So, enjoy everybody.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 27 November 2013.
C1: Champion Jonathan Liew (4 wins, 385 points.) A sports journalist for the Daily Telegraph from London. He says that if he was allowed to see any sport event to report on, he'd go to the 1904 Olympic Marathon in St. Louis, where the winner was stripped of his gold medal, after it was found out that he did half of the race in a car.
C2: Challenger Robin Gray. A retired languages teacher from Hastings, East Sussex. He is now a part-time translator, mainly of German. He went to Oriel College, Oxford, as did Rachel, but unlike Rachel, he studied French & German. He is currently the honorary secretary of the Hastings-Sierra Leone Link, which is helping to rebuild a health centre that specialises in maternity care.
DC: Susie Dent and Pam Ayres.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: O A I N F S C R N
R02: R E Q O D I H S E
R03: 1, 9, 7, 2, 3, 6. Target: 257.
TTT: SAFETRUE - "Has a part to play in how something looks"
R04: G A B I T O K A E
R05: U I E R C T X S B
R06: 75, 5, 9, 5, 10, 10. Target: 519.
R07: A I E W L D T N J
R08: N A I P E G A S H
R09: 9, 9, 3, 4, 6, 4. Target: 300.
TTT: CASHWING - "Talks a lot about footballers' partners"
R10: P O D I T U E F V
R11: A E I G M S N T E
R12: R O T I V U E S N
R13: O A O Y S D L H P
R14: 100, 5, 5, 8, 7, 9. Target: 649.
R15: I B U Y S L A V E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: O A I N F S C R N
C1: SCARF (5)
C2: ACORNS (6)
DC: frac INSOFAR (7)
Score: 0–6 (max 7)
Robin goes nuts for his first points of the day, well, he finds ACORNS.
But, DC get the early darren in this round.Round 2: R E Q O D I H S E
C1: HEROES (6)
C2: DESIRE (6)
DC: HEROISE (7)
OT: HEROISED (8)
Score: 6–12 (max 15)
Jonathan enters the game thanks to his HEROES, while DC HEROISE, but oddly don't go for HEROISED, even though the pencam clearly showed it as a verb............
Round 3: 1, 9, 7, 2, 3, 6. Target: 257.
C1: 257. Mistake in working.
C2: -
RR: 257. ((7 + 6) x 2 x (9 + 1)) - 3 (10)
Score: 6–12 (max 25)
Jonathan continues with 6 small at every turn, but although it knocks Robin out of contention, Jonathan messes up too, maintaining the status quo.
Teatime teaser: SAFETRUE -> FEATURES
Round 4: G A B I T O K A E
C1: ABATE (5)
C2: TAKE (4)
DC: KITBAG (6) TEABAG (6)
OT: AKEBIA (6) BOATIE (6)
Score: 11–12 (max 31)
Jonathan gets back in with his 5, but there are some 6's that were in plural form yesterday.
Round 5: U I E R C T X S B
C1: CRUXES (6)
C2: BUSTIER (7)
OT: BRUCITE (7) CRUSTIE (7) ICTERUS (7)
Score: 11–19 (max 38)
But, Robin's not going to let Jonathan roll him over, and his lead goes up to 8 points.
BRUCITE is a mineral, magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, occurring in tabular, foliated crystals.
ICTERUS is a yellowing of plant leaves, caused by excessive cold or moisture.
Round 6: 75, 5, 9, 5, 10, 10. Target: 519.
C1: 516. (((10 x 10) + 5) x 5) - 9 (7)
C2: 516. Mistake in working.
RR: 519. ((75 - (5 x 5)) x 10) + 10 + 9 (10)
Score: 18–19 (max 48)
Oh dear, Robin's 7 points from the last round are immediately negated after messing up his method, but Rachel gives us the answer to this slightly deceptive numbers game.
Pam reads a "cautionary tale" from her new book, about cows and bulls.
Round 7: A I E W L D T N J
C1: JAWLINE (7)
C2: DILATE (6)
DC: WILTED (6) JILTED (6) LANDTIE (7)
OT: INDWELT (7) WETLAND (7)
Score: 25–19 (max 55)
A risky sounding 7 from Jonathan there, but it pays off, as he takes the lead for the first time today.
To INDWELL is to possess a person, as a moral principle or motivating force.
Round 8: N A I P E G A S H
C1: SHAPING (7)
C2: apeasing
OT: PAGANISH (8)
Score: 32–19 (max 63)
An unfortunate mistake there by Robin, who doesn't realise that another P is needed for APPEASING, which would've been an amazing 9 had it been there. Is this possibly now starting to turn into Jonathan's favour now.............
Round 9: 9, 9, 3, 4, 6, 4. Target: 300.
C1: 300. ((4 x 6) + (9 / 9)) x 4 x 3 (10)
C2: 300. (9 + 9 + (3 x 4)) x (4 + 6) (10)
Score: 42–29 (max 73)
6 small yet again, but even with a simple target, the amount of ways in getting this numbers game was probably infinite, but luckily Jonathan and Robin have a good method apiece, which will do for me.
Teatime teaser: CASHWING -> CHINWAGS
Round 10: P O D I T U E F V
C1: POUTED (6)
C2: POUTED (6)
DC: VOTED (5)
OT: PIVOTED (7)
Score: 48–35 (max 80)
Just a couple of POUTED people here, slightly surprising miss of the darrenic 7 there...........
(Admittedly, I missed it too....... )Round 11: A E I G M S N T E
C1: MEETINGS (8)
C2: MAGNETISE (18)
DC: GEMINATES (18)
OT: MAGNESITE (18)
Score: 48–53 (max 98)
WOAH! WOAH!! WOAH!!! IS THIS THE GAME CHANGER
Robin gets a 9 and retakes the lead, shocking just about everyone in the audience, as well as yours truly. Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "green room".
Round 12: R O T I V U E S N
C1: SORTIE (6)
C2: VERSION (7)
DC: SOUVENIR (8) ROUTINES (8)
OT: INVESTOR (8) UNRIVETS (8) VENTURIS (8) VITREOUS (8)
Score: 48–60 (max 106)
Has Jonathan ran out of juice now, I wonder
His SORTIE is no match for Robin's VERSION of events, as he now goes a dozen points behind.......... 
There were plenty of 8's around there though................VITREOUS is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to glass.
Round 13: O A O Y S D L H P
C1: SHOAL (5)
C2: POSHLY (6)
DC: HOOPLA (6) HOOPLAS (7)
Score: 48–66 (max 113)
A bit of a risky 6 to take there at this stage of the game, but it's paid off for Robin yet again, and while DC have a go at the HOOPLAS, Robin is literally just inches away from the champions' chair with his 18 point lead.
He just needs to negotiate the numbers game, or make sure that Jonathan can't get maximum points here............
Round 14: 100, 5, 5, 8, 7, 9. Target: 649.
C1: 649. ((100 - 8) x 7) + 5 (10)
C2: -
Score: 58–66 (max 123)
OH MY GOD!!! Robin completely collapses and Jonathan takes full advantage. Now, can he complete the comeback and take the glory
Round 15: I B U Y S L A V E
C1 buzzes on 4.25 seconds to say ABUSIVELY which is correct.
Final Score: 68–66 (max 133)
AND HE'S ONLY GONE AND DONE IT
I think it's fair to say that tiredness must've kicked in from the previous recording day's excursions for Jonathan (as this was the start of a new day.), but he has just managed to survive by the skin of his teeth there. He'll certainly hope that he can get a bit of rest inbetween this show and the next one.Join me tomorrow to see if he's back on top form.
So, till then, bye bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Jonathan:
Total score - 68
Raw score - 98
Total % of max - 51
Raw % of max - 74
Total average score per round - 4.5
Raw average score per round - 6.5
Number of maxes - 4
Robin:
Total score - 66
Raw score - 76
Total % of max - 50
Raw % of max - 57
Total average score per round - 4.4
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=69