Let's find out. Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 21 July 2016.
C1: Champion Aidan Linge (1 win, 106 points.) An Apterite and student from Thetford, Norfolk. He's about to head to the University of Sussex to study Politics.
C2: Challenger Ciarán Duffy. A secondary school maths teacher from Kilcock, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland. He was once the conductor of a chamber choir, and has been in mny other choirs. His favourite film is Michael Collins, the film about the Irish revolutionary.
DC: Susie Dent and David James.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: D V G U E N O M A
R02: S I L E C U W R S
R03: 50, 100, 4, 6, 3, 9. Target: 753.
TTT: IHARDONE - "This is a hard one; James Bond might be able to help."
R04: B N S A I T S O A
R05: X N H L E A O R L
R06: 75, 7, 7, 5, 3, 9. Target: 223.
R07: R N D I A O K T E
R08: N M D I A F R E D
R09: 100, 50, 8, 8, 2, 5. Target: 432.
TTT: CAKECOMB - "Eddy Grant sang about this quick and witty reply. "
R10: G O Z E P R I L U
R11: P M R E O E U V T
R12: R W S A E T P I T
R13: A U F L T S E I R
R14: 25, 6, 4, 6, 3, 10. Target: 912.
R15: W A L D O B A R K (conundrum)
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Round 1: D V G U E N O M A
Aidan: UNMOVED (7)
Ciarán: MOANED (6)
DC: VOGUED (6)
OT: AGENDUM (7) DOGVANE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
Aidan seems UNMOVED early doors, but that does get him a 7 point lead.
A DOGVANE is a small, light vane of thread, cork, and feathers, placed on a gunwale or shroud to indicate the direction of the wind.
Round 2: S I L E C U W R S
Aidan: CRUISES (7)
Ciarán: curlies
DC: SLUICES (7)
OT: CRUSIES (7) CURLEWS (7) SLICERS (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 14)
No curlies for Ciarán, as Aidan CRUISES into a 14 point lead.
A CRUSIE (or CRUISIE) is a Scottish small oil lamp with a handle.
Round 3: 50, 100, 4, 6, 3, 9. Target: 753.
Aidan: 753. ((6 + 9) x 50) + 3 (10)
Ciarán: 753. ((4 + 3) x 100) + 50 + 9 - 6 (10)
Score: 24–10 (max 24)
Two very different methods, but it's two lots of 10 points, which I'm sure will make Ciarán a little happier.
Teatime teaser: IHARDONE -> IRONHEAD
Round 4: B N S A I T S O A
Aidan: ABSTAINS (8)
Ciarán: abations
DC: BASTIONS (8)
Score: 32–10 (max 32)
More bad luck in the letters for Ciarán, as Aidan is still on for a MAX GAME, even at this early stage......
Round 5: X N H L E A O R L
Aidan: exhaler
Ciarán: HALL (4)
DC: LLANERO (7)
Score: 32–14 (max 39)
Well, that ended quickly, as Aidan realises he has used the E twice, but it wasn't in anyway......
Round 6: 75, 7, 7, 5, 3, 9. Target: 223.
Aidan: 223. (75 x 3) - (7 - 5) (10)
Ciarán: 223. (75 x 3) - (7 - 5) (10)
Score: 42–24 (max 49)
Simple numbers game here. NEXT
David talks about being tricked by Rio Ferdinand for a TV prank show.
Round 7: R N D I A O K T E
Aidan: ORDINATE (8)
Ciarán: TANKED (6)
DC: RATIONED (8)
OT: DERATION (8) NADORITE (8) RODENTIA (8)
Score: 50–24 (max 57)
Aidan clearly knows his words by going for ORDINATE, rather than the more common RATIONED.
NADORITE is an orthorhombic oxychloride of antimony and lead, PbSbO2Cl, usually occurring as brown to yellow tabular or prismatic crystals.
Round 8: N M D I A F R E D
Aidan: DRAINED (7)
Ciarán: FRIEND (6)
DC: FIREMAN (7)
OT: ADERMIN (7) ADMIRED (7) DANDIER (7) FADDIER (7)
Score: 57–24 (max 64)
He might've got DRAINED, but Aidan certainly doesn't look it
ADERMIN (or PYRODOXINE) is a colourless weakly basic solid present chiefly in cereals, liver oils, and yeast, and important in the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids. Also called vitamin B6.
Round 9: 100, 50, 8, 8, 2, 5. Target: 432.
Aidan: 432. (100 x 5) - 50 - 8 - 8 - 2 (10)
Ciarán: -
Score: 67–24 (max 74)
Ciarán's chances are slipping away fast, as another 10 points for Aidan in the numbers game see his lead extend to 43 points, and with 8/9 maxes to boot, it's been a top drawer performance so far.
Teatime teaser: CAKECOMB -> COMEBACK
Round 10: G O Z E P R I L U
Aidan: GROPE (5)
Ciarán: PRIZE (5)
DC: PIROGUE (7)
OT: GROUPIE (7)
Score: 72–29 (max 81)
Aidan even fancies a little GROPE before the end of the game.
Round 11: P M R E O E U V T
Aidan: ERUPT (5)
Ciarán: PROVE (5)
DC: PERMUTE (7)
OT: OUVERTE (7) PREVOTE (7)
Score: 77–34 (max 88)
OUVERTE (or OUVERT) is a position in which the feet are apart; a movement by which the feet or legs become separated.
Just 5's from the players again, but DC get another nice 7.
In France and some French-speaking countries, a PRÉVÔTÉ is a court exercising local jurisdiction.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of "hearse".
Round 12: R W S A E T P I T
Aidan: WAITERS (7)
Ciarán: PATTERS (7)
DC: WIRETAPS (8)
OT: WARTIEST (8)
Score: 84–41 (max 96)
Aidan has his second win sewn up thanks to his WAITERS.
Round 13: A U F L T S E I R
Aidan: FILTERS (7)
Ciarán: REFUSAL (7)
DC: FAULTIER (8) FISTULAR (8)
OT: FILATURES (18)
Score: 91–48 (max 114)
A great 9 is hidden away, but Aidan is on course for back-to-back centuries.
Round 14: 25, 6, 4, 6, 3, 10. Target: 912.
Aidan: 916.
Ciarán: 910. ((6 + 3) x 4 x 25) + 10 (7)
RR: 912. (6 x 6 x 25) + (4 x 3) (10)
Score: 91–55 (max 124)
Well, Ciarán has some joy in the numbers game, but both players missing the 6 x 6 x 25 method is a bit bad.....
Round 15: W A L D O B A R K
Aidan buzzes on 2 seconds to say BROADWALK which is incorrect.
Ciarán buzzes on 2.5 seconds to say BOARDWALK which is correct.
Final Score: 91–65 (max 134)
Ouchy, Aidan is just a misplaced R away from back-to-back centuries, but Ciarán capitalises to give the score a bit more respectability.
So, Aidan is shaping up to be a pretty decent player. Maybe he could be the next boy wonder of Countdown.....
Join Anthony tomorrow to see if that could still be the case.
No shows next week thanks to Glorious Goodwood, so see you in August. Bye for now.
Statistics Corner
Aidan:
Total score - 91
Raw score - 98
Total % of max - 68
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 6.1
Raw average score per round - 6.5
Number of maxes - 8
Ciarán:
Total score - 65
Raw score - 83
Total % of max - 49
Raw % of max - 62
Total average score per round - 4.3
Raw average score per round - 5.5
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=75