So, before the Terriers' 1-0 win, there was a match of more significance on Channel 4. Here's the recap. Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 21 July 2010.
C1: Champion David O'Flanagan (1 win, 87 points.) Originally from Westminster, London, but lives in Luton, Bedfordshire. He's a supporter of Luton Town. His ambition is to become a teacher.
C2: Challenger Denise Hitchcock. From Peterborough. She's a retired civil servant. She originally had the nickname, "Neddy", because her big ponytail looked like a horse's bottom.
DC: Susie "Denticles" Dent and Sharron "Amazon" Davies.
RR: Rachel "Brains (and Beauty
)" Riley.OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: R C D X I O A Z E
R02: D G U T E G O D R
R03: N B G S E O A D U
R04: E R S O H N E S C
R05: 10, 3, 4, 5, 6, 3. Target: 180.
TTT: LESSPURE - "It puts you off eating your lentils"
R06: H W S I O U F T E
R07: K L D C A I A L I
R08: E O N B E S W T I
R09: L R G E I O T F A
R10: 50, 25, 4, 10, 1, 5. Target: 873.
TTT: JAYDRUNK - "It's where Americans might find a scrapbook"
R11: S D R E A E I M T
R12: A N E Y P S O T I
R13: Q M T R E A U A M
R14: 25, 50, 7, 1, 6, 9. Target: 919.
R15: S C A L P D I E D (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: R C D X I O A Z E
C1: CRAZED (6)
C2: CRAZED (6)
DC: EXORDIA (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
Not quite a CRAZED start, but both players are off the mark immediately in this one.
Round 2: D G U T E G O D R
C1: GROUTED (7)
C2: GROUTED (7)
DC: TRUDGED (7) DRUGGED (7)
OT: GRUDGED (7) DRUGGET (7) TROGGED (7)
Score: 13–13 (max 14)
A DRUGGET is a rug from India of coarse hair with cotton or jute.
Round 3: N B G S E O A D U
C1: BONDAGE (7)
C2: BONDAGE (7)
DC: NOSEBAG (7) DOGBANES (8)
Score: 20–20 (max 22)
The contestants seem to be BOND-ing together today, with that 3rd consecutive match of words.
Round 4: E R S O H N E S C
C1: CHOSEN (6)
C2: HORSES (6)
DC: ENCORES (7)
OT: CENSERS (7) SCREENS (7) CENSORS (7) COHERES (7) ECHOERS (7) SENHORS (7) SENORES (7)
Score: 26–26 (max 29)
A difference in words, but not scores, as we head into the 1st numbers game, which based on yesterday's game, is almost guaranteed to be 6 small numbers.
A CENSER is a container, usually covered, in which incense is burned, especially during religious services.
Round 5: 10, 3, 4, 5, 6, 3. Target: 180.
C1: 180. 6 x 3 x 10 (10)
C2: 180. 6 x 3 x 10 (10)
Score: 36–36 (max 39)
But, unlike yesterday's 3 6 small games, this one is a piece of cake. Yum.
Sharon talks about her beginnings in the pool, including competing at the 1980 Moscow Olympics at the age of 13, where she got a silver medal. She then talks about her education after leaving the pool and receiving her MBE from the Queen.
Teatime teaser: LESSPURE -> REPULSES
Round 6: H W S I O U F T E
C1: HOIST (5)
C2: FOIST (5)
DC: FETISH (6) FOETUS (6)
OT: OUTIES (6) SHUFTI (6) SOFTIE (6) WHITES (6) WITHES (6)
Score: 41–41 (max 45)
That's now 6 of the best for our contestants, but they actually miss a whole lot of 6's in this one.
Round 7: K L D C A I A L I
C1: ALKALI (6)
C2: callid
OT: ALKALIC (7)
Score: 47–41 (max 52)
The tie is broken, as Denise's risky 6 is just that, yet no-one in the studio thinks of adding the C to David's 6 for the darrenic 7.
ALKALIC is an adjective relating to igneous rocks containing a relatively high percentage of sodium and potassium alkali.
Round 8: E O N B E S W T I
C1: BONIEST (7)
C2: BONIEST (7)
DC: WEBSITE (7) EBONITE (7) NEWBIES (7)
OT: BETONIES (8)
Score: 54–48 (max 60)
7's galore, but the darren passes everyone by again.
A BETONY (plural BETONIES) is a plant, Stachys (formerly Betonica) officinalis, of the mint family, having hairy leaves and dense spikes of purple flowers, formerly used in medicine and dyeing.
Round 9: L R G E I O T F A
C1: FLOATER (7)
C2: FLOATER (7)
DC: FOLIAGE (7) FOLIATE (7) FLOATIER (8)
Score: 61–55 (max 68)
Oh dear, both contestants (and DC at first) forget to add the I to FLOATER for the darrenic 8.
Susie's Call My Bluff returns to the Robinson Recap, with guest Sharron (a former panellist on Call My Bluff) being questioned about the origin of a word.
The word is CRACKJAW. Is the origin:
a) An implement used by burglars, a cross between a jemmy and a clawhammer.
b) A medical condition in horses, caused by poor nutrition, which in turn causes fracturing of vulnerable bones.
c) "Difficult to pronounce", such as "You'll never get your lips round this CRACKJAW word".
Sharron guessed b), but the answer was c). Interestingly the word was first used by former PM Benjamin Disraeli.
Round 10: 50, 25, 4, 10, 1, 5. Target: 873.
C1: 875. ((10 + 5 + 4 - 1) x 50) - 25 (7)
C2: -
OT: 874. (((50 x 4) - 25) x 5) - 1 (7)
Score: 68–55 (max 75)
A change from 6 small for once, but for Denise it fails to pay off, as she blanks, while David gets 2 away, whereas the elusive 873 remains just that.
Teatime teaser: JAYDRUNK -> JUNKYARD
Round 11: S D R E A E I M T
C1: DREAMIEST (18)
C2: DREAMIEST (18)
DC: TIRADES (7) MISREAD (7)
OT: DIAMETERS (18) DIATREMES (18)
Score: 86–73 (max 93)
Wahey
9's galore. Well, one of them anyway, as the other 2 stay on the sidelines.Round 12: A N E Y P S O T I
C1: POINTY (6)
C2: PANTIES (7)
DC: OPIATES (7)
OT: ATONIES (7) ATOPIES (7) SAPIENT (7) POINTES (7) TEAPOYS (7)
Score: 86–80 (max 100)
Then out of the blue, David slips for the first time today, and the gap shrinks to just 6 points.
Round 13: Q M T R E A U A M
C1: TAMER (5)
C2: TRAUMA (6)
DC: AMATEUR (7)
Score: 86–86 (max 107)
Woah
TRAUMA for David, but joy for Denise, as the gap is suddenly wiped out.But, Denise decides to go 2 large again, despite her blank-out in the last numbers game.
Round 14: 25, 50, 7, 1, 6, 9. Target: 919.
C1: 909. ((50 + 25) x (7 + 6 - 1)) + 9 (5)
C2: -
RR: 918. (7)
OT: 919. ((50 + 7) x (25 - 9)) + 6 + 1 (10)
Score: 91–86 (max 117)
Has choosing 2 large possibly cost Denise the game
Another blank-out would suggest so, but David can only just scrape 5 points, so he has the advantage as we head into a CRUCIAL COUNTDOWN CONUNDRUM.Round 15: S C A L P D I E D
C1 buzzes on 21 seconds to say DISPLACED which is correct.
Final Score: 101–86 (max 127)
David manages to buzz in to seal the win and a century to boot. It was a very tight game, but inevitably the 2 numbers games chosen by Denise cost her big time.
So, David makes it to his 3rd show tomorrow, but can he win without having to rely on his numbers to get him over the finishing line
Join me tomorrow to find out.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
David:
Total score - 101
Raw score - 112
Total % of max - 80
Raw % of max - 88
Total average score per round - 6.7
Raw average score per round - 7.5
Number of maxes - 4
Denise:
Total score - 86
Raw score - 86
Total % of max - 68
Raw % of max - 68
Total average score per round - 5.7
Raw average score per round - 5.7
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63