Yes, with Nick being forced to shield, we welcome Colin Murray into the hotseat, not only for these specials, but for some of the episodes in Series 83 as well!!
So, let's begin our trio of specials with a West Yorkshire tussle, otherwise known as "The Battle of Bingley".
Countdown recap for Monday 21 December 2020.
C1: Series 73 Semi-Finalist & Champion of Champions XV Quarter-Finalist Tom Carey. (12 games, 10 wins, 1,369 points.) An Apteforumite and bush-dweller (
) from Bingley, West Yorkshire.C2: Series 78 Contestant George Armstrong. (5 games, 4 wins, 429 points.) An Apteforumite and butcher's assistant from Bingley, West Yorkshire.
DC: Susie Dent and Rory Bremner.
RR: Rachel Riley.
CM: Guest Host Colin Murray.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: B O F I R U S E N
R02: D A G E T O P I C
R03: 8, 5, 1, 10, 9, 3. Target: 416.
TTT: ICEHYMNS - "Ice and hymns are part of Christmas, but so are these."
R04: Y E H A L O M T P
R05: S U N I G E K A V
R06: 50, 100, 25, 75, 7, 6. Target: 245.
R07: R O N I G E P O A
R08: W E T I F U S R A
R09: 25, 100, 50, 10, 7, 1. Target: 624.
TTT: WILDLOGO - "Don't spread the virus, spread this instead."
R10: N O J E T I B E S
R11: C O R A H I L E G
R12: W O R A M E L D S
R13: N I D A T E L O P
R14: 75, 2, 7, 2, 3, 1. Target: 115.
R15: N N I C E G I F T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: B O F I R U S E N
Tom: BONFIRES (8)
George: fibreous
DC: FIBROUS (7) ROBINS (6)
OT: BRUNOISE (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
Not much of a burning bush, but a fiery start for Tom, as George falls behind early doors.
BRUNOISE is a mixture of finely diced vegetables fried in butter and used to flavour soups and sauces.
Round 2: D A G E T O P I C
Tom: PAGODITE (8)
George: PAGODITE (8)
DC: GATE (4)
OT: PAGETOID (8)
Score: 16–8 (max 16)
That's more like it
PAGETOID is an adjective meaning resembling or characteristic of (that of) Paget's disease of the skin.
Round 3: 8, 5, 1, 10, 9, 3. Target: 416.
Tom: 416. (10 + 3) x (9 - 5) x 8 (10)
George: 416. (((10 x 8) + 3) x 5) + 1 (10)
Score: 26–18 (max 26)
Tom lets Rach pick the numbers, but it's a relatively easy 6 numbers game here.
Colin has decided to rename the Teatime Teasers for these specials as "Tinsel Teasers".
Tinsel teaser: ICEHYMNS -> CHIMNEYS
Round 4: Y E H A L O M T P
Tom: APOTHEM (7)
George: LOATHE (6)
DC: HOLY (4)
OT: METALOPH (8) POLYMATH (8)
Score: 33–18 (max 34)
A nice 7 from Tom, but what a miss of POLYMATH by all (including me, I might add...
)A METALOPH is the posterior ridge of a molar or premolar tooth.
Round 5: S U N I G E K A V
Tom: GUINEAS (7)
George: GENIUS (6)
OT: SINKAGE (7)
Score: 40–18 (max 41)
SINKAGE is the caving in or sinking of an area of land, structure, etc.
Round 6: 50, 100, 25, 75, 7, 6. Target: 245.
Tom: 244. 50 + 100 + 25 + 75 - 6 (7)
George: 244. 50 + 100 + 25 + 75 - 6 (7)
RR: 245. ((50 + 7) x 6) + (75 / 25) - 100 (10)
Score: 47–25 (max 51)
Another Rachel pick, this time at the other end of the scale, and both use simple adding to get one away, while Rachel gives herself some work to do...
Rory does his own version of "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" in the style of Michael Bublé.
Round 7: R O N I G E P O A
Tom: REAPING (7)
George: POGONIA (7)
DC: ORANGE (6)
OT: OREGANO (7) PARENGO (7) PERIGON (7) PIROGEN (7) PONGIER (7) POORING (7) PORANGI (7) PRONAOI (7) PRONOIA (7) ROGAINE (7)
Score: 54–32 (max 58)
Flatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt....................................
In New Zealand, PARENGO is a common edible red seaweed, Porphyra columbina.
A PERIGON (or PERIGONE) is the perianth of a flowering plant.
In Russian cooking, a PIROG (plural PIROGEN) is a large pie.
PORANGI is a New Zealand term for mad or crazy.
A PRONAOS (or PROANOI) is a vestibule at the front of a classical temple, enclosed by a portico and projecting side walls.
In the Byzantine Empire, PRONOIA was a type of land grant similar to a fief, entailing an obligation of service (typically military) by the recipient.
In Australia and New Zealand, ROGAINE is a competitive event in which runners find their way across open country with a map and compass.
Round 8: W E T I F U S R A
Tom: SURFEIT (7)
George: FAIREST (7)
DC: FUSTIER (7) WASTER (6)
OT: FRETSAW (7) SWIFTER (7) WAITERS (7) WARIEST (7)
Score: 61–39 (max 65)
More seven 7's....
Round 9: 25, 100, 50, 10, 7, 1. Target: 624.
Tom: 624. (((100 / 50) x 7) + 10) x (25 + 1) (10)
George: 624. (50 x 10) + 100 + 25 - 1 (10)
Score: 71–49 (max 75)
Rach at the picking again, and two very different methods!!
Tinsel teaser: WILDLOGO -> GOODWILL
Round 10: N O J E T I B E S
Tom: BETONIES (8)
George: BETONIES (8)
DC: BONIEST (7)
Score: 79–57 (max 83)
Great darrenic 8 by both.
Round 11: C O R A H I L E G
Tom: GLACIER (7)
George: ARGILEH (7)
DC: OLIGARCH (8)
Score: 86–64 (max 91)
Seasonal from Tom, nice from George, but DC go Russian for the darren.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "turkey".
Round 12: W O R A M E L D S
Tom: EARLDOMS (8)
George: EARLDOMS (8)
DC: RELOADS (7) SOLDER (6)
Score: 94–72 (max 99)
Round 13: N I D A T E L O P
Tom: PLANETOID (18)
George: PLANETOID (18)
OT: PLATINODE (18)
Score: 112–90 (max 117)
More maxes, including a great 9 from both to seal Tom's win in this special game.
PLATINODE is the negative plate or cathode of a voltaic cell (originally made of platinum).
Round 14: 75, 2, 7, 2, 3, 1. Target: 115.
Tom: 115. ((7 + 1) x (2 + 3)) + 75 (10)
George: 115. (2 x 3 x 7) - 2 + 75 (10)
Score: 122–100 (max 127)
Colin gets the pick this time, boring 1 large, boring target, boring methods...
Round 15: N N I C E G I F T
George buzzes on 3.5 seconds to say INFECTING which is correct.
Final Score: 122–110 (max 137)
Interestingly, this conundrum was redone, as the original one (BAUBLEDIT
DUBITABLE) was not seen by the contestants, as the screens didn't work apparently.So, a nice double century game to start our triple header of specials.
MORE OF THE SAME, PLEASE
Statistics Corner
Tom:
Total score - 122
Raw score - 122
Total % of max - 89
Raw % of max - 89
Total average score per round - 8.1
Raw average score per round - 8.1
Number of maxes - 11
George:
Total score - 110
Raw score - 122
Total % of max - 80
Raw % of max - 89
Total average score per round - 7.3
Raw average score per round - 8.1
Number of maxes - 10
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=-14