Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 3 August 2016.
C1: Champion Stephen Bloom (2 wins, 199 points.) A PE teacher from Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
C2: Challenger Cammy Lovatt. A school student from Biggar, South Lanarkshire. He once woke up with a mouthful of feathers, as he had somehow bit threw his pillow while sleeping.
DC: Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: R D T A O U Z T M
R02: S Y G S E I A O R
R03: 50, 1, 7, 7, 9, 8. Target: 694.
TTT: TREEEARS - "If he's done some wrongs, he gets his rights."
R04: T U I N H P A O G
R05: T R B E A U R Q D
R06: 100, 25, 50, 75, 2, 1. Target: 859.
R07: N M S I E I L A R
R08: P V M U E O I R L
R09: 50, 10, 5, 9, 10, 6. Target: 108.
TTT: EMUSTALC - "These aren't instruments of war; it's quite the opposite."
R10: D G S P N E U E A
R11: S V L O I A N E L
R12: F B S L U I O E S
R13: F D H U I O T D E
R14: 100, 75, 8, 4, 4, 8. Target: 115.
R15: F I N D I M A G E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: R D T A O U Z T M
Stephen: TROUT (5)
Cammy: MUTATOR (7)
DC: ROAM (4)
OT: TZARDOM (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)
A great start by the 17-year-old with a spot that even took Gyles Brandreth in DC by surprise
Round 2: S Y G S E I A O R
Stephen: GASSIER (7)
Cammy: GASSIER (7)
DC: ARGOSY (6) ARGOSIES (8)
Score: 7–14 (max 15)
While both players seem to want to be GASSIER than each other, DC go for a sail in some ARGOSIES.
Round 3: 50, 1, 7, 7, 9, 8. Target: 694.
Stephen: 693. ((7 + 7) x 50) - (8 - 1) (7)
Cammy: -
RR: 694. ((7 + 7) x (50 - 1)) + 8 (10)
Score: 14–14 (max 25)
Cammy blanks out, giving Stephen the chance to equalise.
Teatime teaser: TREEEARS -> ARRESTEE
Round 4: T U I N H P A O G
Stephen: POUTING (7)
Cammy: POUTING (7)
DC: UTOPIAN (7) NOUGAT (6)
OT: AUTOING (7) HOUTING (7) OATHING (7) OPUNTIA (7) PAITUNG (7) PATHING (7) THOUING (7) TOHUNGA (7)
Score: 21–21 (max 32)
7's aplenty here.
AUTOING is a historical American term for the action or practice of using an automobile.
A HOUTING is a migratory whitefish with a pointed snout. Now rare, it is found mainly in the Baltic and adjacent rivers. (Coregonus oxyrhinchus, family Salmonidae)
A PAITUNG is a silver-coloured Chinese alloy of copper and nickel, with arsenic or (later) zinc added as a whitening agent.
THOUING is the action of addressing a person with the pronoun thou.
In New Zealand, a TOHUNGA is a Maori priest or learned person.
Round 5: T R B E A U R Q D
Stephen: QUARTER (7)
Cammy: QUARTER (7)
DC: QUARE (5)
Score: 28–28 (max 39)
Two QUARTERs.
Round 6: 100, 25, 50, 75, 2, 1. Target: 859.
Stephen: 850. ((75 / 25) x (2 + 1) x 100) - 50 (5)
Cammy: 850. ((75 / 25) x (2 + 1) x 100) - 50 (5)
OT: 862. ((75 x 25) - 100 - 50 - 1) / 2 (7)
Score: 33–33 (max 46)
Pffft, a nasty 4 large appears, and while our players manage 9 away, 3 away is as good as it gets.
Gyles talks about his love of Twitter and texting.
Round 7: N M S I E I L A R
Stephen: MANLIER (7)
Cammy: MINERALS (8)
DC: RAILMEN (7)
OT: AIRLINES (8) ALIENISM (8) MARINISE (8) MISLEARN (8)
Score: 33–41 (max 54)
Some good MINERALS from Cammy, even though he didn't seem to be confident it was in....
Round 8: P V M U E O I R L
Stephen: IMPLORE (7)
Cammy: LUMPIER (7)
DC: IMPROVE (7) PLUMIER (7)
OT: OVERLIP (7)
Score: 40–48 (max 61)
More 7's for everyone here.
The OVERLIP is the upper lip; (now usually) the part of the face above the fleshy part of the upper lip and below the nose.
Round 9: 50, 10, 5, 9, 10, 6. Target: 108.
Stephen: 108. (10 x 10) + 9 - (6 - 5) (10)
Cammy: 108. (10 x 6) + 50 - (10 / 5) (10)
Score: 50–58 (max 71)
108 in 2 very different methods.
Teatime teaser: EMUSTALC -> CALUMETS
Round 10: D G S P N E U E A
Stephen: PANGED (6)
Cammy: pudges
DC: UNPAGED (7)
OT: AUGENDS (7) NGAPEES (7) PEDAGES (7) PEDANGS (7)
Score: 56–58 (max 78)
Stephen makes up some ground as Cammy's pudges aren't there....
In mathematics and computing, an AUGEND is the number to which another is added.
In Myanmar, NGAPI (or NGAPEE) is a pungent condiment consisting of fish or prawns which have been left to rot and then salted and dried.
A PEDAGE is a toll paid for passing through a place or country.
In Malaysia and Indonesia, a PEDANG is a type of long sword.
Round 11: S V L O I A N E L
Stephen: VIOLAS (6)
Cammy: NOVELLAS (8)
Score: 56–66 (max 86)
A fantastic spot of NOVELLAS by Cammy sees him extend his lead to ten points.
Susie's Origins of Words talks about the origins of some Greek and Roman words.
Round 12: F B S L U I O E S
Stephen: BLOUSES (7)
Cammy: BLOUSES (7)
DC: FUSIBLE (7)
OT: BIOFUELS (8)
Score: 63–73 (max 94)
Our contestant show off their BLOUSES, but with just 3 rounds to go, it's no time for an impromptu fashion show....
Round 13: F D H U I O T D E
Stephen: -
Cammy: HIDEOUT (7)
Score: 63–80 (max 101)
Oh dear, Stephen blanks out, and Cammy is nearly over the line thanks to his darrenic 7.
Round 14: 100, 75, 8, 4, 4, 8. Target: 115.
Stephen: 115. 100 + 8 + 8 - (4 / 4) (10)
Cammy: 115. Mistake in working.
Score: 73–80 (max 111)
Well, well, well, Cammy makes a mess of the target with the win in his grasp, and with Stephen taking full advantage, we now have an unexpected CRUCIAL CONUNDRUM
Round 15: F I N D I M A G E
No one buzzes. The answer was MAGNIFIED.
Final Score: 73–80 (max 121)
Well, neither player notices the hidden clue from the scramble, and a stalemate is produced, meaning that Cammy's numbers mess-up isn't fatal, and he will be in the champions' chair for tomorrow's game.
Join me for that to see how he does. Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Stephen:
Total score - 73
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 60
Raw % of max - 75
Total average score per round - 4.9
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 5
Cammy:
Total score - 80
Raw score - 80
Total % of max - 66
Raw % of max - 66
Total average score per round - 5.3
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 8
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=75