Countdown recap for Tuesday 16 November 2010.
C1: Champion Nicky Miller. (3 wins, 258 points) A 6th form student from Oxford. He loves football, tennis and music festivals. He says he would like to organise his own festival and would want (some hypothetical for obvious reasons) Tupac Shakur, Jack Johnson and Bob Marley to perform.
C2: Challenger Niall Young. From Sleaford, Lincolnshire. He works as a county cricket development manager, which basically tries to get people of all ages interested in cricket.
DC: Susie Dent and Dave Spikey.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: P R N D E I E G C
R02: Q E A M P O N F U
R03: T S D L O I O E Y
R04: C P V A E I D R B
R05: 100, 25, 75, 50, 10, 3. Target: 814.
TTT: COLINSAM - "Colin and Sam had very little to say"
R06: U S L E I T L R E
R07: T M T A E B N I A
R08: D U I G V R E S K
R09: D W N S U E I C S
R10: 100, 1, 5, 9, 2, 10. Target: 842.
TTT: PILLPOOL - "This sort of lady is really sweet"
R11: W R U I S N E L H
R12: N T S A O A R G E
R13: R T N A I L R E A
R14: 100, 1, 2, 10, 6, 8. Target: 960.
R15: V E A L I S B A D (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: P R N D E I E G C
C1: CREEPING (8)
C2: PRECEDING (18)
DC: RECEDING (8)
Score: 0–18 (max 18)
Woah, not a bad start by the challenger. A 9 to start off your Countdown career. The last to do that I believe was Jack Hurst, and look what happened to him.
Round 2: Q E A M P O N F U
C1: MOPANE (6)
C2: FAME (4)
DC: OPAQUE (6)
OT: MANQUE (6) PNEUMA (6)
Score: 6–18 (max 24)
Although I don't recall Jack dropping to 4 in the next round, but that's what Niall does, and Nicky gets on the board.
Round 3: T S D L O I O E Y
C1: STOOLED (7)
C2: SOILED (6)
OT: OTIOSELY (8)
Score: 13–18 (max 32)
Nicky pulls back in even further with his 7. Seeing that 9 go against him must have really ignited him now.
OTIOSELY is an adjective meaning being at leisure, idle or indolent.
Round 4: C P V A E I D R B
C1: BRACED (6)
C2: ADVERB (6)
DC: BRIDE (5) CARBIDE (7)
OT: PEDICAB (7)
Score: 19–24 (max 39)
A PEDICAB is a three-wheeled public conveyance, especially in Southeast Asia, operated by pedals, typically one having a hooded cab for two passengers mounted behind the driver.
Round 5: 100, 25, 75, 50, 10, 3. Target: 814.
C1: 806. Mistake in working.
C2: 822. (75 x 10) + 50 + 25 - 3 (5)
OT: 814. (((75 - 10) x 25) + 3) / (100 / 50) (10)
Score: 19–29 (max 49)
A tricky numbers where both declare 8 away, but Nicky actually had 812. Rachel thinks it's impossible. Sorry, my darling, but it is doable, albeit using a sky-high method.
Dave talks about "Words Don't Come Easy", his nationwide stand-up tour going round the UK next year, and how words are often misinterpreted in the press.
Teatime teaser: COLINSAM -> LACONISM
Round 6: U S L E I T L R E
C1: STILLER (7)
C2: STILLER (7)
DC: STERILE (7) TELLERS (7)
OT: LEISTER (7) RETILES (7) LEISURE (7) LUSTIER (7) RELLIES (7) RETELLS (7) TILLERS (7) TRELLIS (7) TELLIES (7)
Score: 26–36 (max 56)
Flat, flat, flat. Pancakes are still available by the way.
A LEISTER is a spearlike implement having three or more prongs, for use in spearing fish.
RELLIES is an informal term in Australia and New Zealand for relatives.
Round 7: T M T A E B N I A
C1: AMBIENT (7)
C2: ANIMATE (7)
OT: AMENTIA (7)
Score: 33–43 (max 63)
Ah, this brings back memories of my special from all those years ago.
AMENTIA is lack of intellectual development; imbecility; severe mental retardation.
Round 8: D U I G V R E S K
C1: SURGED (6)
C2: GUIDERS (7)
DC: DUSKIER (7)
OT: DUIKERS (7)
Score: 33–50 (max 70)
Niall pulls further ahead with his risky 7 here.
A DUIKER is any of several small African antelopes of the Cephalophus, Sylvicapra, and related genera, the males and often the females having short, spikelike horns: some are endangered.
Round 9: D W N S U E I C S
C1: SWINES (6)
C2: INDUCES (7)
DC: DUNCES (6)
OT: INCUDES (7) INCUSED (7) INCUSES (7) NIDUSES (7) SUNDEWS (7)
Score: 33–57 (max 77)
And 7 further with that erm,....... seven.
INCUSE is an adjective meaning hammered or stamped in, as a figure on a coin.
Susie's Origin Of Words talks about the origin of "best man".
Round 10: 100, 1, 5, 9, 2, 10. Target: 842.
C1: 848.
C2: 840. (100 x 9) - ((5 + 1) x 10) (7)
RR: 842. (100 x 9) - ((5 + 1) x 10) + 2 (10)
Score: 33–64 (max 87)
Oh dear, Niall kicked himself almost immediately afterwards when he realised he didn't use the 2, but luckily Nicky is further away, so he gets 7 more points.
Teatime teaser: PILLPOOL -> LOLLIPOP
Round 11: W R U I S N E L H
C1: WHINERS (7)
C2: WHINERS (7)
DC: WHINES (6)
Score: 40–71 (max 94)
A dubious darrenic 7 for both, but luckily it's fine, so no worries.
Round 12: N T S A O A R G E
C1: STORAGE (7)
C2: STRANGE (7)
DC: GROATS (6) NEGATORS (8)
OT: RAGSTONE (8) TANAGERS (8)
Score: 47–78 (max 102)
A TANAGER is any of numerous songbirds of the New World family Thraupidae, the males of which are usually brightly coloured.
Round 13: R T N A I L R E A
C1: ARTERIAL (8)
C2: anterial
DC: TRAINER (7) entrail
Score: 55–78 (max 110)
A brilliant darrenic spot by Nicky there, but unfortunately for him the writing is on the wall, as Niall is now too far ahead to be caught.
Round 14: 100, 1, 2, 10, 6, 8. Target: 960.
C1: 960. (100 - 6 + 2) x 10 (10)
C2: 960. (100 - (8 / 2)) x 10 (10)
Score: 65–88 (max 120)
At last, a very easy numbers game. Don't you just miss the last few weeks of easy numbers games
Round 15: V E A L I S B A D
C2 buzzes on 8 seconds to say ADVISABLE which is correct.
Final Score: 65–98 (max 130)
A good spot by Niall, who put in a very commendable performance to depose Nicky, who was probably still a bit drained after yesterday's nailbiter against Rebekah.
I'll be back tomorrow and Thursday for the next installments of Series 63.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Nicky:
Total score - 65
Raw score - 90
Total % of max - 50
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 4.3
Raw average score per round - 6.0
Number of maxes - 6
Niall:
Total score - 98
Raw score - 108
Total % of max - 75
Raw % of max - 83
Total average score per round - 6.5
Raw average score per round - 7.2
Number of maxes - 8
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63