C1: Champion Edward McCullagh (2 wins, 212 points.)
C2: Challenger Judy Baynes.
DC: Susie Dent and Gregg Wallace.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
Well, here we are again, it’s that time of the week already, and with no CO-event to delay things further, the Friday recap returns to its regular time of Saturday! Our very own Edward ‘Eeyore’ McCullagh has already won two games and hit an average of 106 points per game. How will he do today against the Exmoor-loving Judy Baynes from Somerset? In time-honoured fashion, let’s find out!
R01: A F T E R M I N O
R02: B Y E V S A I W U
R03: I A L D W E P N I
R04: G D A L R E I T E
R05: 100, 25, 50, 10, 5, 9. Target: 870.
TTT: TINASMUM - "Tina's mum changes to set you free."
R06: D S I R E A T O T
R07: E M R T I U C H T
R08: T K A E G T A I S
R09: A E R N R A L P E
R10: 100, 10, 4, 8, 1, 5. Target: 522.
TTT: VEGSALAD - "Came up with the goods from the bottom of the sea."
R11: C D U N M E A E N
R12: D X O R E O S N I
R13: E O G F B I Z S A
R14: 100, 5, 8, 5, 3, 9. Target: 880.
R15: L A G E R T I M E (conundrum)
This week’s Countdown was sponsored by Cardioace, with a little help from Visionace on Thursday.
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Jeff’s opening banter (apropos of which, did anyone else notice ‘BAFO’ in one of the letters selections on Thursday?) relates to mnemonics and he mentions several, including ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Favour’ (I’m surprised that one hasn’t been converted by the politically correct brigade) and one for remembering the names of the planets in the solar system. Rachel reminds all former maths students of ‘soh-cah-toa’ for remembering your trigonometry; a friend of mine used the alternative ‘the cat son on an orange and held hard’. Horses for courses, m’dears.
Round 1: A F T E R M I N O
[After putting up the ‘N’, Rachel comments (to Edward) “It’s like I’m coming on to you.”]
C1: AMNIOTE (7)
C2: FIREMAN (7)
OT: FAINTER (7) FERMION (7) FOAMIER (7) FORAMEN (7) FOREMAN (7) FORMANT (7) FORMATE (7) MERANTI (7) MINARET (7) RAIMENT (7) MORAINE (7) ROMAINE (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
Sevens aplenty and our contestants plump for two of them. Just in case you were wondering, MERANTI (mass noun) is a kind of timber from Malaysia or Indonesia that comes in a variety of colours.
Round 2: B Y E V S A I W U
C1: ABUSIVE (7)
C2: WAIVES (6)
DC: SUBWAY (6)
Score: 14–7 (max 14)
Nice spot (although not a very nice word) from Edward; a tasty word from DC (I’ll have a footlong^ Meatball Marinara, please); and for Jeff Clayton and myself, there’s the alternative BUSWAY for six.
Round 3: I A L D W E P N I
C1: PLAINED (7)
C2: PLAINED (7)
Score: 21–14 (max 21)
“Lots of sevens,” comments Susie, when Jeff asks DC what they’ve found. Orly.
Round 4: G D A L R E I T E
C1: LITREAGE (8)
C2: TREADLE (7)
DC: RETAILED (8)
OT: GAITERED (8)
Score: 29–14 (max 29)
A great spot for Edward, even if he pronounces it incorrectly, and he doesn’t fall into the American spelling trap that befell Craig Chittenden during Series 62.
Round 5: 100, 25, 50, 10, 5, 9. Target: 870.
C1: 870. (9x100)-25-5 (10)
C2: -
Score: 39–14 (max 39)
Gregg tells us about their family pet Snoopy (a dog, unsurprisingly), who enjoyed watching a game of football on the bedroom TV while eating a pizza. Jeff then asks him about him meeting his wife (fiancée at the time of recording) Heidi through the medium of Twitter.
Teatime teaser: TINASMUM -> MANUMITS
As Susie explains, to MANUMIT means to free from slavery (literally, to ‘send forth from the hand’). I <3 Latin!
Round 6: D S I R E A T O T
C1: STORIATED (18)
C2: STEROID (7)
Score: 57–14 (max 57)
A brilliant nine from Edward keeps him on course for a max game.
Round 7: E M R T I U C H T
C1: CHITTER (7)
C2: CHITTER (7)
OT: CHETRUM (7) THERMIC (7) THERMIT (7)
Score: 64–21 (max 64)
A great risk for both Edward and Judy; a CHETRUM is a monetary unit of Bhutan (a hundred of them make an NGULTRUM); while THERMIT (mass noun; also THERMITE) is a mixture of aluminium and iron oxide.
Round 8: T K A E G T A I S
C1: AGITATES (8)
C2: STEAK (5)
Score: 72–21 (max 72)
Some may have spotted TAGATIES for another eight; personally, I’m banning it.
Round 9: A E R N R A L P E
C1: LEARNER (7)
C2: PLANER (6)
DC: LEARNER (7) RELEARN (7)
OT: PEARLER (7)
Score: 79–21 (max 79)
A PEARLER of an alternative that no one mentions. And that max is still on.
OoW: Susie discusses the origins of treacle. (Licks lips.) Apparently, wild beasts were once involved.
Round 10: 100, 10, 4, 8, 1, 5. Target: 522.
C1: 522. (5x100)+8+4+10 (10)
C2: 522. (5x100)+8+4+10 (10)
Score: 89–31 (max 89)
A nice easy numbers game and it’s time for Teaser number two.
Teatime teaser: VEGSALAD -> SALVAGED
Round 11: C D U N M E A E N
C1: MENACED (7)
C2: MENACED (7)
DC: MUNDANE (7)
OT: UNNAMED (7) NUANCED (7)
Score: 96–38 (max 96)
Our champ was toying with ‘unmenaced’. Wisely, he steered clear. DC offer a very unexceptional seven.
(And, sadly, it’s curtains for Judy.)Round 12: D X O R E O S N I
C1: EROSION (7)
C2: INDOORS (7)
DC: INDOORS (7)
OT: SINDOOR (7) SORDINO (7) INDORSE (7) ROSINED (7) ODORISE (7)
Score: 103–45 (max 103)
SINDOOR (also SINDUR) is a red pigment made from red lead, which is used to apply the dot on the forehead of Hindu women. A SORDINO (pl. SORDINI) is a muting device for a musical instrument and to ROSIN is to rub something (often a violin bow or string) with a kind of resin.
Round 13: E O G F B I Z S A
C1: GAZEBOS (7)
C2: BOGIES (6)
DC: GAZEBOS (7)
Score: 110–45 (max 110)
Greg (to Judy): “Do you wanna pick another one?” (geddit?)
Judy: “FOGIES”.
Round 14: 100, 5, 8, 5, 3, 9. Target: 880.
C1: 880. (100+5+5)x8 (10)
C2: -
Score: 120–45 (max 120)
C4Cers hit fever pitch (but probably nobody else) as Edward is still on for a max...
Round 15: L A G E R T I M E
No one buzzes. The answer was MEGALITRE.
Final Score: 120–45 (max 130)
... but he’s hit by the evil ODE3 newcomer MEGALITRE, which also foxes the entire studio audience. A shame, but of course, he still hits his highest score to date and lives to fight another day with some ease. Judy offered some good words too - including TREADLE, which I’ve always rather liked - and against less focused opposition, she would surely have fared rather better. Countdown returns, naturellement, on Monday, when ‘money-saving expert’ Martin Lewis returns to ‘Earpiece Central’ alongside Susie. I’ll see you again next week when Edward may be making his bid to become an octochamp. I can hardly wait... (but we’re all going to have to.)
P.S. Interesting fact (perhaps): every letter selection of this game contains the letter ‘E’. I wonder how uncommon that is?
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64
