Will Andrew be the first octochamp of Series 75
Let's find out, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 6 July 2016.
C1: Champion Andrew Fenton (7 wins, 646 points.) A sales director from Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan.
C2: Challenger Pádraig Ryan. An advertising planner originally from County Meath, Republic of Ireland, but now lives in London. He has a fear of sponges, in that he can't touch them....
DC: Susie Dent and Alison Steadman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G J A S P I E T D
R02: Y O I G V T A N D
R03: 100, 75, 9, 8, 6, 9. Target: 471.
TTT: HALORING - "Was this cat a lover from Liverpool?"
R04: X O N W E P S A R
R05: R I M F A T U S B
R06: 50, 75, 100, 25, 3, 9. Target: 200.
R07: T D T E O E P L M
R08: R A O E L V D A T
R09: 100, 75, 1, 10, 7, 8. Target: 325.
TTT: TASTESIN - "He developed a taste for sin; he was a thoroughly unpleasant chap."
R10: S E I W S O L E G
R11: M E K A S R S O D
R12: R A U Z E L C T A
R13: S E M P R U I C B
R14: 25, 50, 100, 75, 4, 10. Target: 534.
R15: U R B A N C O I L (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: G J A S P I E T D
Andrew: pagets
Pádraig: SPITED (6)
DC: AGISTED (7)
OT: PEGASID (7)
Score: 0–6 (max 7)
A bad start for Andrew, as you can't have pagets by themselves.....
PEGASID is a fish of the family Pegasidae; a sea-moth.
Round 2: Y O I G V T A N D
Andrew: VOTING (6)
Pádraig: ovating
DC: VANITY (6) TOADYING (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 15)
Well, Pádraig's lead was short-lived as his offering of ovating isn't in, allowing Andrew to level proceedings.
Round 3: 100, 75, 9, 8, 6, 9. Target: 471.
Andrew: 476.
Pádraig: 468. (75 x 6) + 9 + 9 (7)
RR: 471. (75 x 6) + ((100 + 8) / 9) + 9 (10)
Score: 6–13 (max 25)
Well, Pádraig's lead returns, as both players struggle with the numbers, but Pádraig's 3 away gives him a lead of 7 points.
Teatime teaser: HALORING -> LONGHAIR
Round 4: X O N W E P S A R
Andrew: WEAPONS (7)
Pádraig: WEAPONS (7)
DC: PERSONA (7)
OT: ENWRAPS (7) PAWNERS (7) PAWNORS (7) PRONASE (7) REPAWNS (7) RESPAWN (7) SPAWNER (7)
Score: 13–20 (max 32)
7's aplenty, but our contestants are happy picking up WEAPONS, it seems.
A PAWNER (or PAWNOR) is a person who deposits something with another (usually a pawnbroker) as a pledge or security for a loan.
PRONASE is a purified preparation of proteinase from cultures of the bacterium Streptomyces griseus.
Round 5: R I M F A T U S B
Andrew: FARMS (5)
Pádraig: BRIMS (5)
DC: ATRIUMS (7)
OT: MARUTIS (7) MATSURI (7) MITSUBA (7) SUBFARM (7)
Score: 18–25 (max 39)
More 7's aplenty in this round, but just 5's from the players.
In Southern Africa (especially among Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, and Tswana speakers) a MARUTI (or MORUTI) is a teacher, missionary, or minister of religion.
MITSUBA is a small leafy perennial herb, Cryptotaenia japonica (family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)), native to eastern Asia, especially Japan, where it is frequently used to flavour and garnish food.
To SUBFARM is to subrent or sublet (land or property); to farm out (something) for a second or subsequent time.
Round 6: 50, 75, 100, 25, 3, 9. Target: 200.
Andrew: 200. 100 + 75 + 25 (10)
Pádraig: 200. 100 + 75 + 25 (10)
Score: 28–35 (max 49)
Not sure that was the 4 large that Pádraig wanted, but he still has the lead for now.
Alison talks about her decision to give up using plastic shopping bags, because of a turtle that died of consuming nearly 300 shopping bags in the sea.
Round 7: T D T E O E P L M
Andrew: PLOTTED (7)
Pádraig: PLOTTED (7)
DC: MOTTLED (7)
OT: METTLED (7) MODETTE (7) PLETTED (7) PLOTTEE (7) POEMLET (7) POTTLED (7) TEMPTED (7)
Score: 35–42 (max 56)
More things PLOTTED and distributed in the studio, but the status quo remains.
A MODETTE quite simply is a female mod.
To PLET is to braid or intertwine strands of hair, straw, etc.
A PLOTTEE is a person who is plotted against; one who is the subject of a plot or plotting.
POTTLED is an adjective meaning placed or packed in a pottle, a small conical punnet for strawberries or other fruit.
Round 8: R A O E L V D A T
Andrew: LEOTARD (7)
Pádraig: TRAVEL (6)
DC: DELATOR (7)
OT: ALTARED (7) DATALER (7) LATERAD (7) LEVATOR (7)
Score: 42–42 (max 63)
Has the legendary LEOTARD given Andrew the impetus to turn the game around
The scores are now level at halfway. 
A DATALER (or DATALLER) is a worker hired or paid by the day, typically for manual work; a day labourer.
LATERAD is an adverb meaning towards the side; laterally.
Round 9: 100, 75, 1, 10, 7, 8. Target: 325.
Andrew: 332. ((7 - 1) x 75) - 100 - 10 - 8 (5)
Pádraig: -
RR: 325. (((10 - 8) x 7) - 1) x (100 - 75) (10)
Score: 47–42 (max 73)
Oh dear, oh dear, a horror show for both players on what was a pretty simple numbers game here. But, will those 5 points for Andrew be crucial in the long run....
Teatime teaser: TASTESIN -> NASTIEST
Round 10: S E I W S O L E G
Andrew: GLOWS (5)
Pádraig: GLOWS (5)
DC: WIGLESS (7)
OT: EGOLESS (7) GWEILOS (7) LEWISES (7)
Score: 52–47 (max 80)
WIGLESS is certainly a very unusual 7, but it's all good for us.
A LEWIS is a steel device for gripping heavy blocks of stone or concrete for lifting, consisting of three pieces arranged to form a dovetail, the outside pieces being fixed in a dovetail mortise by the insertion of the middle piece.
Round 11: M E K A S R S O D
Andrew: DEMARKS (7)
Pádraig: demasks
DC: DARKSOME (8)
Score: 59–47 (max 88)
A bit of a reversal of fortune for the players, as Pádraig thinks his word is safe, but isn't, and Andrew thinks his is risky but is good.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origin of the phrase "hitting the dirt".
Round 12: R A U Z E L C T A
Andrew: ACTUAL (6)
Pádraig: CLARET (6)
DC: CURATE (6) CARTEL (6) LAZARET (7)
OT: ARCUATE (7) CREATAL (7) CUARTEL (7)
Score: 65–53 (max 95)
Hmmm, an ACTUAL CLARET. Don't mind if I do.....
ARCUATE is an adjective meaning shaped like a bow; curved.
CREATAL is an adjective meaning of or relating to creation.
A CUARTEL is a military barracks in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries.
Round 13: S E M P R U I C B
Andrew: BUMPIER (7)
Pádraig: SCRUMP (6)
DC: IMBUES (6) UMPIRES (7)
OT: CRUMBIES (8)
Score: 72–53 (max 103)
Hmmm, well it has been a bit of a BUMPIER ride for Andrew, but is he about to win and become an octochamp
He is in the dreaded 19-point lead though, so Pádraig's numbers will be crucial here........In North America, a CRUMBY (or CRUMMY) is a truck used to transport loggers to and from work.
Round 14: 25, 50, 100, 75, 4, 10. Target: 534.
Andrew: 534. (((75 / 25) + 50) x 10) + 4 (10)
Pádraig: 534. Mistake in working.
Score: 82–53 (max 113)
Pádraig is obviously hoping for a much trickier 4 large to come around this time, and it doesn't show up. It's actually almost as easy as the last one, but Pádraig unfortunately messes it up to default the win to Andrew, who does indeed become the first octochamp of the series.
Round 15: U R B A N C O I L
No one buzzes. The answer was BINOCULAR.
Final Score: 82–53 (max 123)
No-one can solve the conundrum, apart from a certain Miss Rachel Riley, who puts her hand up almost instantaneously after the 30 seconds were up.
So, Andrew is an octochamp, and by deafult, the #1 seed for now. Pádraig gave him a scare for a while, but after the halfway point, it was pretty much one way traffic.
Join Sean on Monday to see who will be the second person to win a match in Series 75.
Till then, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Andrew:
Total score - 82
Raw score - 89
Total % of max - 67
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 5.5
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 5
Pádraig:
Total score - 53
Raw score - 65
Total % of max - 43
Raw % of max - 53
Total average score per round - 3.5
Raw average score per round - 4.3
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=75