Tuesday 31 March 2009 (Series 60 Prelim 38)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 31 March 2009.

C1: Champion Cate Henderson (6 wins, 568 points.)
C2: Challenger Michael Bryant (from Menai Bridge, Anglesey.)
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Gaunt.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

After an assured victory over Aaron Higgs on Monday, can Cate continue her improving form today? Let’s find out...

R01: U E A R F S L M O
R02: R I Q W O I M E N
R03: O U E D S T L S I
R04: K R T E O I P L U
R05: 100, 7, 9, 2, 1, 4. Target: 672.
TTT: TRAMLINE - "It's at the end, at the airport."
R06: O R N A F S I T R
R07: E A E T J S G L N
R08: T H O S P E R A D
R09: I E A X D L G V M
R10: 100, 3, 5, 3, 4, 4. Target: 228.
TTT: REDDEATH - "Put the cotton through the worn-out bolt"
R11: U I E T N P B R O
R12: E N D C I E R C A
R13: A I O R T N H E M
R14: 75, 2, 6, 7, 7, 1. Target: 561.
R15: R U D E C H A P S (conundrum)

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Round 1: U E A R F S L M O

C1: FORMULAS (8)
C2: FEARS (5)
DC: FORMULAS (8) FORMULAE (8)
OT: FUMAROLES (18)
Score: 8–0 (max 18)

A good start from Cate, but everyone misses the volcanic nine (we’ll be back to those later).

Round 2: R I Q W O I M E N

C1: WOMEN (5)
C2: WOMEN (5)
DC: WOMEN (5) MINOR (5)
OT: MERINO (6) MORINE (6) WINIER (6)
Score: 13–5 (max 24)

A disappointing round with nobody even spotting a sheepish six.

Round 3: O U E D S T L S I

C1: OUTSIDES (8)
C2: ODIoUS
DC: DISSOLUTE (18)
OT: SOLITUDES (18)
Score: 21–5 (max 42)

Bad luck for Mike; a great eight for Cate (I’m a poet!); an even better nine from DC. Interestingly, SOLITUDES is countable for the secondary definition ‘a lonely or uninhabited place’.

Round 4: K R T E O I P L U

C1: POLITER (7)
C2: ROUTE (5)
DC: OUTLIER (7)
OT: POUTIER (7)
Score: 28–5 (max 49)

Round 5: 100, 7, 9, 2, 1, 4. Target: 672.

C1: 672. ((4+2)x6)+((7+1)x9) (10)
C2: 672. (100x7)-((9-2)x4) (10)
Score: 38–15 (max 59)

Mike reaches double figures after a numbers game with quite a few possible routes to the solution.

Jon talks about “what makes Britain great”. Insert your own comments here.

Teatime teaser: TRAMLINE -> TERMINAL

For regular viewers, possibly one of the easiest Teasers of all-time?

Round 6: O R N A F S I T R

C1: RATIONS (7)
C2: STRAIN (6)
DC: INSOFAR (7) FORINTS (7)
Score: 45–15 (max 66)

Round 7: E A E T J S G L N

C1: TANGLES (7)
C2: TANGLES (7)
DC: JANGLES (7) ELEGANT (7)
OT: EAGLETS (7) LEGATES (7) GENTLES (7) LATEENS (7) LEANEST (7) NEGATES (7)
Score: 52–22 (max 73)

Loads of sevens here, but not one eight to be found.

Round 8: T H O S P E R A D

C1: POTHEADS (8)
C2: PARTED (6)
DC: HARDTOPS (8)
OT: ADOPTERS (8) PASTORED (8) READOPTS (8) POTSHERD (8) RHAPSODE (8)
Score: 60–22 (max 81)

This time, loads of eights, including the interesting POTSHERD (a shard of pottery, rather than a herder of pots) and HARDTOPS, which as well as the usual definition, is also a metalled road in Canada.

Round 9: I E A X D L G V M

C1: MAILED (6)
C2: MAILED (6)
DC: GLAIVE (6)
OT: IMAGED (6) MAGLEV (6) MEDIAL (6) MILAGE (6) VAILED (6)
Score: 66–28 (max 87)

Another flat round. In OoW, Susie discusses the origins of the words billiards, pool and snooker.

Round 10: 100, 3, 5, 3, 4, 4. Target: 228.

C1: 228. (((4x3)+100)x(5-3))+4 (10)
C2: 228. (100-((5+3)x4x4))x3 (10)
Score: 76–38 (max 97)

As we go to the break, surely Cate is going to get a century at long last... not long to wait now to find out.

Teatime teaser: REDDEATH -> THREADED

Round 11: U I E T N P B R O

C1: POINTER (7)
C2: POINTER (7)
DC: PROTEIN (7) TRIBUNE (7)
OT: ERUPTION (8)
Score: 83–45 (max 105)

I told you the volcano would return. Another miss from DC (or were they just being kind?)

Round 12: E N D C I E R C A

C1: CRANED (6)
C2: DANCER (6)
DC: CRANED (6) DANCER (6) CARDIE (6)
OT: DERACINE (8)
Score: 89–51 (max 113)

A nice seven available with CADENCE, but DERACINE (actually déraciné) is a lovely eight, which means to be removed from one’s natural environment.

Round 13: A I O R T N H E M

C1: ANOTHER (7)
C2: minoret
DC: THERMION (8)
Score: 96–51 (max 121)

As Mike finally has to mathematically concede the game after an unfortunate spelling error (uncovered by Susie, largely because he admitted he was unsure about his offering), DC finally step up the pace with the only eight available.

Round 14: 75, 2, 6, 7, 7, 1. Target: 561.

C1: 560. ((7+1)x75)-(7x6)+2 (7)
C2: 561. Mistake in working.
RR: 561. (75x7)+(6x(7-1)) (10)
Score: 103–51 (max 131)

Round 15: R U D E C H A P S

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say PURCHASED which is correct.
Score: 113–51 (max 141)

With a great conundrum spot and a score of 113, Cate’s average moves ever-nearer to 100. Will she hit the ton in her final game, or will she be distracted by Mr Springer? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Recap by Kid Mole. I kid you not (sorry).

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

[Allan Harmer]

Cracking recap Mike.

I really enjoyed reading it and I was pleased to see that my offering of SOLITUDES was acceptable - phew!

Cheers!

[Derek Hazell]

Round 13: A I O R T N H E M

C1: ANOTHER (7)
C2: minoret
DC: THERMION (8)
Score: 96–51 (max 121)

As Mike finally has to mathematically concede the game after an unfortunate spelling error (uncovered by Susie, largely because he admitted he was unsure about his offering), DC finally step up the pace with the only eight available.

I'm glad Cate won by a sizeable amount, as I always get uncomfortable when Susie asks people to spell words when all the letters are there. Who knows on how many other occasions people may have misspelled words and got points?

Jon talks about “what makes Britain great”. Insert your own comments here.

He actually said “what makes Britain grate”, but Susie didn't ask him to spell it.

[Dinos Sfyris]

Neil's octototal is 768. Before today's game Cate was on 568 and needed to notch up 2 centuries from her final 2 games to equal him which looked unlikely, but after todays fantastic score of 113 her total is 681 and she needs just 88 to surpass him! Shaking in your little spaceboots yet Zussman?

On another note Kirk will be "relieved" to know that even if tomorrow a 9 is available in every round with 3 perfectly solvable numbers games and Cate should do the unthinkable and score a perfect 238... she'll still fall short of his highest octototal record by 6 points. Phew.

[Charlie Reams]

On another note Kirk will be "relieved" to know that even if tomorrow a 9 is available in every round with 3 perfectly solvable numbers games and Cate should do the unthinkable and score a perfect 238... she'll still fall short of his highest octototal record by 6 points. Phew.

Haha. Now I can sleep easily at last!

[Charlie Reams]

I'm glad Cate won by a sizeable amount, as I always get uncomfortable when Susie asks people to spell words when all the letters are there. Who knows on how many other occasions people may have misspelled words and got points?

In my run I declared CROTALE and Susie asked me to spell it. I'm really bad at spelling at loud and for some reason I spelt out CROTAIL, which obviously she disallowed. But then I was really confused, because I knew CROTALE was in, so I showed her my paper and we re-shot it with me giving the right spelling and looking thoroughly embarrassed.

However it occurs to me that this is a good way to cheat if you're debating one of two spellings (e.g. MOIETY / MOEITY); write down one and spell the other one out loud. If Susie rejects your verbal spelling, say "oh sorry" and show her the paper. Obviously this might screw you over if your opponent has the same word and you declare second, but hopefully if you have a difficult-to-spell word then your opponent won't have it.

[Phil Reynolds]

In my run I declared CROTALE and Susie asked me to spell it. I'm really bad at spelling at loud and for some reason I spelt out CROTAIL, which obviously she disallowed. But then I was really confused, because I knew CROTALE was in, so I showed her my paper and we re-shot it with me giving the right spelling and looking thoroughly embarrassed.

Exactly the same thing happened in my second or third game, except I'd written down SIMPLETON but read it out as SIMPELTON.

[Phil Reynolds]

In my run I declared CROTALE and Susie asked me to spell it. I'm really bad at spelling at loud and for some reason I spelt out CROTAIL, which obviously she disallowed.

Exactly the same thing happened in my second or third game, except I'd written down SIMPLETON but read it out as SIMPELTON.

Can't believe none of you took the bait. Rotten spoilsports.

[Neil Zussman]

Neil's octototal is 768. Before today's game Cate was on 568 and needed to notch up 2 centuries from her final 2 games to equal him which looked unlikely, but after todays fantastic score of 113 her total is 681 and she needs just 88 to surpass him! Shaking in your little spaceboots yet Zussman?

My total is only 758 I think, since the extra 10 from the repeated conundrum doesn't count. So Cate only needs 78, and I'll be surprised if she doesn't do that. So it looks like I'm down to third seed. Which is annoying, because I would expect Jimmy to win 8 games yesterday and today, and therefore go above me as well. So I'll get knocked out by Kirk in the Semi, instead of the final.
If only I hadn't gone for 6 small so often...