Friday 8 October 2010 (Series 63, Prelim 65)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Friday 8 October 2010 (Series 63, Prelim 65).

C1: Champion Michael Chadwick (5 wins, 458 points.)
C2: Challenger Sandra Lehane.
DC: Susie Dent and Matt Le Tissier.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Thanks to a trip to Edinburgh, this recap is running over a week late (unlike the trains I caught, which were all – perhaps remarkably – on time), so without further ado, let’s get on with it. Michael Chadwick, possibly the most outwardly relaxed champion for some time, is currently on five wins and averaging around 91 points per game. Can Sandra Lehane from Beckenham in Kent stop him making it six? Let’s see!

R01: T E R N O C A T D
R02: M P E I G R L U O
R03: X E I D U R T F K
R04: T N D O I T E U V
R05: 100, 4, 1, 7, 8, 6. Target: 393.
TTT: FOODBEER - "Have a bad feeling about too much food and beer, perhaps."
R06: E O I B H G S A N
R07: B E R W A R L I U
R08: H S I E R V A E L
R09: T A S L E N P O E
R10: 50, 7, 1, 8, 2, 5. Target: 782.
TTT: TINPIPES - "The fastest crab on the land, perhaps."
R11: D A S O N G E R U
R12: A U M F S E A M L
R13: R E S Y I O T P S
R14: 25, 5, 4, 7, 2, 6. Target: 255.
R15: M I D H U N G E R (conundrum)

Countdown is once again being sponsored by Jointace.

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The show starts with Jeff discussing the dangers of conkers, which then leads into Rachel telling us that when she was at school, she always ended up playing for the better side in break-time football matches, which meant that, despite her lack of footy skills, she normally ended up on the winning team (which was rather nice).

Round 1: T E R N O C A T D

C1: RANTED (6)
C2: cartoned
DC: NOTECARD (8)
OT: ATTORNED (8)
Score: 6–0 (max 8)

Sandra offers a plausible word for eight, but Susie has to disallow it. To rub a little salt into the wound, DC offer the anagram NOTECARD instead.

Round 2: M P E I G R L U O

C1: LUMPIER (7)
C2: GROUP (5)
DC: PIROGUE (7) GROUPIE (7)
OT: PROMULGE (8)
Score: 13–0 (max 16)

This time, the challenger can only see a five. A pity she didn’t spot that she could add the –IE and end up with a seven. DC also offer the occasionally-seen-before PIROGUE, but fail to spot the darrenic PROMULGE, which is an archaic form of the verb PROMULGATE.

Round 3: X E I D U R T F K

C1: TRIKE (5)
C2: furied
DC: FRUITED (7) FIXTURE (7)
Score: 18–0 (max 23)

Another failed gamble from Sandra means Michael now leads by 18 points. Incidentally, our champ could have added the D to his word to make TRIKED.

Round 4: T N D O I T E U V

C1: TINTED (6)
C2: DEVOUT (6)
DC: TOUTED (6)
OT: DUNITE (6) UNITED (6) UNTIED (6) NUTTED (6) TENUTI (6) TENUTO (6) TIENTO (6) VINTED (6)
Score: 24–6 (max 29)

Flatness all round, but at least it allows Sandra to break her duck...

Round 5: 100, 4, 1, 7, 8, 6. Target: 393.

C1: 393. (4x100)-7 (10)
C2: 393. (4x100)-7 (10)
Score: 34–16 (max 39)

... and a simple numbers game means she gets even more points here.

Before the break, Matt (who’s been great this week) tells Jeff a little about his retirement from professional football at the age of 33.

Teatime teaser: FOODBEER -> FOREBODE

Round 6: E O I B H G S A N

C1: BASHING (7)
C2: BASHING (7)
DC: AGONISE (7) BEGONIAS (8)
Score: 41–23 (max 47)

Our contestants keep BASHING away, while DC AGONISE over their BEGONIAS.

Round 7: B E R W A R L I U

C1: WARBLER (7)
C2: WARBLER (7)
DC: WARBLER (7) REBURIAL (8)
Score: 48–30 (max 55)

A good seven for our players (which seemed to leap out from the board), but DC go one better with a great eight in REBURIAL.

Round 8: H S I E R V A E L

C1: RAVISHEr
C2: VARIES (6)
DC: SHRIEVAL (8)
OT: SHIRALEE (8) SHIVAREE (8) VELARISE (8)
Score: 48–36 (max 63)

Michael makes an uncharacteristic blob by seeing a phantom R (the word itself is fine) and thus fails to score for the first time today, while Sandra is now only 12 points adrift. DC offer the excellent SHRIEVAL, which is all to do with sheriffs. A SHIRALEE is a bundle of personal belongings carried by a tramp; a SHIVAREE (also CHARIVARI) is a mock serenade (chiefly in the U.S.); and VELARISE is a term from phonetics.

Round 9: T A S L E N P O E

C1: POTEENS (7)
C2: APOSTLE (7)
DC: ANTELOPES (18)
Score: 55–43 (max 81)

A rather dodgy mass noun plural is offered by Michael, but Susie ‘I’ll have two poteens, please’ Dent gives it the thumbs-up (I suspect she was also about to order two POLENTAS to go with DC’s ANTELOPES). And Sandra stays in touch with the worthy-sounding APOSTLE.

OoW: Susie tests Rachel on the meaning of ULTRACREPIDARIAN. Unfortunately, she fails to spot the correct definition, which is someone who gives opinions on matters beyond their knowledge (and something that no one on C4C could ever be accused of, of course!).

Round 10: 50, 7, 1, 8, 2, 5. Target: 782.

C1: 782. ((50-1)x8x2)-(7-5) (10)
C2: 787.
Score: 65–43 (max 91)

Teatime teaser: TINPIPES -> NIPPIEST

Round 11: D A S O N G E R U

C1: DANGEROUS (18)
C2: DANGERS (7)
Score: 83–43 (max 109)

It looked like Michael was digging for a U when he asked for a final vowel and if so he got his wish. With a lead of forty points, the game is already all but his. GUERDONS was a nice eight, which is an old-fashioned word for rewards or recompense.

Round 12: A U M F S E A M L

C1: FLAMES (6)
C2: FLAMES (6)
DC: LEMMAS (6)
OT: AFLAME (6) FLUMES (6) SUMMAE (6)
Score: 89–49 (max 115)

I’ve always liked the word LEMMA, which I suppose is half a DILEMMA, amongst other things. And I’m afraid it’s all over for the lady from Kent.

Round 13: R E S Y I O T P S

C1: STORIES (7)
C2: POETRY (6)
DC: ROPIEST (7) RIPOSTES (8)
OT: PROSIEST (8) TRIPOSES (8) SEROSITY (8)
Score: 96–49 (max 123)

A nice pair of literary offerings from our contestants. SEROSITY is the quality of resembling or producing serum.

Round 14: 25, 5, 4, 7, 2, 6. Target: 255.

C1: 255. ((6+4)x25)+5 (10)
C2: 255. ((6+4)x25)+5 (10)
Score: 106–59 (max 133)

Round 15: M I D H U N G E R

C1 buzzes on 4 seconds to say HUMDINGER which is correct.
Final Score: 116–59 (max 143)

This one initially looked like an –ING conundrum, but it isn’t, and the fact doesn’t fool Michael for too long as he buzzes after just four seconds to seal his win with a personal best so far of 116 points. Can he make it seven when David Lloyd returns to Dictionary Corner on Monday? You’ve only got minus five days to wait to find out!

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63