Enjoy. 
Countdown recap for Wednesday 27 April 2016.
C1: Champion Dave Costello (3 wins, 273 points.) A pensions actuary from Bath. For his 30th birthday, he did a tandem skydive in Devon.
C2: Challenger Martin Ripley. A finance manager from Laycock, West Yorkshire. He likes horse riding, walking and kite flying in Northumberland.
DC: Susie Dent and Charlotte Hawkins.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: F C H U A E P N O
R02: I E T X A R T O M
R03: 75, 100, 25, 4, 9, 10. Target: 473.
TTT: HERGOVAN - "Her night out in Govan left her with nothing but this"
R04: U I N R O E Y S A
R05: D Q S R I E I W E
R06: 50, 25, 75, 7, 10, 7. Target: 545.
R07: L N O I A S R T E
R08: U B I D A I G O M
R09: 7, 10, 4, 1, 5, 1. Target: 926.
TTT: UNASMITH - "Una Smith was a great believer in people"
R10: A I D N E V S A O
R11: N T F A E I S M D
R12: E U R S O C T A S
R13: D W E I A T K R E
R14: 75, 25, 50, 7, 9, 3. Target: 214.
R15: B M I S E L F I E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: F C H U A E P N O
Dave: PAUNCH (6)
Martin: PAUNCH (6)
OT: PONCEAU (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
Both players show of their PAUNCH in the opening round, but neither spot the darrenic 7....
PONCEAU is any of a series of red azo dyes.
Round 2: I E T X A R T O M
Dave: MATTER (6)
Martin: EXTRA (5)
DC: AMORETTI (8)
Score: 12–6 (max 15)
Nothing's the MATTER with Dave, as he takes the lead. Great darrenic 8 by DC though.
Round 3: 75, 100, 25, 4, 9, 10. Target: 473.
Dave: 474. (4 x 100) + 75 - (10 - 9) (7)
Martin: 474. (4 x 100) + 75 - (10 - 9) (7)
RR: 473. ((100 + 10 + 9) x 4) - (75 / 25) (10)
Score: 19–13 (max 25)
Rachel needed extra time for this one, but both players get one away.
Teatime teaser: HERGOVAN -> HANGOVER
Round 4: U I N R O E Y S A
Dave: SENIOR (6)
Martin: SENIOR (6)
DC: RUINS (5)
OT: ARISEN (6) AROUSE (6) ARSINE (6) EIRONS (6) INSURE (6) INURES (6) IRONES (6) NEOSIA (6) NOISER (6) NORIAS (6) NORIES (6) NOSIER (6) NURSEY (6) NURSIE (6) OIRANS (6) OURSIN (6) REASON (6) RESINY (6) RIONES (6) ROSEIN (6) ROSINY (6) ROUSIE (6) RUSINE (6) SARNIE (6) SENARY (6) SUNRAY (6) UNEASY (6) URSINE (6) YEARNS (6)
Score: 25–19 (max 31)
Now they're both having a SENIOR moment.
An EIRON is a stock character in ancient Greek comedy characterized by self-depreciation, modesty of speech, and awareness of irony.
An IRONE is a fragrant oil obtained from orris root (Iris germanica and other species).
NEOSIA (or NEOZA) is the chilgoza pine, Pinus gerardiana, valued for its edible seeds.
An OIRAN is a Japanese courtesan of high standing.
An OURSIN is a sea urchin, especially an edible one.
A RIONE is a district or administrative division of Rome.
ROSEINE (or ROSEIN) is any of certain red dyes which are derivatives of rosaniline, specifically the hydrochloride (fuchsin).
A ROUSIE is a person performing unskilled labour or doing odd jobs on a farm, especially in a shearing shed.
A SENARY is an adjective relating to or based on the number six.
Round 5: D Q S R I E I W E
Dave: RESIDE (6)
Martin: WEIRD (5)
DC: WEIRDIES (8)
Score: 31–19 (max 39)
Martin like many I'm sure thought WEIRDIES was too WEIRD, but Dave managed to RESIDE in his 6 to go a dozen points clear.
Round 6: 50, 25, 75, 7, 10, 7. Target: 545.
Dave: 545. (7 x 75) + ((50 / 25) x 10) (10)
Martin: 549.
Score: 41–19 (max 49)
3 large yet again, but it's Dave who takes the 10 points and is now in a dominant position....
Charlotte talks about some of her mistakes done on live TV broadcasts, including mistaking John Kerry for John Terry.
Round 7: L N O I A S R T E
Dave: RELATIONS (18)
Martin: LISTEN (6)
DC: ORIENTALS (18)
OT: ROTALINES (18) TENSORIAL (18)
Score: 59–19 (max 67)
Dave's RELATIONS are clearly good, a 40 point lead is now his.
Round 8: U B I D A I G O M
Dave: MAID (4)
Martin: MAID (4)
DC: DAIMIO (6)
OT: IDIGBO (6) MAIOID (6) OIDIUM (6)
Score: 63–23 (max 73)
From 9 to 4, not quite a Dolly Parton song, but it's still some more points on the board for Dave.
An IDIGBO is a West African tree which has a distinctive pagoda-like shape and yields weather-resistant timber. (Terminalia ivorensis, family Combretaceae)
MAIOID (or MAJOID) is an adjective resembling or related to the genus Maja; specifically belonging to the group (now a superfamily) Majoidea (formerly Maioidea) of decapod crustaceans, containing the genus Maja and other genera of spider crabs.
Round 9: 7, 10, 4, 1, 5, 1. Target: 926.
Dave: -
Martin: -
OT: 910. 7 x 10 x (((1 + 1) x 4) + 5) (0)
Score: 63–23 (max 73)
Oh dear.... NEXT
Teatime teaser: UNASMITH -> HUMANIST
Round 10: A I D N E V S A O
Dave: VENDS (5)
Martin: DIVANS (6)
DC: EVASION (7) INVADES (7)
OT: ADONISE (7) ANODISE (7) NAEVOID (7) NAIADES (7) NAVAIDS (7)
Score: 63–29 (max 80)
Martin's DIVANS are in, as he creeps up on Dave....
Round 11: N T F A E I S M D
Dave: STAINED (7)
Martin: MANIFEST (8)
DC: DEFIANT (7)
OT: MEDIANTS (8)
Score: 63–37 (max 88)
Well, from creeping to MANIFESTing....., Dave is still a bit away from Martin's grasp, but who knows.....
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "murder" and "detective".
Round 12: E U R S O C T A S
Dave: coaters
Martin: CRUSTS (6)
DC: CAROUSES (8)
OT: ACORUSES (8) COARSEST (8) COASTERS (8) CRUSTOSE (8) OSSATURE (8) OUTRACES (8) SCOUTERS (8) SURCOATS (8)
Score: 63–43 (max 96)
Ouchy, Dave's coaters isn't in, but he could've stuck the other S in it for COASTERS, and all of a sudden, Martin is now in with a realistic shout here....
CRUSTOSE is an adjective meaning forming or resembling a crust of a lichen or alga.
OSSATURE means something resembling a skeleton.
A SURCOAT is a loose robe worn over armour.
Round 13: D W E I A T K R E
Dave: WAITER (6)
Martin: TWEAKED (7)
DC: WATERED (7) redkite
OT: DEWATER (7) TARWEED (7) TWEAKER (7) TWERKED (7) TWIRKED (7) WEARIED (7) WREAKED (7)
Score: 63–50 (max 103)
WOAH
From being 40 points behind after the 3rd numbers game, Martin is now only 13 behind, and with a good numbers game here, he could have himself the most unlikely win in the history of Countdown A TARWEED is any of a number of American plants of the daisy family with sticky leaves and heavy scent. (Madia, Grindelia, Hemizonia, and related genera, family Compositae)
Round 14: 75, 25, 50, 7, 9, 3. Target: 214.
Dave: 214. (3 x 75) - (50 / 25) - 9 (10)
Martin: 215.
Score: 73–50 (max 113)
Well, Dave has managed to wake up from his lazy spell of no points in 5 rounds to take the numbers game and seal his 4th win.
Round 15: B M I S E L F I E
Dave buzzes on 3.5 seconds to say MISBELIEF which is correct.
Final Score: 83–50 (max 123)
And he even celebrates by getting the conundrum too!! So, Dave is now a half-octochamp, and is looking towards the next game and a possible guaranteed finals spot too....
I'll be back tomorrow for the next game. Bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Dave:
Total score - 83
Raw score - 101
Total % of max - 67
Raw % of max - 82
Total average score per round - 5.5
Raw average score per round - 6.7
Number of maxes - 6
Martin:
Total score - 50
Raw score - 80
Total % of max - 41
Raw % of max - 65
Total average score per round - 3.3
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=74