Countdown recap for Monday 13 April 2020.
C1: Champion Declan Yeomans-Hill (2 wins, 174 points.) A trainee teaching assistant from Grantham, Lincolnshire.
C2: Challenger Gemma Geoghegan. A compliance manager from Corsham, Wiltshire.
DC: Susie Dent and making his DC debut, Tom Kerridge.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: I O A S M D T E N
R02: H T G N U A I C E
R03: 25, 75, 6, 9, 10, 2. Target: 455.
TTT: OILTUBFUN - "The supplies of coconut wrapped in chocolate were abundant."
R04: T F T O I O P R U
R05: E O I S F Y S A G
R06: 50, 9, 3, 5, 7, 10. Target: 397.
R07: U O E M L H D I P
R08: R N D R O A E L A
R09: 50, 75, 10, 6, 3, 3. Target: 697.
TTT: ACECOLUMN - "To get this, you may have to think back to you salad days, that's if you've ever heard of it."
R10: N M B U I E S C A
R11: O I U N R N R E S
R12: C T K S A E O N I
R13: E A E P D L S G A
R14: 25, 100, 3, 3, 1, 2. Target: 189.
R15: P E N T E L L E R (conundrum)
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Round 1: I O A S M D T E N
Declan: monatised
Gemma: SEDATION (8)
DC: DOMINATES (18) ATOMISED (8) MEDIANTS (8)
OT: ADEMONIST (18) DEMONIAST (18) STAMINODE (18)
Score: 0–8 (max 18)
Ouch, a bit of bad spelling there from Declan gives Gemma the early lead.
An ADEMONIST is a person who denies the existence of the Devil.
A DEMONIAST (or DEMONIST) is a person who worships or believes in demons.
A STAMINODE is a sterile or abortive stamen, frequently resembling a stamen without its anther.
Round 2: H T G N U A I C E
Declan: CHEATING (8)
Gemma: CHEATING (8)
DC: TEACHING (8)
Score: 8–16 (max 26)
No CHEATING here....
Round 3: 25, 75, 6, 9, 10, 2. Target: 455.
Declan: 455. (6 x 75) + (10 / 2) (10)
Gemma: 455. (6 x 75) + (10 / 2) (10)
Score: 18–26 (max 36)
Simple numbers game to start the week off.
Teatime teaser: OILTUBFUN -> BOUNTIFUL
Round 4: T F T O I O P R U
Declan: PROFIT (6)
Gemma: UPROOT (6)
DC: OUTPORT (7)
Score: 24–32 (max 43)
A very nice darrenic 7 picked up by Susie, as our players UPROOT a PROFIT.
Round 5: E O I S F Y S A G
Declan: GASIFY (6)
Gemma: FOGEYS (6)
DC: FOGIES (6)
OT: ASSIFY (6) FOSSAE (6) OSSIFY (6)
Score: 30–38 (max 49)
Six sixes here.
A FOSSA (plural FOSSAE) is a shallow depression or hollow.
To OSSIFY is to turn into bone or bony tissue.
Round 6: 50, 9, 3, 5, 7, 10. Target: 397.
Declan: 397. ((3 + 5) x 50) - (10 - 7) (10)
Gemma: 400.
Score: 40–38 (max 59)
Declan takes the lead thanks to this neat numbers solve.
Tom talks about "kitchen crossover language".
Round 7: U O E M L H D I P
Declan: homied
Gemma: PLUMED (6)
DC: IMPLODE (7) MUDHOLE (7)
OT: EUPLOID (7)
Score: 40–44 (max 66)
As soon as he gets his lead, Gemma takes it back thanks to Declan's non-existent homied...
EUPLOID is an adjective meaning having an equal number of all the chromosomes of the haploid set.
Round 8: R N D R O A E L A
Declan: LOANER (6)
Gemma: ROARED (6)
DC: LARDON (6) ADRENAL (7) LADRONE (7)
OT: ADORNER (7) AREOLAR (7) READORN (7)
Score: 46–50 (max 73)
A few 7's in the selection, but 6's will do for Declan and Gemma.
Round 9: 50, 75, 10, 6, 3, 3. Target: 697.
Declan: 697. Mistake in working.
Gemma: 697. (75 x 10) - 50 - 3 (10)
Score: 46–60 (max 83)
Didn't expect that mistake from Declan, I must say, but Gemma's simple method extends her lead further.
Teatime teaser: ACECOLUMN -> CUCAMELON
Round 10: N M B U I E S C A
Declan: CUMINS (6)
Gemma: CUBISM (6)
DC: CAESIUM (7) CINEMAS (7)
OT: AECIUMS (7) AMNESIC (7) CUMBIAS (7) MAUBIES (7) SUNBEAM (7)
Score: 52–66 (max 90)
Seven sevens this time, and despite doubt from Susie, both sixes offered are fine.
An AECIUM is a fruiting body produced on the mycelium of a rust fungus at a particular stage in its life cycle (especially, in heteroecious species, that occurring on an alternate host), within which aeciospores are produced.
CUMBIA is a dance performed to kind of dance music of Colombian origin, similar to salsa.
MAUBY (plural MAUBIES) is a West Indian drink made from the bark of trees of the buckthorn family.
Round 11: O I U N R N R E S
Declan: SUNNIER (7)
Gemma: REUNIONS (8)
OT: UNIONERS (8)
Score: 52–74 (max 98)
A great 8 from Gemma must surely make her the big favourite for today's game now.
A UNIONER is a soldier fighting for the Union during the American Civil War (1861–5).
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "giddy kipper".
Round 12: C T K S A E O N I
Declan: TACKIES (7)
Gemma: SOCKET (6)
DC: SONICATE (8)
OT: ACETOINS (8) ACONITES (8) CANOEIST (8)
Score: 59–74 (max 106)
Ooooh, is Declan making a late surge, his 7 might suggest he might make it tricky for Gemma....
ACETOIN is a pale yellow to colourless liquid which solidifies just below room temperature and which gives butter its characteristic aroma.
ACONITE is a poisonous plant of the buttercup family, bearing hooded pink or purple flowers and found in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere (Genus Aconitum, family Ranunculaceae: many species, including monkshood and wolfsbane).
Round 13: E A E P D L S G A
Declan: PLEDGES (7)
Gemma: PLEASED (7)
OT: GALAPEES (8)
Score: 66–81 (max 114)
Gemma seems PLEASED to still have her 15 point lead here, but what will the last number bring up....
A GALAPEE (or GALIPEE) is either of two Jamaican trees of the family Araliaceae, Schefflera sciadophyllum and Dendropanax arboreus.
Round 14: 25, 100, 3, 3, 1, 2. Target: 189.
Declan: 184. Mistake in working.
Gemma: 182. (25 x 3) + 100 + (3 x 2) + 1 (5)
RR: 189. ((100 - 1) x 2) - (3 x 3) (10)
Score: 66–86 (max 124)
Well, it looked like that Declan was about to make it a crucial conundrum, but he realises he has messed before starting to do his method, letting Gemma get over the line with ease.
Round 15: P E N T E L L E R
Gemma buzzes on 7.25 seconds to say REPELLENT which is correct.
Final Score: 66–96 (max 134)
And that's a great way to wrap it up for Gemma, who played a brilliant game, didn't shudder or crack, and thoroughly deserved her win.
Statistics Corner
Declan:
Total score - 66
Raw score - 73
Total % of max - 49
Raw % of max - 54
Total average score per round - 4.4
Raw average score per round - 4.9
Number of maxes - 4
Gemma:
Total score - 96
Raw score - 109
Total % of max - 72
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 6.4
Raw average score per round - 7.3
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=82