Now I'm not great on all these blooming religious dates, but I do know that I didn't manage to give up c4c or apterous for Lent which I think ends this Sunday on Easter Sunday? The best thing about Easter Sunday is of course eating all them chocolate eggs however I've already scoffed a couple two weeks earlier than I was meant to, but they were only a £1 from Asda so it was hard to not buy them.
Anyway, basically enjoy your Easter holiday (if you get an Easter holiday), don't eat too much chocolate and make sure you watch Countdown all this week which is what you may possibly have come to this thread for, so I'll make a start...
Countdown recap for Monday 18 April 2011.
C1: Champion Mary Adie (1 win, 86 points.)
C2: Challenger Barbara Grice.
DC: Susie Dent and Carol Smillie.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L Q H N A O E D S
R02: L A S C O I P G T
R03: V T D V E A E R M
R04: W O R I D S U A B
R05: 75, 9, 10, 1, 4, 5. Target: 275.
TTT: MINIDISH - "Make the mini dish a little bit smaller"
R06: P O T R E A G B E
R07: S T X S N O E U M
R08: F L E S O I T C E
R09: P R S N I U E J T
R10: 75, 4, 8, 9, 3, 7. Target: 119.
TTT: BIGFLIES - "These type of garments don't come with flies"
R11: N Z F S L I O A E
R12: T D U R A E P N O
R13: T C N R D A E A E
R14: 100, 5, 2, 8, 4, 5. Target: 360.
R15: O L D C R A B P I (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Today is rather a fresh face, well, Mary Adie I think is oldish but by fresh faced I mean to the TV screen. That is because she beat Graham Hill last Friday (quite narrowly). I read someone's FB status on Openbook last Friday and this guy thought that Graham Hill (despite not looking anything like the guy) was the same person that memorably (or perhaps not) uttered the word "I don't think so, I know so. GOT IT?!!" in Alex Zane's Cleverness Game on Channel 4's Balls of Steel (Series 1, Episode 2 if you wonder what the hell I am going on about - it is funny so could be worth a watch anyway if you are that way inclined). Graham is dead and buried now though unless of course he makes the series finals in which we'll get to talk about him again, right now the talk is all about Mary. She has a Princess Anne style haircut which suits her and used to work in a bank. She is a Glaswegian who does some badminton coaching for the paralympics ("the Special Olympics") and by the sounds of it, it's voluntary which places Mary and me on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of human decency. Good luck today Mazza!
Mary will have her work cut out as she comes up against a feisty one in the form of Barbaric Rage, only kidding, it's Barbara Grice really. She is sort of from my neck of the woods, well, Yorkshire just outside Malton which I've played tennis at before (but not against Barbara). She has created a bucket list (which is probably wise because she does look a bit older than Mary) and on it are things such as appearing on Countdown [tick] and doing a parachute jump. The thing is though she is kind of like Earl Hickey because she keeps adding more things to her list with the reason being that "it's got to last me at least 20 years" which I sort of thought to myself was pretty hopeful given that she might not still be with us in 20 minutes time. Has anyone ever died whilst filming an episode of Countdown? *
In DC for officially the first time is Carol Smillie even though she did do some filming for Coronation Street when they were celebrating 50 years last year.
Let's crack on with today's proceedings.
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: L Q H N A O E D S
C1: LOANED (6)
C2: LOANED (6)
DC: HANDLES (7) SHOALED (7)
OT: HANDSEL (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
A decent enough start from the lovely duo sees them both pick up points. HANDLES was perhaps within their reach to be spotted but it is still early doors. As for SHOALED, I think I remember that it was missed by Chris and Andrew in the series 61 final so no harm done missing that word.
As for HANDSEL, a word I have never heard in my life (but it would seem it's quite common) apparently is a first payment of something or like a gift at the beginning of a New Year.
Round 2: L A S C O I P G T
C1: PLASTIC (7)
C2: TOPICAL (7)
DC: OPTICALS (8)
OT: CAPITOLS (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 15)
Again the ladies show their decent word prowess with nice 7 spots here. I thought GALIPOTS^ was there but it would seem it has never been valid so I misremembered and didn't score a thing. Lovely 8 from DC though and nice anagram of it to hit the max.
Round 3: V T D V E A E R M
C1: TEAMED (6)
C2: AVERTED (7)
Score: 13–20 (max 22)
Superb spot by Babs to take an early lead over Mary and her first darren. DC said they only had this word too so that kind of reinforces how good a spot it was.
Round 4: W O R I D S U A B
C1: ABSURD (6)
C2: BRAIDS (6)
DC: RADIOS (6)
OT: ADSORB (6) AROIDS (6) BOARDS (6) BROADS (6) DISBAR (6) DOBRAS (6) ISOBAR (6) RADIUS (6)
Score: 19–26 (max 28)
This selection sort of looked like it might throw up an obscure 7 or 8 but it really did only chuck out a mass of sixes, two of which were spotted by both women and they move up the points nicely.
Round 5: 75, 9, 10, 1, 4, 5. Target: 275.
C1: 275. 4*75-10-9-1-5 (10)
C2: 275. (4-1)*75+5*10 (10)
Score: 29–36 (max 38)
Not the trickiest of numbers games but it still has to be done and as expected both Mary and Babs bring home the goods (10 points). Barbara is just 2 points of a max here and is looking quite formidable from this first half display.
DC Guest Time: Jeff talks to Carol about Changing Rooms and I dare say I wouldn't mind seeing Carol in a Changing Room if you know what I mean, *nudge* *nudge*
say no more, say no more. She does say that the director of Countdown currently is the same director who directed her in the first episode she did of Changing Rooms which is pretty cool and also that people who partook in her show signed something official saying that if they weren't happy with what they had done then it was basically tough titties. I can't remember what show it was on but there's a mildly famous clip of a makeover show where a woman's large collection of teapots (which didn't include a Countdown one) were displayed on like hanging shelves and then when they were showing her round at the end, the shelves just buckle and all her teapots smashed. 
Proper lulz. Teatime teaser: MINIDISH -> DIMINISH
Round 6: P O T R E A G B E
C1: POTAGER (7)
C2: PROTEGE (7)
DC: OPERATE (7) PROBATE (7)
OT: BORGATE (7) PORTAGE (7)
Score: 36–43 (max 45)
A similar selection to a round from the end of one of last week's shows and again the two chickadees are faultless. Lovely word from Babs here and an equally classic word from Mary. This is already looking like a close contest with just that one break so far.
Round 7: S T X S N O E U M
C1: MOUNTS (6)
C2: MOUNTS (6)
DC: SEXTONS (7)
Score: 42–49 (max 52)
Well, SEXTONS jumped out to DC from the first 7 letters clearly but Babs continues her run of scoring in every round so far and Mary is finding it difficult to find a beater.
SEXTONS are people who look after a church and are typically grave-diggers or bell ringers. Bell ringing is obviously a hot topic at the moment after Alan and Gay Cooper's heroic performance on BGT on Saturday. Brought a tear to my eye. Perhaps the coolest thing is that their act is called Aeolian Chimes which is a fricking class name because:
- 1) AEOLIAN is a class Countdown word
2) It means wind and so the name is like Wind Chimes
3) I just wrote some assignment in which I had to discuss aeolian processes in the formation of sand dunes. Geography rocks.
4) It sort of sounds like "charms" or at least it does when I pronounce it and they most certainly are charms.
C1: SELECT (6)
C2: STIFLE (6)
DC: CLOSET (6)
OT: CITOLES (7) ESTOILE (7) LEFTIES (7)
Score: 48–55 (max 59)
The three 7's escape everyone and it's not surprising really. Sixes will just have to do and that gap remains at 7 points like it has since round 3.
Round 9: P R S N I U E J T
C1: JUNIPER (7)
C2: SNIPER (6)
DC: JUNIPERS (8) TURNIPS (7) RESIN (5)
Score: 55–55 (max 67)
Mary delivers a blow to Babs and manages to put a dent in her quite solid armour. Breakthrough at last! She pulls the scores level but interestingly she did declare second and so chose to just take the 7 points rather than risk getting the 8 of JUNIPERS disallowed. This decision to not add the S might turn out to be costly for Mary. We'll see. (I know)
Origin of Words: Big Suze takes a Peep and Shows us the origin of the word doolally which I heard on an episode of Eggheads only the other day and turned it into my own question: "What was the name of the British transit camp in India from which we get the term 'doolally' because of the psychological problems of soldiers passing through it? DEOLALI". So there you go, an origin of words through the medium of a quiz question.
Round 10: 75, 4, 8, 9, 3, 7. Target: 119.
C1: 119. 75+4*(8+3) (10)
C2: 119. 75+4*(8+3) (10)
Score: 65–65 (max 77)
Steady numbers game again to settle both lasses into the break with the scores delicately poised at 65 a piece!
Teatime teaser: BIGFLIES -> FILIBEGS
Round 11: N Z F S L I O A E
C1: ALONE (5)
C2: FAZES (5)
DC: SALINE (6) FINALES (7)
OT: OLEFINS (7)
Score: 70–70 (max 84)
Barbara struggles to a five in this one and so it would seem does Mary. Not a great set of letters but the type of selection that potential finalists of this series would take maximum points from whilst their opponents would not.
Round 12: T D U R A E P N O
C1: UPRATED (7)
C2: PRONATE (7)
DC: PRONATED (8)
Score: 77–77 (max 92)
Ouch! Barbara misses an opportunity to re-establish her lead again by not sticking the D on one of the classic of classicest words. Tommy Cooper and all that (who was Graham Hill's favourite comedian).
Round 13: T C N R D A E A E
C1: CANTERED (8)
C2: RECANTED (8)
DC: DECANTER (8)
OT: CRENATED (8)
Score: 85–85 (max 100)
The high quality just keeps being delivered by these ripe women. Both of them max out and DC and OT clean up the other anagrams. A pleasing quadruple of anagrams although a more satisfying set of anagrams that only really came to my attention yesterday was from the set of letters: NOUGHTS. Can you get all the anagrams?
Round 14: 100, 5, 2, 8, 4, 5. Target: 360.
C1: 360. (5-2)*100+(8+4)*5 (10)
C2: 360. 4*100-8*5 (10)
Score: 95–95 (max 110)
This was Mary or Barbara's last chance to try and gain an advantage before the conundrum but both of them are competent enough to solve this numbers game and with it they each score points for the 13th time in the game and also complete a hat-trick on the numbers games. What a contest this has been and fittingly it will be decided on a crucial conundrum. Good luck Mazza and Babs!
Round 15: O L D C R A B P I
No one buzzes. The answer was CLIPBOARD.
Score: 95-95 (max 120)
A very tense 30 seconds passes by with no one daring to breathe. Jeff reveals that the answer was CLIPBOARD (which has been used as a conundrum on the Countdown calendar already this year). What is perhaps notable is that if Mary had gone with JUNIPERS she would now be sitting in that chair as victor by 96-95. Countdown really is a game of fine margins.
To settle this one another tie-breaking conundrum is about to be revealed. Just imagine if Barbara steals this one, brace yourselves, here we go...
Tiebreak Conundrum: I N T E R C R O C
AND THAT'S THE BUZZER OF BARBARA!!! on 13 seconds to say...
...CORRECTION which is incorrect
WHAT DRAMA! Can Mary solve this or will this go to a third crucial conundrum, 17 seconds to win this. Restart that clock...
Mary buzzes on 21 seconds and says...
...INCORRECT which is CORRECT!!!
Final Score: 105–95 (max 120)
Both ladies must be drained after that performance but Mary must be absolutely ecstatic having won that one.
A great spectacle for Countdown and neither Mary or Barbara deserved to lose, they both played out of their skin and I think possibly only the top 3 seeds out of series 64 would have been able to topple one of these women today. Commiserations for Barbara as her score is certainly up in that league table of highest losing scores on the show (Jambo will be able to tell you precisely which position).
Thank you Barbara and thank you Mary for given a young man so much pleasure on a Monday afternoon.
I guess that's all from me for today so until next time, tata!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64
