Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

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Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Johnny Canuck »

Welcome, one and all, to my debut appearance in this section, writing what I can only assume is the first-ever forum recap written in the Great White North. Yes, I realise this recap is coming out two days late. Blame it on the time difference.

“Yesterday” (Monday, natch), a carry-over champion from last year, Tim Down, received the first victory of Series 74 proper, netting 78 points against Nicholas Birks in a game where three Nicks were present in the studio. In this Tuesday prelim, we'll see how his skill stacks up against the first female challenger of 2016.

C1: Champion Tim Down (2 wins, 163 points)
C2: Challenger Margaret Riches. Probably told some kind of anecdote about herself which I was too busy to write down.
DC: Susie Dent and Nicholas Owen.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

WARNING: SELECTIONS ARE DIRECTLY BELOW. IF YOU'RE PLAYING ALONG AND DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, SCROLL THE SCREEN WAAAAY OVER TO THE SIDE NOW!

R01: S H N E U O W M I
R02: S G T E A N G O B
R03: 50, 25, 100, 75, 2, 7. Target: 823.
TTT: LEARNHIS — “He learns to keep his with him at all times in case of an attack.”
R04: D S R Y E A T I E
R05: R O V E R A L I T
R06: 75, 100, 8, 2, 4, 10. Target: 656.
R07: U A O A D T S G Q
R08: D L N P E O I S O
R09: 75, 25, 100, 50, 10, 7. Target: 220.
TTT: DAYBROKE — “Q to the left, P to the right.”
R10: P V N R U A E D O
R11: L E J S I T R E U
R12: M T N R I A E B U
R13: M N R O I A C L I
R14: 50, 25, 8, 5, 7, 9. Target: 822.
R15: R E N T M I N C E (conundrum)

IF YOU'RE PLAYING ALONG, YOU CAN LOOK AGAIN, AS LONG AS YOU SCROLL THESE THREE LINES UP TO THE TOP OF THE SCREEN. NOT THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY ABLE TO READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS ANYWAY.

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S H N E U O W M I

Tim: SHOWMEN (7)
Margaret: WHINES (6)
DC: INHUMES (7) WINSOME (7)
OT: HEINOUS (7) MOHSINE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)

The male contestant takes first blood with a masculine word which apparently has no feminine equivalent. Nope, not even in the 2016 aptodic update can one be a SHOWWOMAN^. If she were still with us in Recapland, Jen would be outraged.

MOHSINE is another word for the mineral LÖLLINGITE. Löl.

Round 2: S G T E A N G O B

Tim: bondage
Margaret: TANGOES (7)
OT: GEOTAGS (7) GOBANGS (7) NOSEBAG (7) ONSTAGE (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 14)

Margaret pegs Tim back after he spots a phantom letter... or, rather, fails to not spot a phantom letter. I believe that is a legit use of a double negative.

A GEOTAG is an electronic tag that assigns a geographical location to a piece of data, such as a photo or video.

GOBANG (or GOBAN) is a game played on a Go board in which each player seeks to be the first to place five counters of the same colour in a row on the board. Presumably there are more rules than just that one.

Round 3: 50, 25, 100, 75, 2, 7. Target: 823.

Tim: 823. (100 ÷ 25 + 7) × 75 − 2. (10)
Margaret: 823. (7 + 2) × 100 − 75 − 50 ÷ 25. (10)
Score: 17–17 (max 24)

A target that is two away from a multiple of 25 provides a 4-large numbers game that is perhaps more easily solvable than Tim would have wanted; for now, the scores remain tied.

Teatime Teaser 1: LEARNHIS
“He learns to keep his with him at all times in case of an attack.”
Answer: INHALERS

Round 4: D S R Y E A T I E

Tim: READIEST (8)
Margaret: DESERT (6)
DC: STEADIER (8)
OT: SERIATED (8) YEASTIER (8)
Score: 25–17 (max 32)

No 9 4 U, despite the apparent presence of such 9-ish endings as -ARY and -ITY. Tim does max the round with an 8 to reclaim his lead over Margaret though.

Round 5: R O V E R A L I T

Tim: TRAILER (7)
Margaret: TRAILER (7)
DC: VIOLATER (8)
Score: 32–24 (max 40)

Margaret continues to be the TRAILER and Tim the leader as both players spot the same seven here. Meanwhile, Susie and Nicholas go one better with a word that, in my mind, should clearly only be allowed to end with -OR, but presumably still had its -ER spelling added so as not to be the VIOLATER of some global rule on agent nouns.

Round 6: 75, 100, 8, 2, 4, 10. Target: 656.

Tim: 654. (75 − 10) × (2 + 8) + 4. (7)
Margaret: —
RR: 656. ((10 + 4) ÷ 2 + 75) × 8. (10)
Score: 39–24 (max 50)

Faced with a 2-large selection, Tim's numbers performance slips slightly as, for the first time in this series, he fails to declare the exact target. It's still enough to put Margaret out of striking distance, however, as a well-executed answer to his 654 declaration nets him seven more points. Rachel has clearly learned her 82 times tables in school, and shows us the way to a perfect solution.

Nicholas comments on one time when, after a particularly long and aggravating day of broadcasting, he yawned loudly without realising he was still on the air, directly in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers, prior to his mother calling him to make sure he was “all right.” I rarely remember DC anecdotes, but this actually wasn't a bad one. Just please don't always expect good commentary on them in my recaps, m'kay?

Round 7: U A O A D T S G Q

Tim: SQUAT (5)
Margaret: QUADS (5)
DC: AUTOGAS (7)
Score: 44–29 (max 57)

Margaret pluralises a four that means four to make a five, and Tim has SQUAT better, meaning he retains his 15-point lead. But Susie and Nicholas are firing on all cylinders as they pull out the darrenic max.

AUTOGAS is another term for petrol, especially as contrasted with aviation fuel.

Round 8: D L N P E O I S O

Tim: SPOOLED (7)
Margaret: POISONED (8)
DC: POLONIES (8) SOLENOID (8)
OT: EIDOLONS (8) POODLIES (8) POOLSIDE (8)
Score: 44–37 (max 65)

And Margaret once again throws the game into crucial status with a maximum-scoring word that defeats Tim's 7. The Corner matches Margaret's find with two other fairly obscure 8s, and yet others go unnoticed by all. Except possibly by a spot of Apterites in the audience. I propose making that the official collective noun.

POLONY is another term for BOLOGNA.

A SOLENOID is a cylindrical coil of wire acting as a magnet when it carries electric current.

An EIDOLON is a spectre, phantom or idealised being.

POODLIE is not a term for a dog, but rather an alternative spelling of PODLEY, which refers to a young saithe or coalfish.

Round 9: 75, 25, 100, 50, 10, 7. Target: 220.

Tim: 220. (25 + 7) × 10 − 100. (10)
Margaret: “250, I think.”
Score: 54–37 (max 75)

Tim's route to 220 is not the one I would have ever thought to take, but what do I know about 4 large anyway? He once again secures a non-crucial lead as Margaret is stuck on 30 away (assuming her solution was, in fact, correct).

Teatime Teaser 2: DAYBROKE
“Q to the left, P to the right.”
Answer: KEYBOARD

Round 10: P V N R U A E D O

Tim: PROVEN (6)
Margaret: VAPOURED (8)
DC: UNPROVED (8)
Score: 54–45 (max 83)

With Margaret achieving a perfect score and Tim falling two short, the “crucialness” status of the game changes for the fourth time. Could this be the comeback she and any and all of her supporters have been waiting for?

Round 11: L E J S I T R E U

Tim: LUSTIER (7)
Margaret: LUSTIER (7)
DC: RULIEST (7)
OT: LEISTER (7) LEISURE (7) RETILES (7) STERILE (7)
Score: 61–52 (max 90)

Both contestants and both Dictionary Guardians max the round by picking out seven-letter words, with no repeating letters, that feature every distinct letter in the selection. Except for the J, of course. Js are lame.

RULY is the opposite of UNRULY, meaning well-behaved, polite or calm.

A LEISTER is a pronged spear used for catching salmon.

Susie's Origins of Words discusses the source of the phrase SPOTTED DICK. Oh, wait. Please excuse that mistake. I remembered wrong... that's tomorrow's.

Round 12: M T N R I A E B U

Tim: BANTER (6)
Margaret: BEAUT (5)
DC: RUMINATE (8)
OT: RUMANITE (8) URBANITE (8)
Score: 67–52 (max 98)

With his spot of BANTER here, Tim once again escapes crucial territory as he betters Margaret's 5. This being said, both contestants have fallen well short of the max here as the Corner RUMINATE over the selection and find a fairly high-probability 8 with a newly minted anagram.

RUMANITE is a variety of amber found in Romania and containing sulphur and succinic acid. It is also a newly minted anagram.

Round 13: M N R O I A C L I

Tim: CLARION (7)
Margaret: COIN (4)
DC: CRIMINAL (8)
OT: IRONICAL (8) MORAINIC (8)
Score: 74–52 (max 106)

And Margaret has now slipped a step further, this time dredging up only a 4. As a result, Tim is confirmed as the first contestant of Series 74 to have won a third game. You know, except for the sixteen we saw during the previous three weeks. They weren't too bad at Countdown either.

Round 14: 50, 25, 8, 5, 7, 9. Target: 822.

Tim: 822. (9 + 7) × 50 + 25 − (8 − 5). (10)
Margaret: 810.
Score: 84–52 (max 116)

Another 2-large pick, but this time, Tim delivers a flawless performance on the 822 target, which, in fact, took a fair bit longer than 30 seconds to be spotted perfectly by me. Though today's final round is academic, Tim now has a shot at a personal best going into the conundrum. Will he achieve it?

Round 15: R E N T M I N C E

Tim buzzes on 13.5 seconds to say CENTIMETRE which is incorrect.
Margaret buzzes on 14.25 seconds to say REMINISCENT which is INCORRECT (cue answer board).
The audience is not asked.
The answer was INCREMENT.
Final Score: 84–52 (max 126)

Well, the answer turns out to be no, but Margaret can't spot it either and instead offers an 11-letter word into which an S has inexplicably found itself. Oh well, Tim has improved on his score from yesterday and will, furthermore, be moving onto his fourth game tomorrow, for which you'll need to consult with JR if you want details.

This has been Acme CanuckRecap™ #00001. All rights reserved.

Statistics Corner
Tim:
Total score – 84
Raw score – 97
Total % of max – 67
Raw % of max – 77
Total average score per round – 5.6
Raw average score per round – 6.5
Number of maxes – 6

Margaret:
Total score – 52
Raw score – 73
Total % of max – 41
Raw % of max – 58
Total average score per round – 3.5
Raw average score per round – 4.9
Number of maxes – 5

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=74

Did I do that right?
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Thomas Carey »

Johnny Canuck wrote: Except possibly by a spot of Apterites in the audience. I propose making that the official collective noun.
Too late.
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Dave Ricesky »

Johnny Canuck wrote:Tim's route to 220 is not the one I would have ever thought to take...
Obviously you saw (100 * 50 + 75) / 25 + 10 + 7, right?
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Johnny Canuck »

Dave Ricesky wrote:
Johnny Canuck wrote:Tim's route to 220 is not the one I would have ever thought to take...
Obviously you saw (100 * 50 + 75) / 25 + 10 + 7, right?
(100 + 10) * 50 / 25.
I'm not dead yet. In a rut right now because of stress from work. I'll be back later in S89. I also plan to bring back the Mastergram - if I can find a way to run a timer or clock through pure MediaWiki without having to upload to Vimeo every time.
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Matt Bayfield »

Johnny Canuck wrote:Round 1: S H N E U O W M I

Tim: SHOWMEN (7)
Margaret: WHINES (6)
DC: INHUMES (7) WINSOME (7)
OT: HEINOUS (7) MOHSINE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
When I watched this show, the first thing I saw in this round was legendary Nigerian footballer E SHOWUNMI.

Anyone remember any other sports stars' names making unlikely appearances in a Letters round?
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by James Laverty »

Matt Bayfield wrote:
Johnny Canuck wrote:Round 1: S H N E U O W M I

Tim: SHOWMEN (7)
Margaret: WHINES (6)
DC: INHUMES (7) WINSOME (7)
OT: HEINOUS (7) MOHSINE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
When I watched this show, the first thing I saw in this round was legendary Nigerian footballer E SHOWUNMI.

Anyone remember any other sports stars' names making unlikely appearances in a Letters round?
I remember a former World Cup footballer coming up in Round 7 of this game
Definitely not Jamie McNeill or Schrodinger's Cat....
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Johnny Canuck »

James Laverty wrote:
Matt Bayfield wrote:
Johnny Canuck wrote:Round 1: S H N E U O W M I

Tim: SHOWMEN (7)
Margaret: WHINES (6)
DC: INHUMES (7) WINSOME (7)
OT: HEINOUS (7) MOHSINE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
When I watched this show, the first thing I saw in this round was legendary Nigerian footballer E SHOWUNMI.

Anyone remember any other sports stars' names making unlikely appearances in a Letters round?
I remember a former World Cup footballer coming up in Round 7 of this game
St. Aqua Dog? I don't see it.
I'm not dead yet. In a rut right now because of stress from work. I'll be back later in S89. I also plan to bring back the Mastergram - if I can find a way to run a timer or clock through pure MediaWiki without having to upload to Vimeo every time.
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by James Laverty »

Sorry, link didn't copy. Was one of Eileen Taylor's octorun games
Definitely not Jamie McNeill or Schrodinger's Cat....
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Matt Bayfield »

Ah, Gary PALLISTER in Episode 5689. Very nice.
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Stewart Gordon »

Do many people realise that, once your opponent has buzzed in and got the conundrum wrong, you have the rest of the time to yourself? Margaret should have taken her time, and checked her answer before buzzing in.
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Stewart Gordon »

Johnny Canuck wrote:The male contestant takes first blood with a masculine word which apparently has no feminine equivalent. Nope, not even in the 2016 aptodic update can one be a SHOWWOMAN^. If she were still with us in Recapland, Jen would be outraged.
You could well ask. There are loads of feminine words that seem to have no masculine equivalent (indeed, I've just discovered that there's SHOWGIRL but no SHOWBOY), but vice versa seems to be less common.

But these aren't even the only examples where it's obvious what the other-gender form would be. For instance, WEATHER has this exact same anomaly as SHOW. And I'm still yet to find a dictionary that lists MANISE....
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Gavin Chipper »

There is also WOMAN but no WOWOMAN.
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Stewart Gordon »

Gavin Chipper wrote:There is also WOMAN but no WOWOMAN.
What would that be - an adult fefemale human being?
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Re: Tuesday 26 January 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 2)

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Stewart Gordon wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:There is also WOMAN but no WOWOMAN.
What would that be - an adult fefemale human being?
I think so.
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