There seems to be a Valentine's Day theme in the studio today, even though it's a week away.
So, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Monday 7 February 2011.
Before the show starts, Rachel, Susie and Martin talk about being entertained by Jeff's Billy Joel tribute act. Sadly, that's as close to a performance as we're likely to see.
C1: Champion Edward McCullagh (3 wins, 332 points.) An Apteforumite from Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. He's a massive Liverpool F.C. fan, and says that he'd be a good manager if he could get Raul Meireles and Paul Konchesky playing good. (You can tell this was recorded back in December, can't you
) He says his favourite place is the Swedish capital, Stockholm, because that's where his girlfriend from. (Imagine if they had kids, a half Northern Irish, half Swedish Liverpool supporter 
) I should actually say that I'm 1/16th Swedish as well. 
True. C2: Challenger Paul Walsh. A police officer and an Everton F.C. fan. He says his favourite saying is "Nil Satis Nisi Optimum", meaning "Nothing But The Best Is Good Enough", which happens to be the motto of Everton. He has been married for 17 years after meeting on a blind date.
DC: Susie Dent and Martin Lewis.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: E M G H I E D S F
R02: M U T O E P W Y O
R03: A E D R T O E B T
R04: U S O P E R G L A
R05: 50, 5, 9, 8, 10, 6. Target: 619.
TTT: GRANSMOT - "The tyres are balled, but only my the smallest of margins"
R06: T I P I J A N C U
R07: O R H W U A R S M
R08: G L R O E U S N L
R09: S V A E T N R A S
R10: 100, 6, 5, 7, 10, 4. Target: 754.
TTT: EGGBREAD - "Beyond belief for the peasant, perhaps?"
R11: I R B E D P E V T
R12: D X N A A O D T U
R13: I O C N L E T N O
R14: 25, 2, 5, 3, 1, 10. Target: 731.
R15: M A R I E R A N G (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: E M G H I E D S F
C1: SIGHED (6)
C2: MIDGES (6)
DC: MISFEED (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
After being agonisingly close to a max game on Friday, there's no chance at the very first hurdle today, as DC get the max.
Round 2: M U T O E P W Y O
C1: TEMPO (5)
C2: WEPT (4)
DC: POUTY (5) MOPEY (5)
OT: EMPTY (5) MYOPE (5) WOOPY (5)
Score: 11–6 (max 12)
A horrid selection, but Edward scores with TEMPO this time, unlike on Thursday when he declared it.
A MYOPE is any person afflicted with myopia, a condition of the eye in which parallel rays are focused in front of the retina, objects being seen distinctly only when near to the eye; otherwise known as nearsightedness.
Round 3: A E D R T O E B T
C1: BATTERED (8)
C2: BERATED (7)
Score: 19–6 (max 20)
A nice darren for the champ here, as he starts to pull away again.
Round 4: U S O P E R G L A
C1: GAOLERS (7)
C2: supple
DC: EARPLUGS (8) PERGOLAS (8)
Score: 26–6 (max 28)
Was it just me or did just about everyone see PERGOLAS just sticking out in that selection
Clearly no-one told Edward or Paul, but Edward still increases his lead to a score.Round 5: 50, 5, 9, 8, 10, 6. Target: 619.
C1: 619. ((50 + 6 + 5) x 10) + 9 (10)
C2: 614.
Score: 36–6 (max 38)
Another confident numbers display by Edward, and the game seems to be slipping away from Paul already.
As Valentine's Day is just a week away, Martin asks the regulars what counts as a financial linking between 2 people
Is it:
a) Marriage
b) Joint Mortgage
c) Joint Credit Card
d) All of the above
The answer is b), which no-one said. Apparently only joint stuff makes you financially linked, but there is no such thing as a "joint credit card", only a single card with 2 people on it.
Teatime teaser: GRANSMOT -> ANGSTROM
Round 6: T I P I J A N C U
C1: PAINT (5)
C2: pintu
DC: PANIC (5) UNCAP (5)
OT: CATNIP (6) PUNCTA (6) TUNICA (6)
Score: 41–6 (max 44)
Just when it seems that Paul is about to score again, he declares a word that he thinks is good, but isn't. None of the three 6's spotted by DC either...
A TUNICA is tissue forming a layer or covering of an organ or part, such as any of the tissue layers of a blood vessel wall.
Round 7: O R H W U A R S M
C1: ARMOURS (7)
C2: SWARM (5)
DC: HARROWS (7) MARROWS (7)
Score: 48–6 (max 51)
3 7's here and Edward gets one, while DC get the rhyming couple.
Round 8: G L R O E U S N L
C1: LOUNGERS (8)
C2: LOUNGERS (8)
Score: 56–14 (max 59)
Darren time for both contestants, as Paul reaches double figures.
Round 9: S V A E T N R A S
C1: TAVERNAS (8)
C2: STARVES (7)
DC: TAVERNS (7)
OT: SAVANTES (8) SERVANTS (8) VERSANTS (8)
Score: 64–14 (max 67)
Another brilliant 8 by Edward. Plenty of other nice ones too.
A SAVANTE is a man of great learning, or in other words, a sage.
A VERSANT is a slope of a mountain or mountain chain.
In a complete removal from the Valentine's theme, Susie's Origins Of Words talks about "The Black Death", and the origins of "pestilence" and surprisingly, "token".
Round 10: 100, 6, 5, 7, 10, 4. Target: 754.
C1: 754. (100 x 7) + (5 x 10) + 4 (10)
C2: 757.
Score: 74–14 (max 77)
Oh dear, Paul misses a numbers which was virtually in front of him.
Teatime teaser: EGGBREAD -> BEGGARED
Round 11: I R B E D P E V T
C1: DEPRIVE (7)
C2: priveted
DC: PRIVET (6)
OT: RIVETED (7)
Score: 81–14 (max 84)
A risky 8 by Paul doesn't pay off and Edward has already got the game sewn up.
Round 12: D X N A A O D T U
C1: donut
C2: TAX (3)
DC: TAXON (5)
OT: AOUDAD (6)
Score: 81–17 (max 90)
Edward makes a right DOUGHNUT of himself, as Paul joins the short list of people to win a round with a 3.
An AOUDAD is a wild sheep, Ammotragus lervia, of northern Africa, having a long fringe of hair on the throat, chest, and forelegs.
Round 13: I O C N L E T N O
C1: LECTION (7)
C2: LECTION (7)
OT: CONNOTE (7)
Score: 88–24 (max 97)
To CONNOTE is to signify or suggest (certain meanings, ideas, etc.) in addition to the explicit or primary meaning.
Round 14: 25, 2, 5, 3, 1, 10. Target: 731.
C1: 731. (((25 x 5 x 3) - 10) x 2) + 1 (10)
C2: 731. Mistake in working.
Score: 98–24 (max 107)
The agony
Just when it seems that Paul has managed to solve a numbers game, he uses the 3 twice, leaving Edward to use his different method of getting the 10, leaving him in striking distance of a century.Round 15: M A R I E R A N G
C1 buzzes on 1 second to say MARGARINE which is correct.
Final Score: 108–24 (max 117)
Marie didn't ring, but Edward rang in with the answer to give him his 3rd century in his run so far.
Can he get his 5th win tomorrow
With Ryan still indisposed and me off to the Galpharm to see if Town can provide a miracle of their own, I've left it in the capable hands of Marcus Hares to provide you all with an enjoyable recap tomorrow.I'll be back with normal service on Wednesday.
So, until then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Edward:
Total score - 108
Raw score - 108
Total % of max - 92
Raw % of max - 92
Total average score per round - 7.2
Raw average score per round - 7.2
Number of maxes - 11
Paul:
Total score - 24
Raw score - 61
Total % of max - 21
Raw % of max - 52
Total average score per round - 1.6
Raw average score per round - 4.1
Number of maxes - 2
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64
