Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 14 July 2016.
C1: Champion Stephen Fuller (2 wins, 163 points.) An Apterite and freelance author and editor from Basingstoke, Hampshire.
C2: Challenger Philippa Craven. A retired teach from Killiney, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland. She goes sea swimming as part of a group, which she has been doing since 2001.
DC: Susie Dent and Chris Packham.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L S D A U I O R W
R02: E N S K U A R I M
R03: 25, 4, 7, 9, 5, 4. Target: 452.
TTT: TOYBLOOM - "You'll need to use your head to get the answer to this."
R04: T O E H P U S Q S
R05: C M N O A E I F L
R06: 50, 1, 1, 4, 6, 3. Target: 220.
R07: G S N E A O E C P
R08: O A V G D I A M N
R09: 75, 8, 4, 5, 2, 1. Target: 664.
TTT: TINACOOL - "Tina cooled off on the house purchase; she didn't like where it was."
R10: R M U E S X O R T
R11: N H L T R I E U O
R12: E I T D N A L E T
R13: R P F I O T R E A
R14: 25, 3, 2, 9, 5, 4. Target: 565.
R15: N E I G H N U T S (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: L S D A U I O R W
Stephen: SAILOR (6)
Philippa: WALRUS (6)
DC: RADIOS (6)
OT: RADIOUS (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
A very nautical theme to begin the game, but there was a 7 similar to DC's 6 that was available too....
RADIOUS is an adjective meaning radiant or bright.
Round 2: E N S K U A R I M
Stephen: MANKIER (7)
Philippa: MANKIER (7)
DC: SEMINAR (7) REMAINS (7) MERKINS (7) ANEURISM (8)
OT: RAMEKINS (8) UNMAKERS (8) UNMASKER (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 15)
Two MANKIER 7's from our players, while DC find an ANEURISM, which is probably a bit worse than being MANKIER>
An UNMAKER is a person who unmakes a person or thing; especially a destroyer.
Round 3: 25, 4, 7, 9, 5, 4. Target: 452.
Stephen: 452. Mistake in working.
Philippa: -
RR: 452. (25 x 4 x 4) + (9 x 5) + 7 (10)
Score: 13–13 (max 25)
Oh dear, bad for Stephen as he thinks he hasn't, but throws it away.
Teatime teaser: TOYBLOOM -> LOBOTOMY
Round 4: T O E H P U S Q S
Stephen: POSHEST (7)
Philippa: SPOUTS (6)
DC: UPSHOTS (7)
Score: 20–13 (max 32)
The first lead of the day to Stephen thanks to his POSHEST 7.
Round 5: C M N O A E I F L
Stephen: FACILE (6)
Philippa: FELON (5)
DC: COALMEN (7) FLAMENCO (8)
OT: MECONIAL (8)
Score: 26–13 (max 40)
While DC are busy doing the FLAMENCO, Stephen is just being FACILE, which is good enough to extend his lead a bit more.
MECONIAL is an adjective meaning of, relating to, or caused by meconium, the dark green substance forming the first faeces of a newborn infant.
Round 6: 50, 1, 1, 4, 6, 3. Target: 220.
Stephen: 220. (6 - 1 + 50) x 5 (10)
Philippa: 220. ((50 + 6) x 4) - (3 + 1) (10)
Score: 36–23 (max 50)
Both players solve it, although Philippa takes the slightly longer route to get to the final destination.
Chris talks about intriguing facts about feathers.
Round 7: G S N E A O E C P
Stephen: paegons
Philippa: spaces
DC: ENCAGES (7)
OT: PEONAGES (8)
Score: 36–23 (max 58)
Double ouch. No paegons for Stephen, and no second S for Philippa's spaces either.....
Round 8: O A V G D I A M N
Stephen: VAGINA (6)
Philippa: doving
DC: DOMAIN (6)
OT: AGAMOID (7) ANGIOMA (7) MANGIAO (7)
Score: 42–23 (max 65)
Philippa has a risky 6, so Stephen counters with a risque 6, and pulls further clear.
AGAMOID is an adjective meaning belonging to the family Agamidae or the former superfamily Agamoidea of lizards.
A MANGIAO is a New Zealand tree, Litsea calicaris, of the family Lauraceae, with tough, light brown wood.
Round 9: 75, 8, 4, 5, 2, 1. Target: 664.
Stephen: 664. ((8 + 1) x 75) - (4 + 5 + 2) (10)
Philippa: 664. (5 + 2 + 1 + 75) x 8 (10)
Score: 52–33 (max 75)
Nicely done by both players, as we head into the final third of the game.
Teatime teaser: TINACOOL -> LOCATION
Round 10: R M U E S X O R T
Stephen: TREMORS (7)
Philippa: STORMER (7)
DC: ROUTERS (7)
OT: MORSURE (7) RETOURS (7) ROSTRUM (7) ROTURES (7) ROUSTER (7) TOURERS (7) TROUSER (7)
Score: 59–40 (max 82)
7's aplenty in this round.
MORSURE is the action or an act of biting; a bite.
A ROUSTER is a US term for a roustabout, an unskilled or casual labourer.
Round 11: N H L T R I E U O
Stephen: ROUTINE (7)
Philippa: HUNTER (6)
DC: OUTLINER (8) LUTINO (6)
OT: UNHOLIER (8)
Score: 66–40 (max 90)
This game is starting to turn into a ROUTINE win for Stephen now....
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "brow".
Round 12: E I T D N A L E T
Stephen: ENTITLED (8)
Philippa: NETTLED (7)
DC: DATELINE (8) TALENTED (8)
OT: ENTAILED (8)
Score: 74–40 (max 98)
Stephen must think he is just about ENTITLED to this win now. Well, he's nearly there now.
Round 13: R P F I O T R E A
Stephen: fartier
Philippa: reprofit
DC: PROFITER (8) ROTIFER (7)
OT: FOREPART (8) PORTFIRE (8) PREFATOR (8) PRIORATE (8)
Score: 74–40 (max 106)
Well, the game is over now, but I'm well amazed that only arty farty is in the dictionary.
A PORTFIRE is a handheld fuse used for firing cannons, igniting explosives in mining, etc.
A PREFATOR is a person who writes a preface.
Round 14: 25, 3, 2, 9, 5, 4. Target: 565.
Stephen: 562. Mistake in working.
Philippa: 562. Mistake in working.
RR: 565. (((3 - 2 + 25) x 4) + 9) x 5 (10)
Score: 74–40 (max 116)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Both players make a mess of this numbers game.
Round 15: N E I G H N U T S
No one buzzes. The answer was ENTHUSING.
Final Score: 74–40 (max 126)
For the first time in a long time in the show, the person picked from the audience to solve the conundrum happens to be tomorrow's contestant
And that's 3 double blanks in a row, but hey-ho, Stephen won't care, as he's through to a 4th game tomorrow. Join Anthony for that one.
Till next time, bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Stephen:
Total score - 74
Raw score - 74
Total % of max - 59
Raw % of max - 59
Total average score per round - 4.9
Raw average score per round - 4.9
Number of maxes - 5
Philippa:
Total score - 40
Raw score - 64
Total % of max - 32
Raw % of max - 51
Total average score per round - 2.7
Raw average score per round - 4.3
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=75