Today is a special day. Because today we're not playing Countdown... we're playing Nwodtnuoc.
Why, you may ask? Well, because today's challenger is Jordan Barker, or The Player Formerly Known As Nadroj Rekrab. For those of you who are overfamiliar with the block button at the sight of excitable teenage musings in Aptochat, or maybe too busy hiding in the Sanctum to play Apterous these days, Nadroj is a lively chat presence whose love of slang (particularly the words 'fam' and 'banter'), propensity to use the word 'ectoplasm' to describe something that isn't listed as one of its definitions on ODO, and banana-suit-clad avatar have made him either a major pest or a source of great amusement depending on whether you're a massive killjoy or not. Can he bring Andy "Conundrum Comeback King" Lambert's run of incredible crucial victories to an end? !TUO DNIF S'TEL
C1: Champion Andy Lambert (3 wins, 235 points.)
C2: Challenger Nadroj Rekrab.
DC: Susie Dent and Rufus Hound. Rufus is wearing a kitsch yet lovable black jumper with some clouds and a mountain on it. #fashionwatch2k15
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: R E V I L A S P O
R02: U E A T Y N F E R
R03: 75, 100, 4, 2, 10, 4. Target: 310.
TTT: ACASHWIN - "It's not about winning cash, it's more about cutting back"
R04: O U A L T B M O A
R05: T E D N O U W D I
R06: 50, 10, 5, 6, 4, 3. Target: 429.
R07: V T C E I D M S O
R08: I E A B S P T I R
R09: 100, 50, 8, 7, 4, 9. Target: 362.
TTT: GLENSCAR - "Was this children's programme full of errors?"
R10: E U E H R C O R J
R11: R E I W Z T E U H
R12: O I A M K N T O N
R13: L E A Q E S D P D
R14: 7, 6, 5, 8, 8, 3. Target: 120.
R15: L E O C A N C E R (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 SPOILEC TOPLAS .MEVERY WHERE! 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: R E V I L A S P O
Andy: PREVAILS (8)
Nadroj: PREVAILS (8)
DC: PLOVERS (7)
OT: OVERLAPS (8) OVERSAIL (8) POLARISE (8) SLIPOVER (8) VALORISE (8) VAPORISE (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)
Both contestants prevail with an opening round max. PREVAILS only stems with one letter, D - so as soon as a final vowel was chosen, it was an 8 ERE scenario. I wanted the D.
Round 2: U E A T Y N F E R
Andy: RETUNE (6)
Nadroj: TENURE (6)
DC: AUNTY (5) NATURE (6) REFUTE (6)
OT: FEATURE (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)
The only feature we see in this round is the FIRST DARREN OF THE DAY! (Darren Bent has scored a lot of goals recently. I think the unexplainable spike in his Google figures has clearly given him confidence.)
Round 3: 75, 100, 4, 2, 10, 4. Target: 310.
Andy: 310. 75 x 4 + 10 (10)
Nadroj: 310. 75 x 4 + 10 (10)
Score: 24–24 (max 25)
Rachel doesn't even bother writing it down. EEEEZEEEE.
Teatime teaser: ACASHWIN -> CHAINSAW
Round 4: O U A L T B M O A
Andy: BLOAT (5)
Nadroj: BLOAT (5)
DC: TOMBOLA (7)
Score: 29–29 (max 32)
Good work Susie. And Darren.
Round 5: T E D N O U W D I
Andy: UNITED (6)
Nadroj: TWINED (6)
DC: WOUNDED (7) WIDEOUT (7)
Score: 35–35 (max 39)
Haha, WIDEOUT is nearly wide-on. (WIDE-ON^ not ODO valid yet.) Both contestants remain level. In the words of Joy Division (nearly), can numbers tear them apart?
Round 6: 50, 10, 5, 6, 4, 3. Target: 429.
Andy: 430. Mistake in working.
Nadroj: 430. Mistake in working.
RR: 429. (50 - 4 - 3) x 10 - 6 + 5 (10)
Score: 35–35 (max 49)
No! As soon as Nad goes wrong, there's a chance for Andy to scoop up a 7 point lead - but he too goes wrong. Both of them will be kicking themselves about not getting 430 ((50 - 4 - 3) x 10, innit), but 429 is slightly trickier. Still doable though.
Round 7: V T C E I D M S O
Andy: VOMITED (7)
Nadroj: MEDICOS (7)
DC: DOMESTIC (8)
OT: VICOMTES (8)
Score: 42–42 (max 57)
MEDICOS. Good spot. Only top contestants get that.
Round 8: I E A B S P T I R
Andy: PASTIER (7)
Nadroj: PIRATES (7)
DC: BAITERS (7) TRAIPSE (7)
OT: AIRIEST (7) BAPTISE (7) BARITES (7) PARTIES (7) PIASTRE (7) PRATIES (7) TIPSIER (7)
Score: 49–49 (max 64)
Round 9: 100, 50, 8, 7, 4, 9. Target: 362.
Andy: 362. 7 x 50 + 8 + 4 (10)
Nadroj: 362. 7 x 50 + 8 + 4 (10)
Score: 59–59 (max 74)
Teatime teaser: GLENSCAR -> CLANGERS
Round 10: E U E H R C O R J
Andy: chorer
Nadroj: CHURRO (6)
DC: EUCHRE (6)
OT: COHERER (7)
Score: 59–65 (max 81)
The deadlock is finally broken! Jordan's risky 6 pays off; it's a type of Latin American doughnut. Andy's 6 is less successful. But everyone misses Darren #3...
Round 11: R E I W Z T E U H
Andy: WITHER (6)
Nadroj: WITHER (6)
DC: WRITHE (6) ZITHER (6)
OT: EITHER (6) WETHER (6) WHITER (6)
Score: 65–71 (max 87)
Another flat round.
Round 12: O I A M K N T O N
Andy: MOTION (6)
Nadroj: NOTION (6)
DC: KIMONO (6)
OT: AMNION (6) ANOINT (6) NAMKIN (6) NATION (6)
Score: 71–77 (max 93)
Aaaand another. An amnion is "The innermost membrane that encloses the embryo of a mammal, bird, or reptile", while a namkin is a generic Indian word for a savoury snack.
Round 13: L E A Q E S D P D
Andy: PADDLES (7)
Nadroj: PADDLES (7)
DC: PLEADED (7) ELAPSED (7) PEDDLES (7)
OT: PLEASED (7)
Score: 78–84 (max 100)
We're heading towards crucial territory here...
Round 14: 7, 6, 5, 8, 8, 3. Target: 120.
Andy: 120. 8 x 5 x 3 (10)
Nadroj: 120. (7 x 3 - 8/8) x 6 (10)
Score: 88–94 (max 110)
Oh good, 6 small. My favourite. JUST KIDDING!!!
In any case, this target's not the hardest to get, and both contestants get it spot on - Nadroj with a more convoluted, but equally correct, method. Which means it's Andy's fourth straight crucial in a row. Can it be his fourth win too? HERE GOES...
Round 15: L E O C A N C E R
No one buzzes. The answer was CONCEALER.
Final Score: 88–94 (max 120)
And finally - after 6 crucial conundrums - Andy's buzzer remains silent. He's put together some memorable performances, but it's the end of the road for him here. Can Nadroj follow in the steps of Andy Noden, Tracey Mills and Kevin Steede in becoming a series 72 Ap[c]tochamp? If so, there's another episode of Nwodtnuoc to come next Tuesday. !DENUT YATS
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72
