c4countdown

I searched around and it seems (surprisingly) that this totally objective argument has not been had before.

What is the best nine ever spotted by a contestant on Countdown?

My mind naturally goes to an older era, where spots like MYOGLOBIN were unimaginably brilliant, and Paul Howe's 5-voweller ISOGAMETE is obviously in with a shout. But given the standard of contestants in the last 8 or 9 years I wouldn't be surprised if these have been surpassed.

As much as it might be a bit unfair, I'm inherently less impressed by words which I know (or consider very likely) that the player had previously come across in the context of practice games or dedicated word study. The ones that come to mind as having impressed me the most are the aforementioned MYOGLOBIN, and Kate Richardson's THEROPODS. Honourable mention to John Hunt's SHAVELING - I'd say the letters fall into place a bit more intuitively for that one compared to the others, but it's still a lovely spot.

By sheer unlikelihood, MYOGLOBIN (which has never occurred in normal on apterous) is surely best.

UNITARIOS is damn impressive given the very short time it was valid for.

Yeah, agreed on MYOGLOBIN. FORTALICE also impressed me.

Would also go for MYOGLOBIN. Also impressed by POTBOILER (http://wiki.apterous.org/Episode_3792) and DESPERADO (http://wiki.apterous.org/Episode_4030).

SLEEPSUIT by Chris Davies .
Thinking about it,it was probably a conundrum

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:14 pm SLEEPSUIT by Chris Davies

Or Dinos Sfyris.

In Series 76, I was quite impressed by WAGGONERS, especially as it was spotted by both Jeff Clayton and his opponent. Six consonants, and three of them aren't particularly nice. PRESOAKED by Stephen Read was also class.

Was just browsing some random games from the 1990s and came across a Series 27 Dictionary Corner spot that is probably among the best ever: SFORZATOS. (I still think that honour has to go to LORAZEPAM, though.)

If we're talking about the related subject of Dictionary Corner spots, then CUNJEVOIS fell out of the selection brilliantly in Episode 5344 when a J appeared as the ninth letter.

However, words like CUNJEVOIS, MYOGLOBIN, LORAZEPAM, etc, appear more impressive as they are outside of normal vocabulary and are specialised, technical, words in English. If you know these words (e.g. because you happen to be an expert in the relevant science), then there are sufficient low probability letters (C, J, V, M, Y, G, B, Z, P) that the 9s do tend to jump out at you (as CUNJEVOIS did for me, when I was watching from my armchair).

I would tend to favour 9s without any common prefixes/suffixes, and using relatively common letters, as the most impressive spots, so I would definitely include ISOGAMETE and THEROPODS (but definitely not ISOBUTANE, ho ho).

Think MYOGLOBIN has to be it for me, partially for the fact it was in a series final as well. Same as UROKINASE, since Transude has admitted in the past he was fishing for it.

How about Dan McColm's 9 (series 71), INAMORATO? even with 5 vowels....Impressive!

http://wiki.apterous.org/Episode_2050 is worthy of a mention surely

Very impressive at the time, especially as it was Maria Boyes' first game and she didn't fit the identikit Countdown champion being young, female and down to earth

Lisa Hermann wrote: ↑Mon Sep 04, 2017 3:16 pm Very impressive at the time, especially as it was Maria Boyes' first game and she didn't fit the identikit Countdown champion being young, female and down to earth

Is that saying Countdown champions are generally not young, or down to earth, as well as not being female?

At that time there were fewer young contestants (though I suspect a higher proportion of women). Down to earth may not be the right word but Maria didn't exactly come across as posh!!!!

According to the wiki, she was 41. Young by some yardsticks I suppose.

Following yesterday's show, would it be mean to start a "most glaring 9 missed ever" category? (I know it's far harder when you're in front of the cameras and the champion got her 9 later and still got an excellent total score.)

I remember the dictionary corner spot of conjevois very well as it was one of my games, similarly shogunate. The spot that I remember as particularly impressive especially within the context of the game was urnfields by Andy Platt in his CofC game against Dylan.