Tuesday 24 February 2009 (Series 60 Prelim 17)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 24 February 2009 (Series 60 Prelim 17).

C1: Champion Neil Zussman (6 wins, 580 points.)
C2: Challenger Rick Warburton (from Menheniot in Cornwall.)
DC: Susie Dent and Graham Cole (he of The Bill).
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M E T F A S O S L
R02: R E R A C E B C A
R03: N U R P I V E R O
R04: I A E T S Q A O X
R05: 5, 9, 8, 4, 1, 2. Target: 783.
TTT: ISPYFILM - "Make things easier for Simon, perhaps."
R06: T C P A S E R O M
R07: D E T D I R O T A
R08: R L W S I E E E S
R09: K I D M O L E N N
R10: 75, 3, 2, 9, 2, 3. Target: 177.
TTT: RIDGEMAN - "Asleep, thinking of snow in December."
R11: P U T H E S I G R
R12: B H D J E O I S E
R13: G E Z L U N E D I
R14: 75, 5, 6, 5, 7, 9. Target: 435.
R15: T A L L R I L E Y (conundrum)


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It’s Pancake Day and Jeff opens the show by telling us he’s “gonna heat [his] pan up and spend 15 minutes tossing”, after which he divulges that his favourite pancake topping is golden syrup; Rachel likes ‘anything’ on hers, but is quite partial to Mauritian banana jam.

Round 1: M E T F A S O S L

C1: oatless
C2: FLOTSAM (7)
DC: FOAMLESS (8)
Score: 0–7 (max 8)

Susie chuckles at the notion of oatless porridge; for some reason, vasectomies also spring to mind...

Round 2: R E R A C E B C A

C1: BEARER (6)
C2: BEARER (6)
DC: BRACER (6) CAREER (6)
OT: CEREBRA (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 15)

Cerebra are probably quite useful when it comes to Countdown, I suppose!

Round 3: N U R P I V E R O

C1: unriper
C2: OVERRUN (7)
DC: OVERRUN (7)
OT: UPRIVER (7)
Score: 6–20 (max 22)

It often annoys me when words like UNRIPER are disallowed, when they seem pretty acceptable. At least the rules of Countdown are clear in this instance!

Round 4: I A E T S Q A O X

C1: EXIST (5)
C2: ATOnES
DC: TAXIES (6)
Score: 11–20 (max 28)

Is this the start of Neil’s comeback??

Round 5: 5, 9, 8, 4, 1, 2. Target: 783.

C1: -
C2: -
RR: 783. ((((5x8)+4)x2)-1)x9 (10)
Score: 11–20 (max 38)

After a reasonably tricky numbers game (although it did use the ‘rule of 9’)... not yet, it isn’t!

Teatime teaser: ISPYFILM -> SIMPLIFY

Round 6: T C P A S E R O M

C1: COMPARES (8)
C2: COASTER (7)
DC: COMPARES (8)
OT: MESOCARP (8)
Score: 19–20 (max 46)

The MESOCARP is the middle layer of a fruit’s pericarp. Oh... you can look it up!

Round 7: D E T D I R O T A

C1: ROTATED (7)
C2: ATTIRED (7)
DC: RIOTED (6)
OT: DOTTIER (7) DRATTED (7) RADIOED (7) ROADIED (7) TOADIED (7)
Score: 26–27 (max 53)

ROADIED got me wondering... should the present participle be ROADYING or ROADIEING? And is it me, or is ROTATED coming up about once a week these days?

Round 8: R L W S I E E E S

C1: WIRELESS (8)
C2: SWIRLS (6)
DC: WIRELESS (8)
Score: 34–27 (max 61)

Round 9: K I D M O L E N N

C1: MILKED (6)
C2: MILKED (6)
DC: MOILED (6)
OT: LINKMEN (7)
Score: 40–33 (max 68)

KIDMOLE made me smile... sounds a bit like some kind of underground cartoon character.

OoW: Susie discusses the various origins of RAP and notes that its modern use in music is not connected to its use in crime-related terms.

Round 10: 75, 3, 2, 9, 2, 3. Target: 177.

C1: 177. (75x2)+(9x3) (10)
C2: 177. (75x2)+(9x3) (10)
Score: 50–43 (max 78)

Teatime teaser: RIDGEMAN -> DREAMING

Round 11: P U T H E S I G R

C1: UPRIGHTS (8)
C2: UPRIGHTS (8)
Score: 58–51 (max 86)

A pity UPSIGHTER isn’t a word!

Round 12: B H D J E O I S E

C1: BODIES (6)
C2: JOSHED (6)
DC: DHOBIS (6)
OT: BEEDIS (6) BESIDE (6) EJIDOS (6)
Score: 64–57 (max 92)

Welcome to Hindi Countdown... a DHOBI is a washerman or woman; a BEEDI (also BIDI and BIRI) is a cheap cigarette.

And welcome to Mexican Countdown... an EJIDO is a state-supported piece of farmland.

Round 13: G E Z L U N E D I

C1: ELUDING (7)
C2: LUNGED (6)
DC: LUNGED (6)
OT: DELEING (7) INDULGE (7)
Score: 71–57 (max 99)

Interestingly (who yawned at the back?), as well as meaning thrusted, LUNGED is also an adjective meaning having (a particular kind of) lungs. It’s also a term used in equestrian circles. DC also missed the max for the third time in one show – pretty unusual these days, I would say.

Round 14: 75, 5, 6, 5, 7, 9. Target: 435.

C1: 435. (75+5+7)x5 (10)
C2: 435. (6x75)-(7+9)+(5/5) (10)
Score: 81–67 (max 109)

Round 15: T A L L R I L E Y

C2 buzzes on 12 seconds to say LITERALLY which is correct.
Score: 81–77 (max 119)

We see a shot of the contents of the new (loser’s) goody bag for the first time today. It now includes: Susie’s latest book, “Words of the Year”; the Oxford Dictionary of English; a mug (with new design); a small clock (new again); and a rather attractive new pen. I have to say the new goodies (like the new set) look rather appealing, despite all the talk of cutbacks. (Incidentally, can anyone confirm whether the new teapot is still made at the Teapottery in Leyburn?)

Getting back to the competition: will Neil make the eight? Find out tomorrow! (whaddya mean, this recap’s a bit late and you’ve already seen it?)

Recap brought to you by Kid Mole (Issue 1 now on sale at all good newsagents).

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=60

[Dinos Sfyris]

The MESOCARP is the middle layer of a fruit’s pericarp. Oh... you can look it up!

Worth mentioning ENDOCARP and EXOCARP come up a lot as well. Also PERICARP is an anagram of CRAPPIER, and if you add an E to it you'll find RICEPAPER!

Nice recap. I look forward to the next adventure of Kid Mole, hopefully featuring Kirk Bevins!

[Mike Brown]

Nice recap. I look forward to the next adventure of Kid Mole, hopefully featuring Kirk Bevins!

Yeah, Kid Mole versus the Bevatron... sounds a bit like a Marvel Comics adventure!