELUSION (7) SUNLIKE (7)
Score: 60–64 (max 92)
A few 6's here, but there are a couple of 7's here, including ELUSION, which only appeared on the show last week.....
Round 13: T L I E D R I D A
C1: TRAILED (7)
C2: TRAILED (7)
DC: TIDDLIER (8)
Score: 67–71 (max 100)
Our contestants continue matching up, as we head into the final phase.....
Round 14: 100, 25, 3, 1, 8, 10. Target: 300.
C1: 300. 3 x 100 (10)
C2: 300. 3 x 100 (10)
Score: 77–81 (max 110)
Well................, it's a crucial conundrum then
Round 15: E R I C S N I N E
C1 buzzes on 6.25 seconds to say INSINCERE which is correct.
Final Score: 87–81 (max 120)
Well, well, well. June steals the win after being behind for just about the entirety of this match
Jessamine played well, but I think it's fair to say that rounds 8-11 were her downfall, with unnecessary risks, and any safe words in any of those rounds, and she'd have been home and dry. Well, we'll never know how she would've done.
But, June has managed to stay in the champions' chair, and will be hoping to achieve half-octochampdom tomorrow, when Countdown returns to 3:30pm for 2 days only.
So, join me for that, and till then, I'll see you soon. Bye bye.
Statistics Corner
June:
Total score - 87
Raw score - 92
Total % of max - 73
Raw % of max - 77
Total average score per round - 5.8
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 6
Jessamine:
Total score - 81
Raw score - 85
Total % of max - 67
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 5.4
Raw average score per round - 5.7
Number of maxes - 5
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=69