Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 8 June 2011.
C1: Champion Graeme Cole (1 win, 112 points.) An Apteforumite from Reading, Berkshire. He works as a software engineer. Earlier this year, he went to Tromso, Norway, to see the Northern Lights.
C2: Challenger Steven Hatton. He works as an environmental project manager from Langwith Junction, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. He has been a fan of the show for a long time, and admits (perhaps unsurprisingly) to being a bit nervous on the set. He once won a cheesy smile competition when he was much younger.
DC: Susie Dent and Shobna Gulati.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T F P A O E Q J S
R02: B S H U R I E S G
R03: R T S I E O P A X
R04: M N Z P O E E O T
R05: 2, 10, 1, 5, 6, 7. Target: 119.
TTT: MUDROLLS - "Even if mud rolls down the walls, he'll want a lot of rent"
R06: O I K L U O N R L
R07: R N S E O I M D O
R08: Y T L N I E I C D
R09: L B R E O E L G T
R10: 100, 9, 7, 3, 8, 7. Target: 185.
TTT: ALLDANDY - "All's dandy with the woman who pulls your pint"
R11: M T C A E U D W A
R12: C N R O I R T A V
R13: S D O A G T E I R
R14: 50, 100, 1, 6, 1, 2. Target: 240.
R15: M O R A Y M I N T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T F P A O E Q J S
C1: SPATE (5)
C2: PASTE (5)
DC: PESTO (5) FATSO (5) POETS (5) FEATS (5)
OT: ESTOP (5) FATES (5) FEAST (5) FESTA (5) JAPES (5) JASPE (5) JATOS (5) JOTAS (5) PASEO (5) PATES (5) PEATS (5) SEPTA (5) SOFTA (5) STOEP (5) STOPE (5) TAJES (5) TAPES (5) TOPES (5)
Score: 5–5 (max 5)
A very flat start to today's proceedings. It's literally HIGH 5's all round.
A FESTA is simply a feast, festival or holiday.
JASPE is an adjective meaning given a veined and spotted appearance imitating jasper.
A JATO is a jet-assisted takeoff, especially one using auxiliary rocket motors that are jettisoned at the completion of the takeoff.
A JOTA is a Spanish dance in triple meter, performed by a couple and marked by complex rhythms executed with the heels and castanets.
A PASEO is a slow, idle, or leisurely walk or stroll.
A SOFTA is a Turkish Muslim theological student.
A STOEP is a South African veranda.
A STOPE is any excavation made in a mine, especially from a steeply inclined vein, to remove the ore that has been rendered accessible by the shafts and drifts.
To TOPE is to drink alcoholic liquor habitually and to excess.
Right, before I lose you all to boredom, let's get back to the game..........
Round 2: B S H U R I E S G
C1: BRUSHES (7)
C2: BRUSHES (7)
DC: BRUISES (7)
OT: BURGESS (7) BUSHIER (7) BUSHIES (7) GIBUSES (7) GUISERS (7) GUSHERS (7) GUSHIER (7)
Score: 12–12 (max 12)
Another flat round, but fulls of 7's this time.
A BURGESS is a representative in the popular branch of the colonial legislature of Virginia or Maryland.
A GIBUS is an opera hat.
Round 3: R T S I E O P A X
C1: PASTORIE (8)
C2: PASTIER (7)
DC: EXPIATORS (18)
Score: 20–12 (max 30)
Graeme makes the first breakthrough in the game, but DC excel with a 9
Round 4: M N Z P O E E O T
C1: POTEEN (6)
C2: OZONE (5)
OT: METOPE (6) POTMEN (6) TONEME (6) TOPMEN (6)
Score: 26–12 (max 36)
Another nice spot by Graeme, and his lead is up to 14 as we head into the first numbers game.
Round 5: 2, 10, 1, 5, 6, 7. Target: 119.
C1: 119. (2 x 6 x 10) - 1 (10)
C2: 119. (2 x 6 x 10) - 1 (10)
Score: 36–22 (max 46)
Probably one of the easiest 6 small of all time, but Graeme won't mind, as his lead holds.
Shobna talks about her TV break in the Victoria Wood comedy series, dinnerladies.
Teatime teaser: MUDROLLS -> SLUMLORD
Round 6: O I K L U O N R L
C1: UNROLL (6)
C2: LOOK (4)
OT: KOUROI (6) KROONI (6)
Score: 42–22 (max 52)
Another good max for Graeme. He's already showing signs of greatness on the show, but have I spoken too soon...........
KOUROI (plural of KOUROS) are sculptured representations of a young man, especially ones produced prior to the 5th Century BC.
KROONI (plural of KROON) are the former aluminum bronze coins and monetary unit of Estonia, equal to 100 marks or senti.
Round 7: R N S E O I M D O
C1: DOMINOES (8)
C2: MINDERS (7)
DC: MOONRISE (8)
OT: IONOMERS (8) MOIDORES (8) MONODIES (8)
Score: 50–22 (max 60)
Definitely not
Graeme is spot on with his 8 here. An IONOMER is any of a class of plastics that because of its ionic bonding action, is capable of conducting electric current.
A MOIDORE is a former gold coin of Portugal and Brazil.
A MONODY is a Greek ode sung by a single voice, as in a tragedy; lament.
Round 8: Y T L N I E I C D
C1: INCITED (7)
C2: incide
OT: CYTIDINE (8)
Score: 57–22 (max 68)
The darren may have been missed this time, but Graeme is definitely "Cole-fired" today.
CYTIDINE is a white crystalline powder, C9H13N3O5, that is a ribonucleoside consisting of d-ribose and cytosine.
Round 9: L B R E O E L G T
C1: TELLER (6)
C2: toller
DC: GOBLET (6)
OT: BELTER (6) BOLETE (6) BOLTER (6) REGLET (6) RETELL (6) TREBLE (6)
Score: 63–22 (max 74)
Loadsa 6's, but Steven gives an illegal one, and he still hasn't scored since before the break.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origin of certain words that got their roots from parts of the human body.
Round 10: 100, 9, 7, 3, 8, 7. Target: 185.
C1: 185. ((9 + 3) x 7) + 8 - 7 + 100 (10)
C2: 185. ((9 - 7) x 100) - 8 - 7 (10)
Score: 73–32 (max 84)
2 very different methods, but 2 x 10 points are given.
Teatime teaser: ALLDANDY -> LANDLADY
Round 11: M T C A E U D W A
C1: CAUDATE (7)
C2: CADET (5)
DC: MACAW (5) MATED (5)
Score: 80–32 (max 91)
A brilliant darrenic spot from Graeme. The finishing line is surely just in sight now.
Round 12: C N R O I R T A V
C1: CORTINA (7)
C2: CORTINA (7)
DC: CAVORT (6)
OT: CARRION (7) CORVINA (7) TRICORN (7)
Score: 87–39 (max 98)
And in racing style, Graeme brings it home in a CORTINA.
CARRION is dead and putrefying flesh.
A CORVINA is a marine food fish, Menticirrhus undulatus, found in Pacific waters off Mexico and California.
TRICORN simply means having 3 horns or hornlike projections.
Round 13: S D O A G T E I R
C1: GODETIAS (8)
C2: digestor
DC: ASTEROID (8)
OT: STODGIER (8)
Score: 95–39 (max 106)
Another 8 from Graeme means that he's in with a shout of a 2nd consecutive century, as Steven can't stomach his 8 this time.
Round 14: 50, 100, 1, 6, 1, 2. Target: 240.
C1: 240. ((100 - (6 - 1)) x 2) + 50 (10)
C2: 242.
Score: 105–39 (max 116)
And that very good solution gives him another ton, but can he do something that he didn't do yesterday,.......... get the conundrum
Round 15: M O R A Y M I N T
C2 buzzes on 3 seconds to say MATRIMONY which is correct.
Final Score: 105–49 (max 126)
And the answer is still no. But, no worries, if his letters and numbers continue to be strong, he won't need to worry about the conundrums.
Join me tomorrow to see if he can carry on towards octochampdom.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Graeme:
Total score - 105
Raw score - 105
Total % of max - 83
Raw % of max - 83
Total average score per round - 7.0
Raw average score per round - 7.0
Number of maxes - 12
Steven:
Total score - 49
Raw score - 84
Total % of max - 39
Raw % of max - 67
Total average score per round - 3.3
Raw average score per round - 5.6
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65