Thursday 19th March 2009 (Series 60, Game 30)

[Jon Corby]

Countdown recap for Thursday 19 March 2009.

C1: Champion Stephen Porritt (1 win.)
C2: Challenger Jennie Foster.
DC: Susie Dent and Colin Murray.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: R S G W U O E D B
R02: T T P M A I E L O
R03: T R N S I A O E B
R04: S N R N O E E A S
R05: 1, 1, 9, 8, 7, 5. Target: 662.
TTT: LAPOLICE - "You can let off steam playing this instrument"
R06: D Q S R I O A U M
R07: C R R Y E I E T A
R08: D H T N O A U O K
R09: P D L V E O I F E
R10: 25, 4, 9, 3, 6, 1. Target: 911.
TTT: WINGBORN - "Getting a nice tan with the gravy perhaps"
R11: M G N L I A E I S
R12: N C J T A E I R E
R13: N R M P E O E A O
R14: 100, 5, 4, 2, 9, 1. Target: 617.
R15: G A R Y O N E I L (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R S G W U O E D B

C1: BROWSED (7)
C2: GROUSED (7)
DC: BROGUES (7)
OT: BODGERS (7) DROGUES (7) GOURDES (7) ROSEBUD (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

Round 2: T T P M A I E L O

C1: MOTTLE (6)
C2: MOTTLE (6)
DC: PALMETTO (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 15)

Round 3: T R N S I A O E B

C1: BORATES (7)
C2: RATIONS (7)
DC: BARITONES (18)
OT: OBTAINERS (18)
Score: 20–20 (max 33)

Round 4: S N R N O E E A S

C1: NEARNESS (8)
C2: NEARNESS (8)
OT: ENSNARES (8)
Score: 28–28 (max 41)

Round 5: 1, 1, 9, 8, 7, 5. Target: 662.

C1: 665. ((8+1+1)*9+5)*7 (7)
C2: -
OT: 663. (5*8-1)*(7+1+9) (7)
Score: 35–28 (max 48)

Teatime teaser: LAPOLICE -> CALLIOPE

Round 6: D Q S R I O A U M

C1: RADIOS (6)
C2: SQUIRM (6)
DC: MARQUIS (7)
Score: 41–34 (max 55)

Round 7: C R R Y E I E T A

C1: criteria
C2: terciary
DC: ERRATIC (7)
OT: CATERER (7) RETRACE (7) TERRACE (7) RECITER (7) TEARIER (7) TRACERY (7)
Score: 41–34 (max 62)

Round 8: D H T N O A U O K

C1: HAUNT (5)
C2: THANK (5)
DC: HANDOUT (7)
Score: 46–39 (max 69)

Round 9: P D L V E O I F E

C1: LOVED (5)
C2: LOVED (5)
DC: FOILED (6) DEVELOP (7)
Score: 51–44 (max 76)

Round 10: 25, 4, 9, 3, 6, 1. Target: 911.

C1: 911. (25*4+1)+9+6/3 (10)
C2: 910.
Score: 61–44 (max 86)

Teatime teaser: WINGBORN -> BROWNING

Round 11: M G N L I A E I S

C1: MANGLES (7)
C2: MALIGNS (7)
DC: EMAILING (8)
OT: IMAGINES (8) MAILINGS (8)
Score: 68–51 (max 94)

Round 12: N C J T A E I R E

C1: NEATER (6)
C2: CANTER (6)
DC: CREATINE (8)
OT: INCREATE (8)
Score: 74–57 (max 102)

Round 13: N R M P E O E A O

C1: MEANER (6)
C2: poorman
OT: AMPERE (6) APEMEN (6) MAROON (6) RENAME (6) MOANER (6) MOPANE (6) MOREEN (6) OPENER (6) REOPEN (6) OPERON (6) PANEER (6)
Score: 80–57 (max 108)

Round 14: 100, 5, 4, 2, 9, 1. Target: 617.

C1: 619.
C2: 617. (5+1)*100+2*4+9 (10)
Score: 80–67 (max 118)

Round 15: G A R Y O N E I L

No one buzzes. The answer was LEGIONARY.
Score: 80–67 (max 128)


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

[Jon O'Neill]

Round 15: G A R Y O N E I L

No one buzzes. The answer was LEGIONARY.
Score: 80–67 (max 128)

This is a really good conundrum scramble.

[Jon Corby]

Round 15: G A R Y O N E I L

No one buzzes. The answer was LEGIONARY.
Score: 80–67 (max 128)

This is a really good conundrum scramble.

Thanks.

[Phil Reynolds]

TTT: LAPOLICE - "You can let off steam playing this instrument"

I was so inordinately pleased with myself for getting this Teatime Teaser that afterwards I wondered what the Countdown theme might sound like played on a calliope.

I have too much time on my hands.

[Neil Zussman]

Round 15: G A R Y O N E I L

No one buzzes. The answer was LEGIONARY.
Score: 80–67 (max 128)

This is a really good conundrum scramble.

Am I the only one who found the scramble immensely off-putting? Probably.

I have too much time on my hands.

That sounds pretty good. Although it's a bit short isn't it? (Only 24 seconds). What else can you do with it?

[Charlie Reams]

What else can you do with it?

You might regret asking that.

Srslytho, play something 30 seconds long and I'll use it as the clock music on Apterous, if only to piss Jono off.

[Phil Reynolds]

it's a bit short isn't it? (Only 24 seconds). What else can you do with it?

1. Time the microwave when reheating a mug of tea that's gone lukewarm. (I hate lukewarm tea. Multiples of 12 seconds are good because that's how long it takes the turntable to complete one revolution, thereby bringing the mug handle back into reach)
2. Er, that's it.

[Phil Reynolds]

Srslytho, play something 30 seconds long and I'll use it as the clock music on Apterous, if only to piss Jono off.

OK. Do you want the Countdown clock music, or something else? Is MIDI format OK or do you want it as an audio file?

[Charlie Reams]

Srslytho, play something 30 seconds long and I'll use it as the clock music on Apterous, if only to piss Jono off.

OK. Do you want the Countdown clock music, or something else? Is MIDI format OK or do you want it as an audio file?

For copyright reasons, anything other than Countdown clock music. Or Metallica. MIDI is fine.

[Oliver Garner]

What about speedgoat, goatblitz, etc?

[Phil Reynolds]

Srslytho, play something 30 seconds long and I'll use it as the clock music on Apterous, if only to piss Jono off.

OK, this will piss everyone off pretty quickly I imagine (I'm sick of it already, and can't imagine trying to concentrate on playing actual games with this racket going on in the background). It's not the Countdown clock music, but it retains the essential elements - the ticking clock, the key change halfway through and the synth drum 'sting' at the end. It will sound better or worse depending on how good your computer's MIDI synth is, but it's still shit, frankly.

[Jon O'Neill]

Horrible. Good, but also horrible.

[Kai Laddiman]

Horrible, Good, but also horrible.

Result!

[Kirk Bevins]

I could see myself hitting "end round early" numerous times during that.

[Phil Reynolds]

It will sound better or worse depending on how good your computer's MIDI synth is

A point I've just witnessed first hand when playing it through my web browser, which uses a QuickTime plug-in to play MIDI files (as I suspect is the case for many of you). QuickTime doesn't use your PC's soundcard MIDI synth but has its own internal set of MIDI samples instead which are shit. The synth drum at the end sounds like someone twanging a heavy rubber band stretched across a toilet seat.

[Howard Somerset]

Round 5 has a correct solution, which increases to max for this game to 131.

[Jon Corby]

Round 5 has a correct solution, which increases to max for this game to 131.

Enlighten me...?






(it doesn't btw)

[Howard Somerset]

Round 5 has a correct solution, which increases to max for this game to 131.

Enlighten me...?






(it doesn't btw)

How about:

((7 + 1) x 8 + 5) x 9 + 1 =

oh bugger! I read the target as 622. My apologies Jon. I shall never doubt you again.

[Jon Corby]

oh bugger! I read the target as 622. My apologies Jon. I shall never doubt you again.

Heck no you should! I always get the solutions using my own solver, but even I doubted myself sufficiently to go and check with some other ones!

[Howard Somerset]

oh bugger! I read the target as 622. My apologies Jon. I shall never doubt you again.

Heck no you should! I always get the solutions using my own solver, but even I doubted myself sufficiently to go and check with some other ones!

Well I doubted myself three times before even posting here; I really didn't think you could've got it wrong. And then after your response, checked once again and still my method worked. It was only while typing my further response that I suddenly realised what had gone wrong. And "oh bugger" was definitely a very much cut down version of what I would have said had I not recently learned that a family friend has stumbled across this forum and has seen some of my posts.

[Chris Corby]

Hope I am not like this when I am as old as you Howard

[Howard Somerset]

Hope I am not like this when I am as old as you Howard

I'll remind you to check, Chris... if I manage to remember.

[Ian Fitzpatrick]

Hope I am not like this when I am as old as you Howard

I'll remind you to check, Chris... if I manage to remember.

Percentagewise, he's catching you up