Friday 30 April 2010 (Series 62, Prelim 75)
Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 7:01 pm
Countdown recap for Friday 30 April 2010.
C1: Champion Nicki Sellars (6 wins, 483 points.)
C2: Challenger Lee Graham.
DC: Susie Dent and John Parrott.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
Nicki Sellars has now won six games; can she make it seven against the Ace of Base-loving Lee Graham from Highgate in London? Read on to find out!
R01: R D P I U E L Q S
R02: D P S W A A I R A
R03: T R F I A E D L O
R04: M T B S I E A D T
R05: 75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10. Target: 115.
TTT: ISITHAKE - "Is it hake? Tastes more like a mushroom to me."
R06: P N D L I A O L H
R07: S R T E O E W V Y
R08: T G N A E I D N O
R09: P N G I E E S R R
R10: 100, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10. Target: 886.
TTT: RECOUNTS - "Interpret that the prisoners are genuine."
R11: C F J U E O S T C
R12: N M Z H M E O A U
R13: T C S A O E M G R
R14: 50, 25, 100, 75, 9, 10. Target: 896.
R15: L A T I N Z E T A (conundrum)
Ibuleve Gel, for joint and muscular pain, sponsors Countdown.
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The game begins with Jeff noting it’s the first of May tomorrow and he discusses car boot sales with Rachel. Her voice is still sounding rather poorly; let’s hope she’s feeling better on Monday.
Round 1: R D P I U E L Q S
C1: PIQUES (6)
C2: quired
DC: SQUIRE (6) EQUIPS (6) PULSED (6) SPIDER (6)
OT: SERPULID (8)
Score: 6–0 (max 8)
A dodgy six from Lee; Susie points out he could have had QUIRES instead (nicely, of course). DC miss two sevens in DRUPELS (the individual fruity bits of a raspberry or blackberry and a lovely word to boot) and SLURPED, as well as the darren. A SERPULID, by the way, is a kind of marine worm.
Round 2: D P S W A A I R A
C1: RAIDS (5)
C2: PAIRS (5)
DC: AWARDS (6) PADSAW (6)
OT: APSARA (6) PADRIS (6) RAPIDS (6) SPARID (6) PRASAD (6) RIPSAW (6)
Score: 11–5 (max 14)
More sixes than you can shake a PADSAW at; or a RIPSAW for that matter.
Round 3: T R F I A E D L O
C1: FLOATIER (8)
C2: FOLIATED (8)
DC: FLORIATED (18)
Score: 19–13 (max 32)
Our contestants can feel proud of their eights, but DC top them with an even more impressive nine.
Round 4: M T B S I E A D T
C1: TAMEST (6)
C2: MISDATE (7)
DC: BASTIDE (7)
OT: BATISTE (7) BATTIES (7) MATIEST (7)
Score: 19–20 (max 39)
Lee now takes a slim lead with the Countdown favourite MISDATE. A BASTIDE, as Susie points out, is a country house in France; BATTIES are West Indian bottoms.
Round 5: 75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10. Target: 115.
C1: 115. 75+(4x10) (10)
C2: 115. 75+(4x10) (10)
Score: 29–30 (max 49)
An ’inverted T’ selection from our champion yields a nice easy numbers game and ten points apiece.
John Parrott tells us how much he enjoys the variety of work that he gets before telling us an anecdote involving Ryanair head honcho Michael O’Leary at the Countdown-stopping Cheltenham Festival.
Teatime teaser: ISITHAKE -> SHIITAKE
Round 6: P N D L I A O L H
C1: PLAID (5)
C2: PALLID (6)
DC: DOLPHIN (7)
OT: HAPLOID (7) HOLLAND (7)
Score: 29–36 (max 56)
An intelligent spot from Dictionary Corner. HOLLAND is a type of fabric coming, not surprisingly, from the Netherlands. Did you know the name HOLLAND means ‘wood land’? No? Neither did I. A subject for a future Origin of Words slot, perhaps?
Round 7: S R T E O E W V Y
C1: STROVE (6)
C2: OVERSET (7)
OT: VETOERS (7) OVERSEW (7)
Score: 29–43 (max 63)
After a brilliant seven from Lee, Nicki’s position in the champion’s chair is beginning to look increasingly under threat. But she’s escaped before... OVERSEW doesn’t mean to sew too much; it means to sew the edges of two pieces of fabric together, with all the stitches going over the join.
Round 8: T G N A E I D N O
C1: DONATING (8)
C2: DENOTING (8)
DC: ANOINTED (8)
OT: ANTINODE (8) NEGATION (8)
Score: 37–51 (max 71)
I bet lots of apterites and forumites saw ANTINODE. Meanwhile, the gap between our players remains the same as they both score eight.
Round 9: P N G I E E S R R
C1: SEEPING (7)
C2: SEEPING (7)
DC: SPRINGER (8)
OT: RESIGNER (8) SPREEING (8)
Score: 44–58 (max 79)
OoW: It’s a perfect week in Susie’s quiz, as Rachel correctly spots the origins of the word CAPRICE (it’s all to do with a hedgehog’s head, apparently) to make it Jeff 2, Rachel 2, John Parrott 1.
Round 10: 100, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10. Target: 886.
C1: 886. ((100+10)x(3+5))+7-1 (10)
C2: 883.
Score: 54–58 (max 89)
A numbers game to sort the men from the boys, or in this case Nicki from Lee, as she gets it spot-on and recovers some ground. This game is not over by a long chalk!
Teatime teaser: RECOUNTS -> CONSTRUE
Nice clue, Damo!
Round 11: C F J U E O S T C
C1: SCOUT (5)
C2: JOUST (5)
DC: STUCCO (6) FOETUS (6)
Score: 59–63 (max 95)
DC spot the two maxes.
Round 12: N M Z H M E O A U
C1: unhem
C2: HUMANE (6)
Score: 59–69 (max 101)
Nicki’s risky five is ‘just that’ (
), but it’s academic anyway, as Lee has the longer word.
Round 13: T C S A O E M G R
C1: COASTER (7)
C2: COASTER (7)
DC: ESCARGOT (8)
Score: 66–76 (max 109)
DC steal the contestants’ thunder again with our good old friend, the edible snail (yum). The scores remain a tantalising (or perhaps tantalizing, given today’s conundrum) ten points apart.
Round 14: 50, 25, 100, 75, 9, 10. Target: 896.
C1: 895. (100x9)-((50+75)/25) (7)
C2: 898.
RR: 895 or 897. (7)
OT: 896. ((100-(50/25))x10)-9-75 (10)
Score: 73–76 (max 119)
Once again, Nicki’s numbers skills gain her some ground, but it’s still time for YET ANOTHER FRIDAY CRUCIAL CONUNDRUM!!! Can Countdown’s Houdini (copyright Jeff Stelling 2010) do it again...?
Round 15: L A T I N Z E T A
No one buzzes. The answer was TANTALIZE.
Score: 73–76 (max 129)
... On this occasion, the answer is no, and the clock ticks away for the full 30 seconds. Several people in the audience know the answer, including a chap with a beard who gets to take a mug home for his trouble. Unfortunately, Nicki won’t be returning on Monday, but with six wins under her belt, she should hopefully be back for the quarter-finals in June; Lee, who also seems like a decent sort of cove (despite his taste in music ), will be returning on Monday, when Kate Humble returns for another stint in Dictionary Corner. Don’t miss it!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62
C1: Champion Nicki Sellars (6 wins, 483 points.)
C2: Challenger Lee Graham.
DC: Susie Dent and John Parrott.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
Nicki Sellars has now won six games; can she make it seven against the Ace of Base-loving Lee Graham from Highgate in London? Read on to find out!
R01: R D P I U E L Q S
R02: D P S W A A I R A
R03: T R F I A E D L O
R04: M T B S I E A D T
R05: 75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10. Target: 115.
TTT: ISITHAKE - "Is it hake? Tastes more like a mushroom to me."
R06: P N D L I A O L H
R07: S R T E O E W V Y
R08: T G N A E I D N O
R09: P N G I E E S R R
R10: 100, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10. Target: 886.
TTT: RECOUNTS - "Interpret that the prisoners are genuine."
R11: C F J U E O S T C
R12: N M Z H M E O A U
R13: T C S A O E M G R
R14: 50, 25, 100, 75, 9, 10. Target: 896.
R15: L A T I N Z E T A (conundrum)
Ibuleve Gel, for joint and muscular pain, sponsors Countdown.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
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The game begins with Jeff noting it’s the first of May tomorrow and he discusses car boot sales with Rachel. Her voice is still sounding rather poorly; let’s hope she’s feeling better on Monday.
Round 1: R D P I U E L Q S
C1: PIQUES (6)
C2: quired
DC: SQUIRE (6) EQUIPS (6) PULSED (6) SPIDER (6)
OT: SERPULID (8)
Score: 6–0 (max 8)
A dodgy six from Lee; Susie points out he could have had QUIRES instead (nicely, of course). DC miss two sevens in DRUPELS (the individual fruity bits of a raspberry or blackberry and a lovely word to boot) and SLURPED, as well as the darren. A SERPULID, by the way, is a kind of marine worm.
Round 2: D P S W A A I R A
C1: RAIDS (5)
C2: PAIRS (5)
DC: AWARDS (6) PADSAW (6)
OT: APSARA (6) PADRIS (6) RAPIDS (6) SPARID (6) PRASAD (6) RIPSAW (6)
Score: 11–5 (max 14)
More sixes than you can shake a PADSAW at; or a RIPSAW for that matter.
Round 3: T R F I A E D L O
C1: FLOATIER (8)
C2: FOLIATED (8)
DC: FLORIATED (18)
Score: 19–13 (max 32)
Our contestants can feel proud of their eights, but DC top them with an even more impressive nine.
Round 4: M T B S I E A D T
C1: TAMEST (6)
C2: MISDATE (7)
DC: BASTIDE (7)
OT: BATISTE (7) BATTIES (7) MATIEST (7)
Score: 19–20 (max 39)
Lee now takes a slim lead with the Countdown favourite MISDATE. A BASTIDE, as Susie points out, is a country house in France; BATTIES are West Indian bottoms.
Round 5: 75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10. Target: 115.
C1: 115. 75+(4x10) (10)
C2: 115. 75+(4x10) (10)
Score: 29–30 (max 49)
An ’inverted T’ selection from our champion yields a nice easy numbers game and ten points apiece.
John Parrott tells us how much he enjoys the variety of work that he gets before telling us an anecdote involving Ryanair head honcho Michael O’Leary at the Countdown-stopping Cheltenham Festival.
Teatime teaser: ISITHAKE -> SHIITAKE
Round 6: P N D L I A O L H
C1: PLAID (5)
C2: PALLID (6)
DC: DOLPHIN (7)
OT: HAPLOID (7) HOLLAND (7)
Score: 29–36 (max 56)
An intelligent spot from Dictionary Corner. HOLLAND is a type of fabric coming, not surprisingly, from the Netherlands. Did you know the name HOLLAND means ‘wood land’? No? Neither did I. A subject for a future Origin of Words slot, perhaps?
Round 7: S R T E O E W V Y
C1: STROVE (6)
C2: OVERSET (7)
OT: VETOERS (7) OVERSEW (7)
Score: 29–43 (max 63)
After a brilliant seven from Lee, Nicki’s position in the champion’s chair is beginning to look increasingly under threat. But she’s escaped before... OVERSEW doesn’t mean to sew too much; it means to sew the edges of two pieces of fabric together, with all the stitches going over the join.
Round 8: T G N A E I D N O
C1: DONATING (8)
C2: DENOTING (8)
DC: ANOINTED (8)
OT: ANTINODE (8) NEGATION (8)
Score: 37–51 (max 71)
I bet lots of apterites and forumites saw ANTINODE. Meanwhile, the gap between our players remains the same as they both score eight.
Round 9: P N G I E E S R R
C1: SEEPING (7)
C2: SEEPING (7)
DC: SPRINGER (8)
OT: RESIGNER (8) SPREEING (8)
Score: 44–58 (max 79)
OoW: It’s a perfect week in Susie’s quiz, as Rachel correctly spots the origins of the word CAPRICE (it’s all to do with a hedgehog’s head, apparently) to make it Jeff 2, Rachel 2, John Parrott 1.
Round 10: 100, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10. Target: 886.
C1: 886. ((100+10)x(3+5))+7-1 (10)
C2: 883.
Score: 54–58 (max 89)
A numbers game to sort the men from the boys, or in this case Nicki from Lee, as she gets it spot-on and recovers some ground. This game is not over by a long chalk!
Teatime teaser: RECOUNTS -> CONSTRUE
Nice clue, Damo!
Round 11: C F J U E O S T C
C1: SCOUT (5)
C2: JOUST (5)
DC: STUCCO (6) FOETUS (6)
Score: 59–63 (max 95)
DC spot the two maxes.
Round 12: N M Z H M E O A U
C1: unhem
C2: HUMANE (6)
Score: 59–69 (max 101)
Nicki’s risky five is ‘just that’ (
), but it’s academic anyway, as Lee has the longer word.Round 13: T C S A O E M G R
C1: COASTER (7)
C2: COASTER (7)
DC: ESCARGOT (8)
Score: 66–76 (max 109)
DC steal the contestants’ thunder again with our good old friend, the edible snail (yum). The scores remain a tantalising (or perhaps tantalizing, given today’s conundrum) ten points apart.
Round 14: 50, 25, 100, 75, 9, 10. Target: 896.
C1: 895. (100x9)-((50+75)/25) (7)
C2: 898.
RR: 895 or 897. (7)
OT: 896. ((100-(50/25))x10)-9-75 (10)
Score: 73–76 (max 119)
Once again, Nicki’s numbers skills gain her some ground, but it’s still time for YET ANOTHER FRIDAY CRUCIAL CONUNDRUM!!! Can Countdown’s Houdini (copyright Jeff Stelling 2010) do it again...?
Round 15: L A T I N Z E T A
No one buzzes. The answer was TANTALIZE.
Score: 73–76 (max 129)
... On this occasion, the answer is no, and the clock ticks away for the full 30 seconds. Several people in the audience know the answer, including a chap with a beard who gets to take a mug home for his trouble. Unfortunately, Nicki won’t be returning on Monday, but with six wins under her belt, she should hopefully be back for the quarter-finals in June; Lee, who also seems like a decent sort of cove (despite his taste in music
), will be returning on Monday, when Kate Humble returns for another stint in Dictionary Corner. Don’t miss it! Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62