Countdown recap for Thursday 23 April 2020.
C1: Champion David Kempshall (1 win, 107 points.) A marketing director from Stafford.
C2: Challenger Linda Vijeh. A hospitality consultant, wine tutor and writer. She once made it to the final 3 in a competition to represent Britain in champagne tasting
DC: Susie Dent and Nicki Chapman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: W S U E D X A R D
R02: L T N O I U S P L
R03: 100, 7, 5, 2, 8, 10. Target: 367.
TTT: CYCLEMOOT - "Will you drive round to pick me up after my operation?"
R04: Q C R E E O M T A
R05: V S E O M L E D T
R06: 50, 6, 10, 1, 3, 7. Target: 486.
R07: C L I A J K I D E
R08: G R D O E O N B H
R09: 75, 4, 7, 10, 7, 9. Target: 449.
TTT: HELPIGLOO - "If you're one of these, then you're most likely to get the answer to this."
R10: M R C E I A P S T
R11: N M I E S T C A N
R12: S D G O A E F N I
R13: T R E A B H E A R
R14: 75, 50, 100, 7, 10, 5. Target: 205.
R15: G I N A C R O F T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: W S U E D X A R D
David: SADDER (6)
Linda: WADERS (6)
DC: UDDERS (6) SWARDED (7)
OT: WADDERS (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7)
Both players get 6's, but a slight alteration for Linda would've got her a 7.
A WADDER (or WOADER) is a cultivator of woad or a person engaged in dyeing with woad.
Round 2: L T N O I U S P L
David: SPLINT (6)
Linda: PILOTS (6)
DC: OUTSPIN (7) UPSILON (7)
OT: PUNTILLOS (18)
Score: 12–12 (max 25)
6's and 7's here, but there is a super impressive NINE hidden away....
In bullfighting, a PUNTILLO (or PUNTILLA) is a dagger used to administer the coup de grâce to the bull.
Round 3: 100, 7, 5, 2, 8, 10. Target: 367.
David: 370.
Linda: 368. ((100 / 2) x 7) + 10 + 8 (7)
RR: 367. (((100 / 2) - 5) x 8) + 7 (10)
Score: 12–19 (max 35)
Yet again, a person's numbers seems to be good one day, and not as good the next day, and Linda takes advantage to take the lead.
Teatime teaser: CYCLEMOOT -> COLECTOMY
Round 4: Q C R E E O M T A
David: REMOTE (6)
Linda: CREAM (5)
DC: CREMATE (7)
OT: OCREATE (7) OCTAMER (7)
Score: 18–19 (max 42)
David gets back in with his 6, whilst DC burn up everything with a 7.
OCREATE (or OCHREATE) is an adjective meaning having the stipules united by cohesion into an ocrea or sheath surrounding the stem.
An OCTAMER is a polymeric molecule or structural unit consisting of eight monomers, especially (a section of) a polynucleotide or polypeptide.
Round 5: V S E O M L E D T
David: SOLVED (6)
Linda: SOLVED (6)
DC: MOLESTED (8)
Score: 24–25 (max 50)
Both players SOLVED this letters game, but DC go darrenic with an 8.
Round 6: 50, 6, 10, 1, 3, 7. Target: 486.
David: 486. (50 x 10) - ((7 x 3) - 6 - 1) (10)
Linda: 486. (50 x 10) - (6 + 1 + 7) (10)
Score: 34–35 (max 60)
Simples...
Nicki talks about her recent travels to Vietnam and Cambodia.
Round 7: C L I A J K I D E
David: LICKED (6)
Linda: JAILED (6)
DC: JACKED (6) LACKED (6)
OT: LACKIE (6)
Score: 40–41 (max 66)
6's again, but there's nothing better than that this time...
Round 8: G R D O E O N B H
David: BONGED (6)
Linda: HORNED (6)
DC: HORNDOG (7)
Score: 46–47 (max 73)
Susie and Nick provide some intriguing laughs by talking about Nick's virility...
Round 9: 75, 4, 7, 10, 7, 9. Target: 449.
David: 449. ((10 - 4) x 75) - (7 / 7) (10)
Linda: 448.
Score: 56–47 (max 83)
Oh dear, presumably Linda didn't think about doing the 7 / 7 trick to get the 1, letting David in to take the lead for the first time today.
Teatime teaser: HELPIGLOO -> LOGOPHILE
Round 10: M R C E I A P S T
David: PRIMATES (8)
Linda: CARPETS (7)
DC: MATRICES (8) SPERMATIC (18)
Score: 64–47 (max 101)
Has that numbers game given David a spring in his step, as after being one point behind for nearly all the second half, he now has a lead of 17 points!!
Round 11: N M I E S T C A N
David: CANNIEST (8)
Linda: MASTIC (6)
DC: CINEMAS (7) INSECTAN (8)
OT: AMNESTIC (8) ANCIENTS (8) INSTANCE (8) NEMATICS (8) SEMANTIC (8)
Score: 72–47 (max 109)
Loadsa loadsa 8's, but has Linda hit her peak, I wonder....
A NEMATIC is a term used for a nematic substance, something relating to or denoting a state of a liquid crystal in which the molecules are oriented in parallel but not arranged in well-defined planes.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "character" and "charisma".
Round 12: S D G O A E F N I
David: seading
Linda: FADING (6)
DC: DIAGNOSE (8) AGONISED (8)
Score: 72–53 (max 117)
That's not a good "seading" from David there, and that makes the gap now at a precocious 19 points....
Round 13: T R E A B H E A R
David: BREATHER (8)
Linda: BREATHER (8)
OT: ABERRATE (8)
Score: 80–61 (max 125)
Well, they can have a little BREATHER here, but we're still possibly on for a crucial...
To ABERRATE is to go astray; to deviate from a usual course or mode of behaviour.
Round 14: 75, 50, 100, 7, 10, 5. Target: 205.
David: -
Linda: 205. ((7 - 5) x 100) + (50 / 10) (10)
Score: 80–71 (max 135)
Well, after being goaded a little bit by Rachel, Linda puts her fate in her hands, letting Rach pick a 3 large which knocks David for 6 and means that from almost out of nothing, we have a CRUCIAL CONUNDRUM!!!
Round 15: G I N A C R O F T
David buzzes on 9.75 seconds to say FACTORING which is correct.
Final Score: 90–71 (max 145)
Well, it wasn't that crucial in the end, as David unscrambles the conundrum to seal his second win.
Happy Raspilled Day to everyone, as I'll be back for the last show of the week tomorrow.
Statistics Corner
David:
Total score - 90
Raw score - 97
Total % of max - 62
Raw % of max - 67
Total average score per round - 6.0
Raw average score per round - 6.5
Number of maxes - 6
Linda:
Total score - 71
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 49
Raw % of max - 66
Total average score per round - 4.7
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=82