c4countdown

Countdown recap for Friday 27 November 2009.

C1: Champion Graham Jones (1 win, 89 points.)
C2: Challenger Tom Curran.
DC: Susie Dent and David Lloyd.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Graham, a modern languages graduate from Whixall in Shropshire, unseated a three-time winner with an excellent performance against Jennifer Bett yesterday. Tom, from Durham, is studying for a geology degree at Leeds University.

R01: L N W E O I O S L
R02: M S I A D T E N B
R03: S S F E A E P N U
R04: T S G O A E N N F
R05: 100, 6, 2, 5, 1, 7. Target: 361.
TTT: ENDSLICE - "Gagged the exhaust pipe, perhaps"
R06: C G R A O A J D E
R07: R T W I E A Y R C
R08: I O U D P M T N O
R09: R R N E O A T K I
R10: 100, 5, 6, 2, 5, 7. Target: 697.
TTT: SETCLOUT - "They're not total pants, just half-pants"
R11: N L D E O E T S A
R12: R H S I E I B S E
R13: M L T I A E Y R U
R14: 100, 1, 4, 3, 5, 8. Target: 135.
R15: C O S I G N F U N (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: L N W E O I O S L

C1: WOOLLIES (8)
C2: NOISE (5)
DC: SWOLLEN (7)
OT: WOOLLENS (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)

Tom looks distinctly nervous and apologetically declares "an embarrassing 5", while Graham spots a good 8 to take an early lead.

Round 2: M S I A D T E N B

C1: BANDIEST (8)
C2: STEAM (5)
OT: MEDIANTS (8)
Score: 16–0 (max 16)

Poor Tom looks even more mortified as he declare another 5 "I'm afraid". Could we be witnessing a trouncing...?

Round 3: S S F E A E P N U

C1: SPANS (5)
C2: PAUSES (6)
OT: ANUSES (6) ASPENS (6) ENSUES (6) FUSEES (6) UPASES (6) SNAFUS (6) UNEASE (6) UNSAFE (6)
Score: 16–6 (max 22)

...Maybe not. Graham fails to spot any of the many 6s available and Tom is visibly relieved to have scored some points.

Round 4: T S G O A E N N F

C1: tonnages
C2: FASTEN (6)
DC: TANGOES (7) GANNETS (7) NONAGES (7)
Score: 16–12 (max 29)

Tom's recovery continues as Susie somewhat controversially disallows a seemingly great spot by Graham. I don't have an ODE2r to hand, but the online Oxford dictionary gives one of the definitions of "tonnage" as "the size or carrying capacity of a ship measured in tons", which is surely pluralisable - different ships have different tonnages. (When I entered the round details into the recap writer, it even put up TONNAGES as an "other" solution.)

Round 5: 100, 6, 2, 5, 1, 7. Target: 361.

C1: 361. Mistake in working.
C2: -
RR: 361. (100 - 7 x (6 - 2)) x 5 + 1 (10)
Score: 16–12 (max 39)

This numbers round seemed easy watching at home (100/2=50; 50x7+6+5=361), but under studio pressure both players failed and even Rachel's solution was unnecessarily complicated. Maybe she was distracted by the fact that the drawing pins holding the paper to the board were coming adrift, as the round ended with a somewhat chaotic props malfunction. Nice to see this bit of Friday afternoon anarchy surviving the edit.

David Lloyd rounds off his week in DC with a fairly funny shaggy dog story.

Teatime teaser: ENDSLICE -> SILENCED

Round 6: C G R A O A J D E

C1: GRACED (6)
C2: -
DC: CORDAGE (7)
Score: 22–12 (max 46)

Round 7: R T W I E A Y R C

C1: WAITER (6)
C2: WAITER (6)
DC: WARTIER (7)
OT: AIRCREW (7) ERRATIC (7) TRACERY (7)
Score: 28–18 (max 53)

Round 8: I O U D P M T N O

C1: IMPOUND (7)
C2: MOUNT (5)
OT: TOMPION (7)
Score: 35–18 (max 60)

A good spot by Graham. TOMPION is a variant spelling of TAMPION, a plug placed in the muzzle of a gun when not in use to keep out dust.

Round 9: R R N E O A T K I

C1: TERRAIN (7)
C2: TRAINER (7)
DC: KERATIN (7)
OT: ANTERIOR (8)
Score: 42–25 (max 68)

No one spots the darren 8.

Round 10: 100, 5, 6, 2, 5, 7. Target: 697.

OoW: Susie discusses various theories about the origin of the word SPIV.

C1: 697. 100 x 7 - 5 + 2 (10)
C2: 697. 100 x 7 - 5 + 2 (10)
Score: 52–35 (max 78)

Teatime teaser: SETCLOUT -> CULOTTES

Round 11: N L D E O E T S A

C1: DONATES (7)
C2: DENOTES (7)
DC: DESOLATE (8)
Score: 59–42 (max 86)

Round 12: R H S I E I B S E

C1: hissier
C2: SHEERS (6)
DC: SHIRES (6)
OT: HEIRESS (7) REISHIS (7)
Score: 59–48 (max 93)

Graham risks a comparative of the adjective "hissy", as in "hissy fit", but it's not in. (Actually, according to JimDic, neither is "hissy". )

Round 13: M L T I A E Y R U

C1: MALTIER (7)
C2: MATURE (6)
DC: MATURELY (8)
Score: 66–48 (max 101)

Tom kicks himself as he spots MATURE but doesn't think to add the -LY. However, he hasn't played as badly as his self-consciously apologetic demeanour might suggest - with two rounds to go, he could still win.

Round 14: 100, 1, 4, 3, 5, 8. Target: 135.

C1: 135. 100 + (4 + 3) x 5 (10)
C2: 135. 100 + 8 x 5 - 4 - 1 (10)
Score: 76–58 (max 111)

And an easy final numbers round means the game is now in the bag for Graham.

Round 15: C O S I G N F U N

C2 buzzes on 4 seconds to say FOCUSING which is incorrect.
C1 buzzes on 19 seconds to say CONFUSING which is correct.
Score: 86–58 (max 121)

And so Graham takes his second win. One more game under his belt and no one else but him will have the opportunity to become the last octochamp of Series 61. Can he do it? Find out on Monday.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61

Phil Reynolds wrote: Round 4: T S G O A E N N F

C1: tonnages
C2: FASTEN (6)
DC: TANGOES (7) GANNETS (7) NONAGES (7)
Score: 16–12 (max 29)

Tom's recovery continues as Susie somewhat controversially disallows a seemingly great spot by Graham. I don't have an ODE2r to hand, but the online Oxford dictionary gives one of the definitions of "tonnage" as "the size or carrying capacity of a ship measured in tons", which is surely pluralisable - different ships have different tonnages. (When I entered the round details into the recap writer, it even put up TONNAGES as an "other" solution.)

I imagine he was particularly confused because DC have offered this word themselves on at least two occasions. Could this be an example of the confusion from ambiguous rules that I highlighted some weeks ago?

Charlie Reams wrote:

Phil Reynolds wrote: Round 4: T S G O A E N N F

C1: tonnages
C2: FASTEN (6)
DC: TANGOES (7) GANNETS (7) NONAGES (7)
Score: 16–12 (max 29)

Tom's recovery continues as Susie somewhat controversially disallows a seemingly great spot by Graham. I don't have an ODE2r to hand, but the online Oxford dictionary gives one of the definitions of "tonnage" as "the size or carrying capacity of a ship measured in tons", which is surely pluralisable - different ships have different tonnages. (When I entered the round details into the recap writer, it even put up TONNAGES as an "other" solution.)

I imagine he was particularly confused because DC have offered this word themselves on at least two occasions. Could this be an example of the confusion from ambiguous rules that I highlighted some weeks ago?

I thought that was the case but couldn't be bothered to check. He should get them points back.

Charlie Reams wrote:

Phil Reynolds wrote: Round 4: T S G O A E N N F

C1: tonnages
C2: FASTEN (6)
DC: TANGOES (7) GANNETS (7) NONAGES (7)
Score: 16–12 (max 29)

Tom's recovery continues as Susie somewhat controversially disallows a seemingly great spot by Graham. I don't have an ODE2r to hand, but the online Oxford dictionary gives one of the definitions of "tonnage" as "the size or carrying capacity of a ship measured in tons", which is surely pluralisable - different ships have different tonnages. (When I entered the round details into the recap writer, it even put up TONNAGES as an "other" solution.)

I imagine he was particularly confused because DC have offered this word themselves on at least two occasions. Could this be an example of the confusion from ambiguous rules that I highlighted some weeks ago?

I was totally confused because I was sure I remembered Susie allowing it before (ok, or maybe suggesting it) I tried a search in Recaps but couldn't find it, but then who says I know anything about using this forum.
Well done Charlie

Charlie Reams wrote:DC have offered this word themselves on at least two occasions.

How can you tell from a word's appearance in the 'Other' column in a wiki recap that it was offered by DC as opposed to the recap writer (or CountMax, or whatever technology was in use when these games were recapped)? Not disagreeing with you, but just curious.

Phil Reynolds wrote:

Charlie Reams wrote:DC have offered this word themselves on at least two occasions.

How can you tell from a word's appearance in the 'Other' column in a wiki recap that it was offered by DC as opposed to the recap writer (or CountMax, or whatever technology was in use when these games were recapped)? Not disagreeing with you, but just curious.

Non-DC words are starred.

Charlie Reams wrote: Non-DC words are starred.

Wow - something that Reynolds didn't know (or at least couldn't deduce). Even I worked that one out!

Kirk Bevins wrote:

Charlie Reams wrote: Non-DC words are starred.

Wow - something that Reynolds didn't know (or at least couldn't deduce). Even I worked that one out!

Did you do it by induction?

Charlie Reams wrote:Non-DC words are starred.

Oh, right. I always wondered what the stars were for. I had a vague idea it was to do with words that are valid in Countdown but not in Scrabble, or something. Thank you for that quantum of knowledge.

Kirk Bevins wrote:Wow - something that Reynolds didn't know

That's twice this week you've referred to me by my surname. It's like being back in school.