Monday June 8th (series 72, QF3)

Andy McGurn · Post by **Andy McGurn** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 10:29 pm

Countdown recap for Monday 8 June 2015.

C1: Champion Tracey Mills (8 wins, 836 points.) - Number three seed from Stockport. Tracey won 8 games with a total score of 836 points. The only female contestant in the finals.

C2: Champion Jordan Barker (8 wins, 713 points.) - Number six seed from Oldham who scored 713 points in his eight games, he seems happy to be there and claims he just came for the teapot.

DC: Susie Dent and Jo Brand.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S P L E A I T C U
R02: O E A H G T R S J
R03: 6, 8, 9, 6, 1, 25. Target: 829.
TTT: REARNAGS - "makes plans with a friend then puts flowers into a display"
R04: E I U R N T M I A
R05: P F S E I A T R L
R06: 8, 5, 3, 1, 4, 100. Target: 877.
R07: N D S I O E L S G
R08: I U O N M N G D E
R09: 9, 4, 1, 8, 1, 25. Target: 429.
TTT: PRICEDUE - "If you want this doing you'll have to foot the bill"
R10: A I O V X T R S E
R11: L B N A O E F R U
R12: O E A S M T R Y T
R13: P K S O E O V R I
R14: 5, 10, 5, 3, 8, 1. Target: 717.
R15: B E Y O N C E L S (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S P L E A I T C U

Tracey: plicates
Jordan: plicates
DC: SPICULATE (18)
Score: 0–0 (max 18)

Proof that knowing the meanings of words can make a difference. Though PLICATE sounds like it should be a verb its actually an adjective and therefore not a word one can add an S to.

Round 2: O E A H G T R S J

Tracey: GATHERS (7)
Jordan: SHORTAGE (8)
Score: 0–8 (max 26)

No SHORTAGE here for Jordan as he takes the lead. Jo Brand then takes centre stage with some majorly unfunny made up words which seem to draw a laugh from the audience. To anyone who was there do they add the laugh in post-production or did some people present actually find these funny?

Round 3: 6, 8, 9, 6, 1, 25. Target: 829.

Tracey: -
Jordan: -
RR: 829. (6*6*25)-((8*9)-1) (10)
Score: 0–8 (max 36)

Both contestants blank this one, leaving Rachael to take the spotlight with a nice solution.

Teatime teaser: REARNAGS -> ARRANGES

Round 4: E I U R N T M I A

Tracey: MINIATURE (18)
Jordan: RAIMENT (7)
DC: MINTIER (7) INTERIM (7) RUMINATE (8)
Score: 18–8 (max 54)

Tracey’s word is the opposite (in countdown terms) of what it means and she takes the lead with that nine.

Round 5: P F S E I A T R L

Tracey: FLEAPITS (8)
Jordan: PILASTER (8)
DC: SALTIER (7) SALTIRE (7)
OT: FRAILEST (8)
Score: 26–16 (max 62)

Jordan pronounces PILASTER as “PIE-LASTER” which is presumably the winner of a pie eating contest.

Round 6: 8, 5, 3, 1, 4, 100. Target: 877.

Tracey: 877. ((8+1)*100)-((5*4)+3) (10)
Jordan: 877. ((8+1)*100)-((5*4)+3) (10)
Score: 36–26 (max 72)

An easy one and the gap stays at ten.

DC Guest: Jo talks about misprints and her love of some of the inadvertent misprints she has read over the years.

Round 7: N D S I O E L S G

Tracey: SINGLES (7)
Jordan: lodginess
DC: GODLINESS (18)
Score: 43–26 (max 90)

What was Jordan thinking risking that?

Round 8: I U O N M N G D E

Tracey: MOUNDING (8)
Jordan: MOUNDING (8)
Score: 51–34 (max 98)

Jordan thinks its risky, Tracey doesn’t and shes right as both spot the single max in this round.

Round 9: 9, 4, 1, 8, 1, 25. Target: 429.

Tracey: 429. ((9*8)*25)+4 (10)
Jordan: 429. ((9*8)*25)+4 (10)
Score: 61–44 (max 108)

Easy numbers game again and its ten more each.

Teatime teaser: PRICEDUE -> PEDICURE

Round 10: A I O V X T R S E

Tracey: OVARIES (7)
Jordan: OVARIES (7)
DC: OVERTAX (7) VOTARIES (8)
Score: 68–51 (max 116)

A simple +T stem would have given both contestants the max in this round but as neither contestant spotted it the damage is minor.

Round 11: L B N A O E F R U

Tracey: LOANER (6)
Jordan: balero
DC: FUNERAL (7)
OT: BANEFUL (7) FLANEUR (7) FLEURON (7) NEBULAR (7) RUBEOLA (7)
Score: 74–51 (max 123)

Jordan is too young to remember Torvill and Dean’s performance of the BOLERO at the 1984 Winter Olympics. He can’t spell it right either. This could be the decisive moment in this quarter-final

Round 12: O E A S M T R Y T

Tracey: MAESTRO (7)
Jordan: MAESTRO (7)
DC: MATTERS (7) SMATTER (7) TOASTER (7)
OT: MASTERY (7) ROTATES (7) STOMATE (7) YATTERS (7)
Score: 81–58 (max 130)

Loads of sevens here and Tracey is on the verge of sealing a spot in the semi finals.

Round 13: P K S O E O V R I

Tracey: SPOOKIER (8)
Jordan: PROVOKES (8)
DC: PORKIES (7)
Score: 89–66 (max 138)

And the game is over as a contest as both max this round.

Round 14: 5, 10, 5, 3, 8, 1. Target: 717.

Tracey: 717. (((5+5)-1)*8*10)-3 (10)
Jordan: 710.
Score: 99–66 (max 148)

Jordan chooses six small “just for fun” and he appears to have staggered his way to seven away while Tracey has breezed her way to ten further points.

Round 15: B E Y O N C E L S

No one buzzes. The answer was OBSCENELY.
Final Score: 99–66 (max 158)

Neither contestant spots the conundrum and interestingly no one in the audience manages to mug. I assume that there was strict ban on former contestants mugging because there’s no doubt that many of them will have spotted that conundrum.

So Tracey advances to meet Gerry Tynan on Thursday and tomorrow Andy Noden meets Kevin Steede in what is likely to be the closest match of the quarter finals. Join James for that.

Wishing all the best to countdowners everywhere.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72