Monday 30th March 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 37)

[Howard Somerset]

Countdown recap for Monday 30 March 2009.

C1: Champion Cate Henderson (5 wins, 478 points.)
C2: Challenger Aaron Higgs.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Gaunt.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Cate showed last week that she's a strong contender for the first female octochamp since Jean Webby in series 56 over two years ago. Trying to stop her today is Aaron, a student from Madeley in Shropshire. He likes going to the cinema, playing football and watching his favourite team, Wolves.

R01: U A I B T C S E L
R02: A I E W T T S E L
R03: I A O F D X G D I
R04: O U E S T S Q Z G
R05: 100, 9, 4, 7, 5, 1. Target: 602.
TTT: STANDSUP - "They make a great accompaniment for Basil."
R06: A O E R N K N P A
R07: E O E P R J D C N
R08: O E A S R S T R M
R09: O I E Y S P M R D
R10: 100, 2, 6, 1, 10, 7. Target: 700.
TTT: THEGENIE - "It relates to six, six, six. You do the maths!"
R11: A I O D L D N A M
R12: O E I L N S R V R
R13: U I E N T P M F A
R14: 10, 5, 9, 4, 9, 2. Target: 434.
R15: B A N G A L I V E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: U A I B T C S E L

C1: BISECT (6)
C2: ELASTIC (7)
DC: SUITABLE (8)
OT: BASILECT (8)
Score: 0–7 (max 8)

An immediate lead for challenger Aaron. Can he keep it up?

A basilect is a less prestigious dialect.

Round 2: A I E W T T S E L

C1: WATTLES (7)
C2: SETTLE (6)
Score: 7–7 (max 15)

No. Cate storms back with a darren, and they're level again.

Round 3: I A O F D X G D I

C1: GOAD (4)
C2: GOAD (4)
DC: GADOID (6)
Score: 11–11 (max 21)

A gadoid is yet another fish. We seem to have had a lot in recent weeks.

Round 4: O U E S T S Q Z G

C1: GUESTS (6)
C2: QUOTES (6)
DC: QUESTS (6) GUSSET (6)
OT: TOQUES (6)
Score: 17–17 (max 27)

Round 5: 100, 9, 4, 7, 5, 1. Target: 602.

C1: 602. (5 + 1) x 100 + 9 - 7 (10)
C2: 602. (5 + 1) x 100 + 9 - 7 (10)
Score: 27–27 (max 37)

Into the first break with nothing to chose between them.

But before we can enjoy those adverts suggesting we all plan for our funerals, Jon Gaunt enthuses about our armed forces, in particular the Red Arrows, and the pageants, Trooping the Colour and Changing the Guard.

Teatime teaser: STANDSUP -> DUSTPANS

Round 6: A O E R N K N P A

C1: panner
C2: panner
DC: PRANK (5) APRON (5)
OT: ANORAK (6) APNOEA (6) OPANKA (6) PAKORA (6)
Score: 27–27 (max 43)

Both contestants are a little premature, as panner has yet to make an appearance in the dictionary.

An apnoea is a temporary cessation of breathing, especially during sleep.
An opanka is a Serbian shoe.
A pakor is a piece of veg or meat used in Indian cookery.

Round 7: E O E P R J D C N

C1: PROCEED (7)
C2: COPED (5)
DC: ENCODER (7)
OT: ENCORED (7)
Score: 34–27 (max 50)

Cate takes the lead for the first time today.

Round 8: O E A S R S T R M

C1: MAESTROS (8)
C2: STORMERS (8)
DC: ARMRESTS (8) REARMOST (8)
OT: ASSERTOR (8) ROASTERS (8) ROTAMERS (8)
Score: 42–35 (max 58)

A rotamer is an isomer of a molecule.

Round 9: O I E Y S P M R D

C1: PROMISED (8)
C2: PERIODS (7)
Score: 50–35 (max 66)

Susie talks about some of the phrases that have come about as a result of sports or games, in particular "level pegging" from cribbage, and "pole position" from horse racing.

Round 10: 100, 2, 6, 1, 10, 7. Target: 700.

C1: 700. 7 x 100 (10)
C2: 700. 7 x 100 (10)
Score: 60–45 (max 76)

Probably one of the easiest ever numbers games, which can't have been what Aaron was hoping for.

Teatime teaser: THEGENIE -> EIGHTEEN

Round 11: A I O D L D N A M

C1: MONDIAL (7)
C2: DIAMOND (7)
OT: DOMANIAL (8)
Score: 67–52 (max 84)

Round 12: O E I L N S R V R

C1: VERSION (7)
C2: LIVERS (6)
DC: LINERS (6) LORINERS (8)
Score: 74–52 (max 92)

Cate pulls further ahead, which means the Aaron must win the next round to have any hope of catching Cate.

Round 13: U I E N T P M F A

C1: FAMINE (6)
C2: MINUTE (6)
DC: PETUNIA (7)
OT: PINETUM (7) PUTAMEN (7)
Score: 80–58 (max 99)

The two contestants are level in this round, giving Cate a winning margin.

Round 14: 10, 5, 9, 4, 9, 2. Target: 434.

C1: 434. (9 x 5 - 2) x 10 + 4 (10)
C2: 436.
Score: 90–58 (max 109)

Round 15: B A N G A L I V E

No one buzzes. The answer was NAVIGABLE.
Score: 90–58 (max 119)

So Cate goes on to win her sixth game, and is now only two away from being an octochamp. If she keeps scoring at her present rate, she'll be just a few points behind Neil.
Before closing, Cate revealed that she used to teach maths to Danny and Andy, sons of one of the footballers I used to enjoy watching, Jimmy Greaves.

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