So, here I go. Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 26 August 2010.
C1: Champion Peter Godwin (2 wins, 164 points.) From Southampton, Hampshire. He's retired, but does work as a part-time customer advisor. His hobbies include gardening, taking part in quizzes and supporting Southampton F.C..
C2: Challenger Tom Newman. From Crowborough, East Sussex, but is a graduate from Durham University. He's a fan of live music and has played bass guitar in a few bands. When he was at the Reading Festival on one occasion, he was nearly hypnotised by a dog in a comedy sketch.
DC: Susie Dent and Gary Wilmot.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T G N A I E P R Y
R02: R L C E A O H M U
R03: M E O W R B N E T
R04: R D I A E M N C I
R05: 75, 1, 5, 4, 3, 10. Target: 726.
TTT: HEEDNUTS - "He got very excited about finding the answer"
R06: X L T O E I F S N
R07: K A E J S T O V N
R08: E L A S F T U E N
R09: A I W N S E P D S
R10: 25, 1, 6, 2, 3, 7. Target: 128.
TTT: BIGBEAST - "When it comes to yakking, they're the most prolific of all"
R11: G T D O A A R O Q
R12: D U E S P O I R B
R13: D M S E I G S E R
R14: 50, 6, 8, 7, 10, 9. Target: 613.
R15: D O G W A R D E N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T G N A I E P R Y
C1: TAPERING (8)
C2: PARTING (7)
DC: REPAYING (8)
OT: PARTYING (8) RETYPING (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
A good start by the champ as Tom only manages a 7 that he didn't write down, which could've become an 8 by inserting the Y in the middle of it.
Round 2: R L C E A O H M U
C1: ORACLE (6)
C2: CLEAR (5)
DC: CHOLERA (7) ARMHOLE (7)
OT: CHORALE (7) CLAMOUR (7) HUMERAL (7) HUMORAL (7) LEUCOMA (7) LOUCHER (7) MORCEAU (7) MORULAE (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 15)
Plenty of 7's go amiss by the contestants here, but Tom couldn't even find a 6, so he remains on 0.
A MORCEAU is an excerpt or passage of poetry or music.
Round 3: M E O W R B N E T
C1: MENTOR (6)
C2: BOWMEN (6)
DC: EMBOWER (7)
Score: 20–6 (max 22)
Tom gets off the mark, as DC impress with the darrenic 7. So much for me thinking that ENTOMBER was in.
Round 4: R D I A E M N C I
C1: MERIDIAN (8)
C2: MERIDIAN (8)
DC: ACRIDINE (8)
Score: 28–14 (max 30)
An impressive 8 by the contestants and an even more impressive 8 from DC.
Round 5: 75, 1, 5, 4, 3, 10. Target: 726.
C1: 726. ((75 - 3) x 10) + 5 + 1 (10)
C2: 726. ((75 - 3) x 10) + 5 + 1 (10)
Score: 38–24 (max 40)
Gary entertains us by singing a song about gobbledygook words that he wrote himself.
Teatime teaser: HEEDNUTS -> ENTHUSED
Round 6: X L T O E I F S N
C1: FLINTS (6)
C2: lofties
DC: SEXFOIL (7)
OT: ENTISOL (7) ONLIEST (7) FLEXION (7) FOXIEST (7) OLEFINS (7)
Score: 44–24 (max 47)
Tom's risky 7 is just that, while DC go for the most interesting looking 7 of the 6 7's available. I'm actually amazed that FLEXION can't be pluralised.
ENTISOL is a fertile soil of recent origin that is distinguished by a lack of horizons and is found worldwide in all climates.
A FLEXION is the act of bending a limb.
Round 7: K A E J S T O V N
C1: NOVATES (7)
C2: STEAK (5)
DC: TAKES (5) TAKEN (5)
OT: VOETSAK (7)
Score: 51–24 (max 54)
Peter is in impressive form today and extends his lead further with that popular 7.
VOETSAK is an informal South African term for an expression of dismissal or rejection.
Round 8: E L A S F T U E N
C1: FLAUNTS (7)
C2: FLAUNTS (7)
DC: ELUENTS (7)
OT: EASEFUL (7) ELUANTS (7) LUNATES (7) ELUATES (7) LATEENS (7) LEANEST (7) NESTFUL (7) NETFULS (7)
Score: 58–31 (max 61)
Many 7's to choose from in this flat round.
Round 9: A I W N S E P D S
C1: SPAWNED (7)
C2: SPAWNED (7)
DC: PANSIES (7)
OT: APSIDES (7) WASPIES (7)
Score: 65–38 (max 68)
And yet more 7's in another flat round.
Susie's Origin Of Words continues the band theme with the origins of Public Image Ltd., The Stone Roses and Savage Garden.
Round 10: 25, 1, 6, 2, 3, 7. Target: 128.
C1: 128. (6 x 25) - ((3 x 7) + 1) (10)
C2: 128. ((6 - 1) x 25) + 3 (10)
Score: 75–48 (max 78)
Teatime teaser: BIGBEAST -> GABBIEST
Round 11: G T D O A A R O Q
C1: GROAT (5)
C2: GROAT (5)
DC: AORTA (5)
OT: AGOROT (6)
Score: 80–53 (max 84)
Everyone misses the darren this time, but the round was awful anyway.
Round 12: D U E S P O I R B
C1: BRUISED (7)
C2: PRIDES (6)
DC: SOUPIER (7)
OT: BORIDES (7) DISROBE (7) PERIODS (7) ROSEBUD (7)
Score: 87–53 (max 91)
Peter is nearly over the finish line with that 7.
BORIDES are compounds consisting of two elements of which boron is the more electronegative one.
Round 13: D M S E I G S E R
C1: DIGRESS (7)
C2: MESSIER (7)
DC: SMIDGES (7) EMIGRES (7)
OT: DEMISES (7) DESIRES (7) RESIDES (7) REGIMES (7) REMIGES (7) MISERES (7) REMISES (7) REMISED (7)
Score: 94–60 (max 98)
Peter wraps up the match after another round of flaness.
Round 14: 50, 6, 8, 7, 10, 9. Target: 613.
C1: 623.
C2: 610. ((9 - 7) x 6 x 50) + 10 (7)
RR: 613. ((50 + 10 + 8) x 9) + 7 - 6 (10)
Score: 94–67 (max 108)
A slightly tricky 1 large to finish the day, as Peter can only get 10 away, while Rachel almost looked like she wasn't convinced of her method while writing it out.
Can Peter wrap up his century with the conundrum
Round 15: D O G W A R D E N
No one buzzes. The answer was DOWNGRADE.
Final Score: 94–67 (max 118)
The answer is no, as no-one apart from a few people in the audience solve the conundrum.
But, no matter, Peter has won his 3rd show and looks like he could be here for a little while yet. Will he reach half-octochampdom tomorrow
Mike will recap that, while I prepare for next week's recap at the start of the new month.So, until then. Bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Peter:
Total score - 94
Raw score - 99
Total % of max - 80
Raw % of max - 84
Total average score per round - 6.3
Raw average score per round - 6.6
Number of maxes - 9
Tom:
Total score - 67
Raw score - 90
Total % of max - 57
Raw % of max - 76
Total average score per round - 4.5
Raw average score per round - 6.0
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63