Tuesday 7th January 2014 (Series 70, prelim 2)

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Callum Todd
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Tuesday 7th January 2014 (Series 70, prelim 2)

Post by Callum Todd »

Countdown recap for Tuesday 7th January 2014.

Time for game number 2 of series number 70, and recap number 1 of many from me. I take over from Jack Worsley, who has done a fantastic job with the Tuesday recaps in the past. I hope I can do a half-decent job of filling his shoes.

Nick kicks off the show by talking about The Leaning Tower of Piza and other works of architecture.

C1: Bobby Banerjee, looking to build on yesterday’s well-fought 77-51 victory over Rod Chatfield. He once saw the sun rising over the Taj Mahal.
C2: Katy Robinson, a public policy manager and new mother from York who sings in a band called Way of the Texan.
DC: Susie Dent and John Inverdale.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S S H P I A E T G
R02: T Q R U I A M N E
R03: 75, 3, 10, 4, 1, 1 Target: 278
TTT: UNBATTED -“He’s not batted before; it’s his first time.”
R04: R G E O N J E P A
R05: R P O S N E E D I
R06: 50, 1, 9, 5, 2, 1. Target: 349
R07: T C O T Z A E G O
R08: S R N I E B D U O
R09: 50, 75, 4, 7, 5, 4. Target: 291
TTT: RITAENDS - "Rita ends her journey by rail and does this."
R10: T F L I E U S G H
R11: V D S Y E I E A O
R12: T L M U E I D R O
R13: K R T A E F S O I
R14: 25, 50, 1, 4, 7, 8. Target: 938
R15: T E N D E R W O K (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S S H P I A E T G

C1: PASTIES (7)
C2: SHAPES (6)
OT: AGEISTS (7), APHESIA (7), GEISHAS (7), PATSIES (7), SAITHES (7), SPATHES (7)
Score: 7-0 (max 7)

A familiar offering from Bobby sees him take an immediate seven-point lead. There were seven seven-letter words available there for the maximum.

Round 2: T Q R U I A M N E

C1: QUAINTER (8)
C2: MINARET (7)
DC: RUMINATE (8)
Score: 15-0 (max 15)

Susie confesses to not having seen QUAINTER but allows it due to Countdown’s one-syllable adjective rule, meaning Bobby extends his lead with another well-taken maximum.

Round 3: 75, 3, 10, 4, 1, 1 Target: 278

C1: 276 x mistake in working
C2: 278 x mistake in working
RR: 278. (75-3)x4-10.
Score: 15-0 (max 25)

Unfortunate mistakes from both contestants mean the score stays the same. Rachel shows us how it’s done.

Teatime teaser: UNBATTED -> DEBUTANT

Your new recapper gets a cheeky nod from the Teatime teaser, or so I’d like to think.

Round 4: R G E O N J E P A

C1: JARGON (6)
C2: ORANGE (6)
DC: OPENER (6)
OT: PEONAGE (7)
Score: 21-6 (max 32)

The darrenic seven evades all in the studio as the contestants equal each other with sixes.

Round 5: R P O S N E E D I

C1: RIPENED (7)
C2: OPENERS (7)
DC: PIONEERS (8), PRISONED (8)
OT: ISOPRENE (8)
Score: 28-13 (max 40)

Katy does well to remember dictionary corner’s offering from the previous round and Bobby gets seven points too to maintain his 15-point lead. DC spots two of the three eights available.

Round 6: 50, 1, 9, 5, 2, 1. Target: 349

C1: 349. (5+2)x50-1
C2: 349. (9-2)x50-1

Score: 38-23 (max 50)

A nice straight forward numbers game adds ten points to the totals of both contestants.

John goes on about W.G. Grace for a bit.

Round 7: T C O T Z A E G O

C1: COTTAGE (7)
C2: COTTAGE (7)
Score: 45-30 (max 57)

Flat darrenic round here and Bobby’s 15-point lead stands strong.

Round 8: S R N I E B D U O

C1: roundies x
C2: BOUNDERS (8)
DC: REBOUNDS (8)
OT: BRUNOISE (8), BURNSIDE (8), SIDEBURN (8), SUBORNED (8)
Score: 45-38 (max 65)

Bobby is unlucky with his invalid offering, allowing Katy to sneak within conundrum range of the defending champion.

I am reliably informed that BRUNOISE is a noun and not a verb, so you can’t add the D onto the end of that. A final A would have given URBANISED for 9, but it was not to be.

Round 9: 50, 75, 4, 7, 5, 4. Target: 291

C1: 291. 4x75-(5+4)
C2: 291. 4x75-(5+4)
Score: 55-48 (max 75)

Another simple numbers game beefs up our contestants’ totals in what is shaping up to be a good close-fought game.

Teatime teaser: RITAENDS -> DETRAINS

Round 10: T F L I E U S G H

C1: FLIGHTS (7)
C2: FLIGHTS (7)
DC: UGLIEST (7), SLEIGHT (7)
OT: FUGLIEST (8)
Score: 62-55 (max 83)

A crude darren evades contestants and dictionary corner alike, but good stuff from the contestants sees a healthy aggregate score continue to build.

Round 11: V D S Y E I E A O

C1: EVADES (6)
C2: AVOIDS (6)
DC: VIDEOS (6), ADVISE (6), DEVISE (6)
OT: VIDEOES (7)
Score: 68-61 (max 90)

Six points apiece ensures the contest remains a close one.

Lexplorer tells me that VIDEOES is the darrenic 7 from here, but dictionary corner’s failure to spot it while still spotting VIDEOS for 6 leads me to doubt whether or not the word would be allowed if offered on the show. If it is indeed invalid, then VADOSE is there for an alternate six.

Susie’s Origins of Words is an interesting one today. She tells us about the use of the word ‘bug’ to describe a technological fault, and tells us the role of ‘CAPTCHA’ checks online.

Round 12: T L M U E I D R O

C1: MOULDIER (8)
C2: MOULTED (7)
DC: “minimal offerings”.
Score: 76-61 (max 98)

Another good darren spot from Bobby sees him extend his lead beyond conundrum reach. Can Katy get back within touching distance in the two rounds to come?

Round 13: K R T A E F S O I

C1: roastie x
C2: OAKIEST (7)
OT: FAIREST (7), FORSAKE (7), FORTIES (7), FRISKET (7), OSTERIA (7), TROIKAS (7)
Score: 76-68 (max 105)

There are seven sevens available as maximums from this selection, but unfortunately Bobby’s offering is not one of them. Katy’s, however, is! This means that the gap is reduced to an assailable distance once more, with only one numbers round to go before what could be a crucial conundrum.

Round 14: 25, 50, 1, 4, 7, 8. Target: 938

C1: x
C2: 918 x
RR: “taking it with me”.
OT: 938. ((25+1)x4+7)x8+50
Score: 71-68 (max 115)

A difficult numbers round stumps everyone, although Rachel vows to have a go at it. I made the same vow, and after 90 seconds to two minutes of extra time I found the solution shown above.

This has been a great contest to watch and now it has the crucial conundrum it deserves. Bobby was beaten to the conundrum yesterday by a very strong conundrum player, but can Katy do the same?

Round 15: T E N D E R W O K (conundrum)

C1 buzzes on 14.5 seconds to say NETWORKED which is correct.

Final Score: 86-68 (max 125)

Bobby keeps him composure and gets the difficult-to-spot conundrum, sealing his second win. Join recap master James Robinson tomorrow to see how he gets on in game three. Let’s hope that series 70’s 100% record of good, competitive games continues.

More summaries at: http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70
Mark Deeks wrote:Callum Todd looks like a young Ted Bundy.
Jack Worsley
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Re: Tuesday 7th January 2014 (Series 70, prelim 2)

Post by Jack Worsley »

Good first recap, nice to see a Tuesday recap actually posted on a Tuesday for once. :P
Zarte Siempre
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Re: Tuesday 7th January 2014 (Series 70, prelim 2)

Post by Zarte Siempre »

Callum Todd wrote:I am reliably informed that BRUNOISE is a noun and not a verb, so you can’t add the D onto the end of that. A final A would have given URBANISED for 9, but it was not to be.
Who on earth told you that?!?! ;)
Possibly the first contestant to accelerate with a mic clipped...
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Andy Platt
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Re: Tuesday 7th January 2014 (Series 70, prelim 2)

Post by Andy Platt »

Zarte "no food words are obscure" Siempre
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Callum Todd
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Re: Tuesday 7th January 2014 (Series 70, prelim 2)

Post by Callum Todd »

Zarte Siempre wrote:
Callum Todd wrote:I am reliably informed that BRUNOISE is a noun and not a verb, so you can’t add the D onto the end of that. A final A would have given URBANISED for 9, but it was not to be.
Who on earth told you that?!?! ;)
some cunt.
Mark Deeks wrote:Callum Todd looks like a young Ted Bundy.
Zubair Patel
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Re: Tuesday 7th January 2014 (Series 70, prelim 2)

Post by Zubair Patel »

A solid debut, Callum. 8-)
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