Good Evening, I'm here in place of your favourite James R today to instead write today's recap.
Countdown recap for Thursday 3 October 2013.
C1: Champion Callum Todd (4 wins, 333 points.)
C2: Challenger Ben Hendry. From Scotland, but I can't remember what he does as I accidentally deleted the episode just before I jotted this down when flicking back through things.
DC: Susie Dent and Michaela Strachan.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: C R N M A U O A G
R02: T V T G E I E N L
R03: 8, 8, 10, 7, 5, 2. Target: 179.
TTT: SCORENOT - "Are these crowns for people with kind hearts?"
R04: H Z S G O A E N T
R05: R S N J I U E R P
R06: 50, 2, 8, 6, 2, 9. Target: 598.
R07: T S C L O E I D R
R08: B S G W O A O D E
R09: 5, 10, 7, 6, 2, 8. Target: 705.
TTT: OCTETDON - "Grasped the thread of the idea perhaps."
R10: H M T D I A E Q M
R11: D T B F O I E L T
R12: D Y R M O E I P R
R13: P L R F E I A D S
R14: 100, 9, 6, 5, 8, 10. Target: 751.
R15: H O L D B O O T S (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Nick opens the show by talking about poetry, and how he had such a passion for it, to which Rachel hadn't. She quotes a famous scientist who once said 'Science is for finding things out not known to anyone before, and conveying it to thos who don't understand. Poetry, is the opposite.'
Round 1: C R N M A U O A G
C1: MANGO (5)
C2: COUGAR (6)
OT: ARCANUM (7) GUANACO (7) ORGANUM (7)
Score: 0–6 (max 7)
A pretty average round to open the show, as Callum immediately falls 6 points down. There are 3 nice 7's however: a GUANACO is 'a wild Andean animal similar to the domestic llama' though not that I'd personally call llamas domestic.
Round 2: T V T G E I E N L
C1: VETTING (7)
C2: VETTING (7)
DC: teen
OT: VIGNETTE (8)
Score: 7–13 (max 15)
Despite the fact we didn't see the paper exchange, I'm pretty sure Ben said VETTING too. Michaela tries to offer the 4 of 'teen' (the skiing resort) but Nick is quick to tell her that it wouldn't be allowed. The 8 that I failed to spot however is VIGNETTE, which has 3 different meanings, displayed here: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definitio ... q=vignette
Round 3: 8, 8, 10, 7, 5, 2. Target: 179.
C1: 179. ((8+8)x10)+5+(7x2) (10)
C2: 180.
Score: 17–13 (max 25)
As usual, 6 small by our young Callum, to regain some of the lost ground at the beginning.
Teatime teaser: SCORENOT -> CORONETS
Round 4: H Z S G O A E N T
C1: HOSTAGE (7)
C2: THONGS (6)
DC: TANGOES (7)
OT: ONSTAGE (7)
Score: 24–13 (max 32)
After a briefl slump at the start, Callum's back into his stride and stretches out his lead with a nice 7. All words here don't really need any description.
Round 5: R S N J I U E R P
C1: INJURES (7)
C2: JUNIPERS (8)
OT: INJURERS (8)
Score: 24–21 (max 40)
A nice 8 there! Shame there for Callum as he could have added an R to his word and equalled Ben with INJURERS.
Round 6: 50, 2, 8, 6, 2, 9. Target: 598.
C1: 598. (2x50x6)-2 (10)
C2: 598. (6x2x50)-2 (10)
Score: 34–31 (max 50)
A nice 1 large, no real problems emerging for anyone. My alternate method was ((50+9)x10)+6+2
Round 7: T S C L O E I D R
C1: COSTLIER (8)
C2: CLOISTER (8)
DC: CORTILES (8)
Score: 42–39 (max 58)
Three nice 8's: A CLOISTER is nothing like a cluster as I had burned into my mind for some reason, but instead a 'covered walk in a cathedral/monastery.'
Round 8: B S G W O A O D E
C1: BADGES (6)
C2: dowages
DC: BODGES, (6) ABODES (6)
OT: BODEGAS (7) GOBDAWS (7)
Score: 48–39 (max 65)
Unlucky there for Ben, dowages does seem very plausible but unfortunately you can only have DOWAGERS. He's just hanging within conundrum distance now at 9 points behind. There are 2 7's though - BODEGAS and GOBDAWS, which are 'foolish or pretentious people'.
Round 9: 5, 10, 7, 6, 2, 8. Target: 705.
C1: 705. ((8+2)x10x7)+5 (10)
C2: 705. ((8+2)x10x7)+5 (10)
Score: 58–49 (max 75)
Six small being a bit kinder to the pair of them today - not too much trouble once you know where to start - 10 points each, as we go into a break with still a diference of 9. Close run game, this
Teatime teaser: OCTETDON -> COTTONED
Round 10: H M T D I A E Q M
C1: ADMIT (5)
C2: TIMED (5)
DC: HAMMED (6)
OT: DAMMIT (6) MAIMED (6)
Score: 63–54 (max 81)
A pretty bare selection here! However I drop my second max of the game here, with the missed word being my reaction.
Round 11: D T B F O I E L T
C1: BOTTLED (7)
C2: BOTTLED (7)
DC: BLOTTED (7) FLITTED (7)
Score: 70–61 (max 88)
Both contestants hang on in there by taking their 6th and 5th maximums respectively. Nothing longer's to be found.
Round 12: D Y R M O E I P R
C1: PRIMED (6)
C2: PRIMER (6)
OT: DOPIER (6) DORMER (6) MOPERY (6) MOPIER (6) PERIOD (6) PRIORY (6) ROMPED (6) ROPIER (6) YOMPED (6)
Score: 76–67 (max 94)
6's all round, though I failed to spot ROPIER
Round 13: P L R F E I A D S
C1: DESPAIR (7)
C2: DESPAIR (7)
DC: FELDSPAR (8)
OT: PREDIALS (8)
Score: 83–74 (max 102)
Another two 7's - but Susie's in good form as she finds FELDSPAR for 8, which is an abundant rock-forming mineral. It's also an item on apterous for solving a conundrum with a difficulty rating of six.
another close game! Can Callum do it????Round 14: 100, 9, 6, 5, 8, 10. Target: 751.
C1: 751. (8x100)-(5x6)-10-9 (10)
C2: 750.
Score: 93–74 (max 112)
.......yes. As has concluded a couple of other of his games I think, Ben misses a standard-ish one large solve and Callum is en route to another century and victory.
Round 15: H O L D B O O T S
C1 buzzes on 3 seconds to say BLOODSHOT which is correct.
...correct! Our 4 wins and 333 points man is now a 5 wins and 436 points man, so well done Callum.
Final Score: 103–74 (max 122)
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69
