So, here we go. Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 27 January 2016.
C1: Champion Tim Down (3 wins, 247 points.) A forumite and web developer from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
C2: Challenger Paul Turgoose. A retired local government officer from County Durham. He volunteers as a Durham pointer to help with tourism, as there is not tourist office in the city!!
DC: Susie Dent and Nicholas Owen.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L O P I T E L O N
R02: S R A U D I G A T
R03: 75, 100, 50, 25, 8, 6. Target: 932.
TTT: RILEYMAG - "It sounds like the old man is subject to manipulation"
R04: Z M U E I S P A R
R05: P F G O I A S C U
R06: 25, 3, 7, 5, 10, 2. Target: 314.
R07: T E R A S O D U T
R08: K N D I E O M E H
R09: 75, 50, 100, 25, 1, 10. Target: 756.
TTT: LPBOOMER - "There's nothing wrong, not at all"
R10: T F S E U I A R C
R11: T P Y O E I R G O
R12: R H A E E D N A R
R13: N D S I U E D V A
R14: 8, 3, 3, 4, 10, 1. Target: 552.
R15: A L I C E C U R T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: L O P I T E L O N
Tim: PELOTON (7)
Paul: POLITE (6)
OT: POINTEL (7) POLLONE (7) PONTILE (7) POTLINE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
Tim cycles himself into an early lead, as 4 interesting new 7's appear.....
In botany, a POINTEL is a pointed organ in a flower; specifically the pistil, the style, a stamen. Also occasionally: some or all of these organs collectively.
A POLLONE (or PALONE) is a derogatory term for a young woman.
PONTILE (or PONTINE) is an adjective meaning relating to or affecting the pons of the brain.
A POTLINE is a line of retorts used for the electrolytic production of aluminium.
Round 2: S R A U D I G A T
Tim: GUARDS (6)
Paul: GUARDS (6)
DC: GUITARS (7) DATURAS (7)
OT: DATURIAS (8)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)
The GUARDS are out (if only the last letter was an N.....
), but while DC get a pair of 7's, there's a new 8.DATRUIA (or DATURINE) is a poisonous alkaloid obtained from the seeds of the thorn apple, Datura stramonium, and other plants, later identified with hyoscyamine.
Round 3: 75, 100, 50, 25, 8, 6. Target: 932.
Tim: 931. ((100 + 25) x 8) - 75 + 6 (7)
Paul: 933. ((100 + 50) x 6) + 25 + 8 (7)
RR: 932. (((100 / 25) + 75) x 8) + (6 x 50) (10)
Score: 20–13 (max 25)
Certainly trickier compared to the other 4 larges this week, but Rach gets perfection after a little break.
Teatime teaser: RILEYMAG -> GREYMAIL
Round 4: Z M U E I S P A R
Tim: UMPIRES (7)
Paul: PRAISE (6)
DC: MAZIER (6) IMPURE (6) PRIZES (6)
OT: MEZAIRS (7) PRIMASE (7) UPRAISE (7)
Score: 27–13 (max 32)
Some good UMPIRES for Tim sees his lead double.
In dressage, a MEZAIR is a movement involving a series of levades with a short step between each.
PRIMASE is any of a group of polymerases that bring about the synthesis of DNA or RNA primers.
Round 5: P F G O I A S C U
Tim: COUPS (5)
Paul: GAPS (4)
DC: FIASCO (6)
OT: FASCIO (6)
Score: 32–13 (max 38)
Not a brilliant round, but some COUPS increase Tim's lead further.
In Italy, a FASCIO was an organized political group, typically advocating radical or revolutionary change and active within a particular region or locality; specifically any of a number of nationalist groups formed in the period around the First World War (1914–18) which were ultimately given coherent organization by the formation of the National Fascist Party in 1921.
Round 6: 25, 3, 7, 5, 10, 2. Target: 314.
Tim: 314. ((10 + 2) x 25) + ((5 - 3) x 7) (10)
Paul: 313.
Score: 42–13 (max 48)
Tim pulls further away with this numbers solve.
Nicholas talks about a viewer's letter he received complaining about his royal reports....
Round 7: T E R A S O D U T
Tim: OUTRATED (8)
Paul: OUTDATES (8)
DC: OUTSTARED (18)
Score: 50–21 (max 66)
A pair of OUT-8's from our contestants, but DC go top drawer with their own OUT-9!!!
Round 8: K N D I E O M E H
Tim: HONKED (6)
Paul: menhind
DC: MEHENDI (7)
OT: DOMINEE (7)
Score: 56–21 (max 73)
No 2nd N for Paul's declaration, but it's not in anyway, so Tim can get happily HONKED.
Round 9: 75, 50, 100, 25, 1, 10. Target: 756.
Tim: 756. (75 x 10) + ((100 + 50) / 25) (10)
Paul: 756. (75 x 10) + ((100 + 50) / 25) (10)
Score: 66–31 (max 83)
Back to a simple 4 large this time.
Teatime teaser: LPBOOMER -> PROBLEMO
Round 10: T F S E U I A R C
Tim: RACIEST (7)
Paul: STRIFE (6)
DC: CURATES (7) FURCATES (8)
OT: SURICATE (8)
Score: 73–31 (max 91)
A RACIEST offering from Tim and he's over 40 points clear now, while DC get another great 8.
A SURICATE is a gregarious burrowing meerkat with dark bands on the back and a black-tipped tail, native to southern Africa. (Suricata suricatta, family Herpestidae)
Round 11: T P Y O E I R G O
Tim: GOITRE (6)
Paul: PORITE (6)
DC: GOOPIER (7)
OT: GEOTROPY (8)
Score: 79–37 (max 99)
PORITE was quite an amazing spot by Paul, I must say. DC get a GOOPIER 7, but there's a great darrenic 8 available in this one.
GEOTROPY (or GEOTROPISM) is the growth of the parts of plants in response to the force of gravity.
Round 12: R H A E E D N A R
Tim: HARDENER (8)
Paul: -
OT: REHARDEN (8)
Score: 87–37 (max 107)
The game is over as Paul blanks out, and Tim's 8 gets him to the safety mark.
Round 13: N D S I U E D V A
Tim: INVADES (7)
Paul: UNDID (5)
DC: UNAIDED (7) ADVISED (7)
OT: DANDIES (7) INVADED (7) UNSAVED (7)
Score: 94–37 (max 114)
Tim INVADES yet again, and he's looking poised to get his first century too.....
Round 14: 8, 3, 3, 4, 10, 1. Target: 552.
Tim: 552. (((3 + 4) x 10) - 1) x 8 (10)
Paul: 556.
Score: 104–37 (max 124)
Paul goes for 6 small for a bit of fun, but Tim shows it's not just 4 large that he's good at.
Round 15: A L I C E C U R T
No one buzzes. The answer was CIRCULATE.
Final Score: 104–37 (max 134)
Well, if numbers is a strong spot for Tim, conundrums are definitely a weakness. None yet in 2016 for Tim, but if he keeps on winning this convincingly, he'll be just fine.
Tim has now become a half-octochamp. By next Wednesday, he'll be gone, but will he be an octochamp by then, I wonder......
I'll be at COLIN this weekend, looking forward to getting back into CO-event action, after winning the last one in Dublin back in November.
I look forward to seeing you all there on Friday-Sunday.
In the meantime, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Tim:
Total score - 104
Raw score - 104
Total % of max - 78
Raw % of max - 78
Total average score per round - 6.9
Raw average score per round - 6.9
Number of maxes - 7
Paul:
Total score - 37
Raw score - 78
Total % of max - 28
Raw % of max - 58
Total average score per round - 2.5
Raw average score per round - 5.2
Number of maxes - 1
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=74