Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 3 February 2016.
C1: Challenger Michael Lees. An actor from Rochdale, Greater Manchester. He loves quizzing, rock climbing, ice hockey, and has also swam with sharks.
C2: Challenger Chris Harding. A customer manager for a bank from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. He has been skywalking in the Grand Canyon.
DC: Susie Dent and Helen Fospero.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: E T O A W U S I P
R02: N T A O S M A N O
R03: 25, 5, 8, 2, 3, 3. Target: 326.
TTT: POOHYENS - "Winnie the Pooh yens for some of this"
R04: C D U I S L E V M
R05: A R H I N E I T S
R06: 25, 8, 2, 5, 7, 6. Target: 182.
R07: F T B O E U H S A
R08: R T E I D S P A N
R09: 50, 5, 4, 7, 8, 10. Target: 302.
TTT: OLDAGAIN - "It's not related to age, but it's definitely related to lines"
R10: R G E O R M L I D
R11: U C D G A E A R V
R12: L T N I O L S E J
R13: P R O I Q M A O S
R14: 50, 10, 9, 9, 1, 4. Target: 923.
R15: S U R V E Y M O I (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: E T O A W U S I P
Michael: PASTE (5)
Chris: UPSET (5)
DC: WASTE (5) SPITE (5) PATIOS (6) PATOIS (6) PASTIE (6) UTOPIAS (7)
OT: EUTOPIAS (8) WIPEOUTS (8)
Score: 5–5 (max 8)
A pair of 8's were available, including a new, but similar sounding one.....
A EUTOPIA is a perfect (imagined or hypothetical) society or state of existence; a place of supreme happiness. It's also a literary work describing such a place; a vision of an ideal state of existence. In early use sometimes distinguished from utopia in being a possible, rather than purely imaginary, place of happiness.
Round 2: N T A O S M A N O
Michael: MASON (5)
Chris: MOANS (5)
DC: SONATA (6)
OT: MANOAOS (7) MANTONS (7) ONOMAST (7)
Score: 10–10 (max 15)
Still stuck on 5's are our contestants.....
A MANOAO is either of two New Zealand coniferous trees of the family Podocarpaceae, both formerly assigned to the same genus, Dacrydium.
A MANTON is a type of Spanish shawl.
An ONOMAST is a person who studies proper names, especially personal names.
Round 3: 25, 5, 8, 2, 3, 3. Target: 326.
Michael: 326. ((8 + 5) x 25) + 3 - 2 (10)
Chris: 326. ((8 + 5) x 25) + (3 / 3) (10)
Score: 20–20 (max 25)
Full marks here.
Teatime teaser: POOHYENS -> HONEYSOP
Round 4: C D U I S L E V M
Michael: MUSCLED (7)
Chris: MUSCLED (7)
DC: SLUICE (6) SLUICED (7)
OT: MEDICUS (7) MISCUED (7) MULCIES (7)
Score: 27–27 (max 32)
Both players have MUSCLED each other out.....
A MEDICUS is quite simply, a doctor or physician.
A MILSEY (or MULCIE) is a Scottish term for a milk strainer.
Round 5: A R H I N E I T S
Michael: HAIRIEST (8)
Chris: HAIRNETS (8)
DC: INHERITS (8)
OT: INEARTHS (8) RAINIEST (8) THERIANS (8)
Score: 35–35 (max 40)
A lot of HAIRy words here, as both players get great 8's.
Round 6: 25, 8, 2, 5, 7, 6. Target: 182.
Michael: 182. (7 x 25) + 5 + 2 (10)
Chris: 182. (7 x 25) + 5 + 2 (10)
Score: 45–45 (max 50)
Simple numbers yet again, so a level game remains.
Helen talks about the "12 minute routine" she got taught by Penny Smith, to deal with doing early morning breakfast routine.
Round 7: F T B O E U H S A
Michael: BATHES (6)
Chris: ABOUT (5)
DC: BEAUTS (6) FOETUS (6) SABOT (5)
OT: FATOUSH (7)
Score: 51–45 (max 57)
The deadlock is finally broken as Michael BATHES his way to success, although Chris could've stuck the S onto his ABOUT to keep things level....
A FATOUSH (or FATTOUSH) is a Middle Eastern salad dish consisting of tomatoes, cucumber, and other vegetables together with croutons made from toasted pitta bread.
Round 8: R T E I D S P A N
Michael: PANTRIES (8)
Chris: SPRINTED (8)
DC: PANDERS (7) PARTIED (7) DIPTERANS (18)
Score: 59–53 (max 75)
Plenty of 8's, I'm sure, but DC go top dollar with a NINE
Round 9: 50, 5, 4, 7, 8, 10. Target: 302.
Michael: 302. ((10 - 4) x 50) + 7 - 5 (10)
Chris: 302. ((10 - 4) x 50) + 7 - 5 (10)
Score: 69–63 (max 85)
Simple numbers yet again. Where are all those 4 large.........
Teatime teaser: OLDAGAIN -> DIAGONAL
Round 10: R G E O R M L I D
Michael: GLIDER (6)
Chris: MODEL (5)
DC: GLORIED (7)
OT: GIRDLER (7) GIRLDOM (7) GODLIER (7) LORIMER (7) MIRRLED (7) REGIDOR (7)
Score: 75–63 (max 92)
Michael glides his way into a bigger lead with his GLIDER, but there are seven 7's available here.
A GIRDLER is an insect which removes rings of bark from trees.
In Shetland, to MIRRL is to move lightly and briskly; to twirl around; to shimmer, quiver, tremble.
Chiefly in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries, a REGIDOR is a member of a cabildo or municipal council; a councillor; a village official.
Round 11: U C D G A E A R V
Michael: GRACED (6)
Chris: RAVAGED (7)
DC: CADAVER (7)
Score: 75–70 (max 99)
Chris gets back in with a great 7, and this game goes back onto a knife-edge.....
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "blue"-related words.
Round 12: L T N I O L S E J
Michael: JOLLIEST (8)
Chris: JOSTLE (6)
DC: JOLLIES (7) LENTILS (7)
Score: 83–70 (max 107)
Michael seems to think that JOLLIEST is the most ridiculous 8 he can think of!!!
Well, there's no doubt of it being in, and Michael's lead returns to double figures....Round 13: P R O I Q M A O S
Michael: primas
Chris: prima
DC: PROMOS (6) ARIOSO (6)
OT: PROSOMA (7)
Score: 83–70 (max 114)
No prima means no primas, meaning this game is still not put to bed yet....
PROSOMA is another term for cephalothorax, the fused head and thorax of spiders and other chelicerate arthropods.
Round 14: 50, 10, 9, 9, 1, 4. Target: 923.
Michael: 922. ((9 + 9) x (50 + 1)) + 4 (7)
Chris: 930.
RR: 923. ((10 + 9) x 50) - ((4 - 1) x 9) (10)
Score: 90–70 (max 124)
No gamble from Chris, and it seals his fate, as he can only get 7 away, while Michael's 1 away gets him his win, and a possible chance at a century too....
Round 15: S U R V E Y M O I
Michael buzzes on 5.5 seconds to say VOYEURISM which is correct.
Final Score: 100–70 (max 134)
And he does get his century thanks to his VOYEURISM.........
So, it might've seemed to be nothing too exciting early doors, but a few little tweaks from Michael sees him win at a comfortable margin in the end, and getting 100 is quite good too.
Join Tracey tomorrow to see what he'll get up to next.
Till then, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Michael:
Total score - 100
Raw score - 106
Total % of max - 75
Raw % of max - 79
Total average score per round - 6.7
Raw average score per round - 7.1
Number of maxes - 7
Chris:
Total score - 70
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 52
Raw % of max - 68
Total average score per round - 4.7
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=74