Monday 23rd November 2015 (series 73 prelim 99)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 23 November 2015.

C1: Champion Margaret Fatih (2 wins.) Margaret Fatih – Retired school teacher from Surrey, won a really close game to make it two wins on Friday.

C2: Challenger James Richards. – A vocalist, rapper and music producer from Tottenham who supports Manchester United. He gives a (plausible?) explanation as to how he as a Tottenham lad became a fan of Rachael’s top team.

DC: Susie Dent and Deborah Meaden.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: D S H U E A O R M
R02: N E H R T I U S D
R03: 10, 1, 2, 6, 9, 50. Target: 553.
TTT: GOAIDILL - "you can go and aid the ill by giving them flowers"
R04: S O E A T R M J T
R05: L S T I O U G P A
R06: 8, 2, 10, 4, 50, 25. Target: 661.
R07: L W S I E O R M U
R08: E I A V D T R T O
R09: 2, 10, 1, 7, 6, 25. Target: 106.
TTT: PINTFLAP - "turn the insect over, how disrespectful"
R10: B E A N K G O C R
R11: N Z N A O U A T G
R12: D N Y S E U F C I
R13: P L R O E I N R O
R14: 2, 2, 5, 4, 3, 75. Target: 258.
R15: A M U S E N O P E (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: D S H U E A O R M

Margaret: ROAMED (6)
James: HOUSED (6)
DC: DASHER (6) MADHOUSE (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)

One can imagine that behind the scenes at countdown that it is a bit of a MADHOUSE, though most workplaces are to be fair. Neither contestant gets that max and settle for sixes.


Round 2: N E H R T I U S D

Margaret: SHUNTED (7)
James: SHUNTED (7)
DC: SHIRTED (7) UNDERHITS (18)
Score: 13–13 (max 26)

Once again the contestants are two below the max as DC spot the excellent UNDERHITS.


Round 3: 10, 1, 2, 6, 9, 50. Target: 553.

Margaret: 553. ((10+1)*50)+(6/2) (10)
James: 553. ((50+6)*10-(9-2) (10)
Score: 23–23 (max 36)

An easy numbers game enables both James and Margaret to get their first max of the game.


Teatime teaser: GOAIDILL -> GLADIOLI


Round 4: S O E A T R M J T

Margaret: JOTTERS (7)
James: MATTERS (7)
DC: TOASTER (7)
OT: MAESTRO (7) RAMJETS (7) ROTATES (7) SMATTER (7) STOMATE (7)
Score: 30–30 (max 43)

Easy to max this round and both contestants do so.


Round 5: L S T I O U G P A

Margaret: PILOTS (6)
James: PATOIS (6)
DC: GALIPOT (7)
OT: AGOUTIS (7) GALIOTS (7) OUTSAIL (7) PUTLOGS (7) TOPSAIL (7) UTOPIAS (7)
Score: 36–36 (max 50)

I always thought that GALIPOT could be essed, I guess not. The contestants remain deadlocked after five rounds.


Round 6: 8, 2, 10, 4, 50, 25. Target: 661.

Margaret: 652.
James: 665. ((10+2)*(50+4))-8+25 (7)
Tough to get this spot on and James does well to get within five. Rachael can’t get it in the time either so its on to the DC Guest spot


DC Guest – Debroah tells us about her investment in a dance company which has broken the record for the most people to dance the Chaleston at one time which was done in Spitalfields market


Rachael has got it...

RR: 662. ((50-10)*2*8)+(25-4) (10)
Score: 36–43 (max 60)


Round 7: L W S I E O R M U

Margaret: SMILER (6)
James: MOUSIER (7)
DC: SERUM (5) MORSEL (6) LOUSIER (7)
OT: LOURIES (7) LOWRIES (7) MISRULE (7)
Score: 36–50 (max 67)

James extends his lead immediately with a nice max.


Round 8: E I A V D T R T O

Margaret: DOTTIER (7)
James: DEVIATOR (8)
OT: ROTATIVE (8)
Score: 36–58 (max 75)

Thats an excellent max from James to spot DEVIATOR. The contestants tied the first five ropunds but James has won the last three, is he going to start running away with this?



Round 9: 2, 10, 1, 7, 6, 25. Target: 106.

Margaret: 106. ((10-6)*25)+(7-1) (10)
James: 106. ((7+2+1)*10)+6 (10)
Score: 46–68 (max 85)

The second easy numbers game of the day gives Margaret her first points since round five and ensures that James has scored in every round so far.


Teatime teaser: PINTFLAP -> FLIPPANT


Round 10: B E A N K G O C R

Margaret: BROKEN (6)
James: brokage
DC: BACONER (7) CORKAGE (7) BRACKEN (7)
Score: 52–68 (max 92)

James’s risky word means he loses his record of scoring in every round. Margaret is not BROKEN yet and comes back to within twenty with her six.


Round 11: N Z N A O U A T G

Margaret: GOUT (4)
James: TANGO (5)
DC: NOUGAT (6)
OT: GOANNA (6) TAONGA (6)
Score: 52–73 (max 98)

Margaret is annoyed with herself at missing TANGO and this means James regains his 20+ point lead.


OoW – Susie tells us about some words that have their origins in body parts.


Round 12: D N Y S E U F C I

Margaret: FENDS (5)
James: INFUSED (7)
OT: DENSIFY (7) FUNDIES (7) INCUDES (7) INCUSED (7) INDUCES (7)
Score: 52–80 (max 105)

Margaret seems to be getting very frustrated now and again expresses audible disappointment at missing the max. James has all but won the game now.


Round 13: P L R O E I N R O

Margaret: LINER (5)
James: LOOPIER (7)
DC: LORINER (7)
OT: LOONIER (7) PORNIER (7) PROLINE (7)
Score: 52–87 (max 112)

And James confirms his teapot status with that round, well done to him.


Round 14: 2, 2, 5, 4, 3, 75. Target: 258.

Margaret: -
James: 258. (75+5+4+2)*3 (10)
Score: 52–97 (max 122)

Margaret, after scoring in all of the first five rounds has now zero pointed in all but two of the next nine. Its well done to James here who can get a century if he gets the conundrum


Round 15: A M U S E N O P E

Margaret buzzes on 28 seconds to say EPONYMOUS which is incorrect.
James buzzes on 29 seconds to say EPONAMOUS which is incorrect.
The answer was MENOPAUSE.
Final Score: 52–97 (max 132)

Some strange buzzing and guessing their by both contestants but the game finishes with a win for James who seems as relaxed as a rapper should be. Margaret is pleased with her teapot and has done well to win two games (especially the very exciting one on Friday).

James seems like a good player, if he doesn’t face a top apterite he seems to be a player with genuine shot at being an octochamp. Its obviously very early days though.

It’ll be game two for him tomorrow, Jennifer will be here to take you through that one.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=73

[James Robinson]

Round 6: 8, 2, 10, 4, 50, 25. Target: 661.
RR: 662. ((50-10)*2*8)+(25-4) (7)
Score: 36–43 (max 57)

You might want to change that to 10 points and bump up the max by 3.

I think the title at the top should say 23rd, rather than 21st November as well.....

[Andy McGurn]

Round 6: 8, 2, 10, 4, 50, 25. Target: 661.
RR: 662. ((50-10)*2*8)+(25-4) (7)
Score: 36–43 (max 57)

You might want to change that to 10 points and bump up the max by 3.

I think the title at the top should say 23rd, rather than 21st November as well.....

EDITED