C1: Champion Dominic Travers (1 win, 82 points.)
C2: Challenger Robert Johnson.
DC: Susie Dent and Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
It’s Freyja’s Day once more and consequently time for the last recap of the week, which on this occasion features newly-appointed champion Dominic Travers from New Malden in Surrey and the similarly musical Robert ‘Robbie’ Johnson, who’s from Edenthorpe, a village on the outskirts of Doncaster. Without further ado, let’s see what happens...
R01: T D A Z I C U E C
R02: K F C I O A R D U
R03: R N O T A N E G I
R04: T W T D O U E V N
R05: 25, 100, 8, 7, 1, 10. Target: 966.
TTT: MINESILL - "A low calorie drink made with a thin pencil."
R06: D L S I E O H T A
R07: G L E P I G O S N
R08: M W B L E O A S X
R09: L M E P I R E R T
R10: 25, 100, 2, 1, 7, 6. Target: 668.
TTT: HEARSUIT - "Words books about a bloodshot pupil."
R11: N F O G A R A E S
R12: L T S J U O E H D
R13: R P A D E R U N A
R14: 100, 50, 1, 9, 9, 6. Target: 550.
R15: S L A N G H I C K (conundrum)
Countdown is sponsored by Vitabiotics Wellwoman, which contains starflower oil, which comes from borage, which is a bit of a Countdown favourite. And so the circle is complete.
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The programme begins with a discussion of board games, during which Susie recommends ‘Rummikub’ and Rachel makes a comment about ‘hitting children’ being the first thing that came into her head when playing ‘Articulate!’. Don’t worry, there’s no need to call Social Services...
Round 1: T D A Z I C U E C
C1: DICEd
C2: CADET (5)
OT: CADUCEI (7) DEUTZIA (7)
Score: 0–5 (max 7)
A slip-up from Dominic gives Robbie an early lead, but can he sustain it? DC can’t do any better, but there are some great obscurities available: DACITE is a volcanic rock resembling andesite; a CADUCEUS is a herald’s wand; and a DEUTZIA is an ornamental shrub.
Round 2: K F C I O A R D U
C1: CARDIO (6)
C2: CROAK (5)
DC: FUCOID (6)
Score: 6–5 (max 13)
This ‘finger-lickin’ good’ selection turns out not to be, but Dominic manages to struggle to a round-winning six, which is matched by DC’s potentially-offensive-if-mispronounced offering.
Round 3: R N O T A N E G I
C1: ANOINTER (8)
C2: ornating
DC: IGNORANT (8)
OT: NEGATION (8) NITROGEN (8) RINGTONE (8)
Score: 14–5 (max 21)
A great agent noun from our champ, while Robbie messes up with a not-so-great present participle.
Round 4: T W T D O U E V N
C1: NUTTED (6)
C2: WOVEN (5)
DC: TOUTED (6) DEVOUT (6)
RR: OUTWENT (7)
Score: 20–5 (max 28)
Once more, our challenger fails to score, while Rachel is on fire with the odd-sounding, but perfectly acceptable OUTWENT. Go her.
Round 5: 25, 100, 8, 7, 1, 10. Target: 966.
C1: 966. (100x10)-25-8-1 (10)
C2: 969.
Score: 30–5 (max 38)
Sadly, Robbie ends Part One’s proceedings in single figures. Let’s hope he can pick up the pace in the second ‘half’. Meanwhile, Dr Phil talks about the art of ‘nudging’ patients in a certain direction, which includes him telling us how a fly printed on a urinal at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam is reducing the amount of spillage that’s occurring. He ends his spot by explaining how owning a dog could lower your cholesterol, so it’s a case of “Dogs, Not Drugs”. Remember that, kids. You know it makes sense.
Teatime teaser: MINESILL -> SLIMLINE
Round 6: D L S I E O H T A
C1: HOLIEST (7)
C2: DETAILS (7)
DC: DIASTOLE (8)
OT: ISOLATED (8) SODALITE (8) SHITLOAD (8)
Score: 37–12 (max 46)
Yay! Robbie makes it to double figures, but can he start to claw back the 25-point deficit? Dr Phil points out (indirectly) that we’ve been mispronouncing DIASTOLE for all these years (it’s ‘die-ass-ter-lee’, not ‘die-a-stole’, ‘cos it comes from Latin). There isn’t a SHITLOAD of other eights available, but there are three, including that one.
Round 7: G L E P I G O S N
C1: ELOPING (7)
C2: -
DC: PIGEONS (7) NIGGLES (7)
OT: EPSILON (7) GOSLING (7) LEGIONS (7) LINGOES (7) SNIGGLE (7) SLOPING (7) SPIGNEL (7)
Score: 44–12 (max 53)
A blank puts the unfortunate Robbie even further adrift.
Round 8: M W B L E O A S X
C1: AMBLES (6)
C2: wombles
DC: ELBOWS (6)
OT: BLAMES (6) BOWELS (6)
Score: 50–12 (max 59)
A lovely gamble from the challenger, but Great Uncle Bulgaria and his friends haven’t made it into the dictionary, not even as a proper noun.
Apropos our furry chums, did anyone else notice that WOMBLESAX was there, which Orinoco (aka Mike Batt) used to play? Round 9: L M E P I R E R T
C1: REPTILE (7)
C2: EMPIRE (6)
DC: LIMPET (6) PREMIER (7)
OT: EMPTIER (7) PERLITE (7) PRETERM (7) REPLIER (7) TRIREME (7)
Score: 57–12 (max 66)
LIMPET being mentioned on Countdown always reminds me of the late, great Richard Whiteley and his fascination with limpet lovemaking. (I think I’ve got that right, please correct me if not.)
OoW: Susie rounds off a week of pub name-related segments with a discussion of the origins of the ‘Cat And Fiddle’.
Round 10: 25, 100, 2, 1, 7, 6. Target: 668.
C1: 668. (7x100)-25-6-1 (10)
C2: 668. (6x100)+((2+1)x25)-7 (10)
Score: 67–22 (max 76)
Teatime teaser: HEARSUIT -> THESAURI
A slightly cringe-inducing (in a good way) Teaser solution from Damian.
Round 11: N F O G A R A E S
C1: FORAGES (7)
C2: ORANGES (7)
DC: FORAGES (7) ORANGES (7)
OT: AGAROSE (7) ANGORAS (7) FARANGS (7) ONAGERS (7)
Score: 74–29 (max 83)
Our duo FORAGES for ORANGES, while despite a small plethora (if such a thing exists) of other sevens, DC do exactly the same.
Round 12: L T S J U O E H D
C1: HUSTLED (7)
C2: SHOUTED (7)
DC: JOUSTED (7) JOSTLED (7) LOUDEST (7) SHOUTED (7)
OT: TOUSLED (7) SOUTHED (7)
Score: 81–36 (max 90)
There are many sevens again, but it’s ‘game over’ for our lad from Donny.
Round 13: R P A D E R U N A
C1: PARADER (7)
C2: pandera
DC: PARADER (7)
OT: PARDNER (7)
Score: 88–36 (max 97)
Robbie seems pretty certain about his seven, but perhaps he was thinking of the German Euro-reggae duo, because it’s not there; Dominic seems less confident about agent noun PARADER, but in fact, it’s a good ‘un.
Round 14: 100, 50, 1, 9, 9, 6. Target: 550.
C1: 550. (100x(6-1))+50 (10)
C2: 550. (100x(6-1))+50 (10)
Score: 98–46 (max 107)
Round 15: S L A N G H I C K
C2 buzzes on 6 seconds to say SHACKLING which is correct.
Score: 98–56 (max 117)
Robbie redeems himself by getting the conundrum (cue Des O), and he actually outscores Dominic in the final ‘half’ of the show, so he’s nothing to feel ashamed about.
After some words from Jeff, Dr Phil puts in a plug for his “Rude Health Show”, which is coming to Tunbridge Wells and then King’s Lynn (
) on Saturday (“some tickets probably still available”, he quips). Phil also persuades Susie to plug her latest book, “How To Talk Like A Local”, which apparently includes the word ‘gert’, meaning great, which was seemingly suggested for inclusion by him.If you’ve enjoyed this (even slightly), please join me next week for more recap madness; if you can’t wait that long, please join Howard (I think) on Bank Holiday (hurrah!) Monday. See you in June!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62
