Monday 20th April 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 52)

[Howard Somerset]

Countdown recap for Monday 20 April 2009.

C1: Champion Shane Roberts (7 wins, 663 points.)
C2: Challenger Ramsay Nashef.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Today we see Shane, who seems to be wearing the same jersey has he did in his first programme, looking to complete his octochamp run.
Aiming to stop him is Ramsay, a student from Brampton, just north of Cambridge. He likes music, particularly jazz piano (good taste here), compiling cryptic crosswords, and wind surfing. Like his opponent, he'd love to meet Björk. I though at first he'd said Bjorg, and couldn't understand the fascination with a tennis player who's over 50.
New to dictionary corner this week is Tim Vine, who apparently was once able to tell 499 jokes in one hour. I wonder if he'll exceed that number during his five days with us.

R01: P E C A R O W I L
R02: A O L S K E T H E
R03: R O N E D O G A N
R04: F S Y R I A U Z A
R05: 75, 50, 10, 5, 8, 10. Target: 367.
TTT: THINBASE - "A drink that sounds like it makes your heart grow fonder."
R06: L T O E N O R S D
R07: H U T E S I P E N
R08: N S B U O E T M O
R09: S A D E J O G E R
R10: 3, 10, 8, 8, 2, 10. Target: 985.
TTT: RINGBASE - "Get them together on the way to the bank."
R11: C A N I S E T I R
R12: P M S A I N R O T
R13: L I L E D U V I Q
R14: 100, 50, 25, 75, 5, 1. Target: 196.
R15: R E D N D B L U E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: P E C A R O W I L

C1: PLAICE (6)
C2: PLAICE (6)
DC: CALIPER (7) REPLICA (7)
OT: CAPRIOLE (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)

A capriole is a movement in which a horse leaps from the ground, kicking out its hind legs.

Round 2: A O L S K E T H E

C1: LOATHES (7)
C2: LATHES (6)
OT: OLEATES (7)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)

Shane takes an early lead...

Oleic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid, and an oleate is a salt of oleic acid. I'm still none the wiser, but maybe Dinos can enlighten us all.

Round 3: R O N E D O G A N

C1: GROANED (7)
C2: DANGER (6)
DC: DRAGOON (7) DRONGO (6)
OT: ANDROGEN (8)
Score: 20–6 (max 23)

...and pulls even further ahead. He's clearly got the octochamp status in his sights.

A drongo, as well as referring to a foolish person, is a songbird.
Androgen is a male sex hormone, such as testerostrone

Round 4: F S Y R I A U Z A

C1: FAIRY (5)
C2: FAIRY (5)
DC: SURFY (5) SAFARI (6)
OT: FUSARIA (7) RUFIYAA (7)
Score: 25–11 (max 30)

Two unusual DC beaters here.
A fusarium (pl fusaria) is a mould causing plant diseases.
The rufiyaa is the basic monetary unit of the Maldives.

Round 5: 75, 50, 10, 5, 8, 10. Target: 367.

C1: 367. (50 + 10) x 5 + 75 - 8 (10)
C2: 367. 5 x 75 - 8 (10)
Score: 35–21 (max 40)

For only the second time in his eight games, Shane did not choose his usual six small numbers.
Surprisingly, to him as well, Shane did not take the more obvious route.

Tim Vine recounted some times when he wore some silly hats on stage in order to get a laugh. Maybe he's got some lined up for us later in the week.

Teatime teaser: THINBASE -> ABSINTHE

Round 6: L T O E N O R S D

C1: ROOSTED (7)
C2: STONER (6)
DC: ROOTLED (7) NOODLES (7) SNORTED (7)
OT: LOOTERS (7) RETOOLS (7) ROOTLES (7) TOOLERS (7) OLDSTER (7) RODLETS (7) RODENTS (7) RONDELS (7) STOOLED (7)
Score: 42–21 (max 47)

Round 7: H U T E S I P E N

C1: PUNIEST (7)
C2: SUPINE (6)
DC: ENTHUSE (7)
OT: PUNTIES (7)
Score: 49–21 (max 54)

A punty is a varient spelling of pontil, an iron rod used in glassmaking.

Round 8: N S B U O E T M O

C1: BUSMEN (6)
C2: BOOST (5)
DC: MOONSET (7)
OT: BOUTONS (7) ENTOMBS (7) NUMBEST (7) OUBOETS (7) UMBONES (7) UNBOSOM (7)
Score: 55–21 (max 61)

With three wins in three rounds, Shane now takes a commanding lead.

A bouton is an enlarged part of a nerve fibre.
An ouboet is an affectionate way of addressing an older brother or male friend in South Africa.
An unbo, pl umbones, is the central boss of a shield.
To unbosom is to tell one's secret thoughts.

Round 9: S A D E J O G E R

C1: GRADES (6)
C2: DOSAGE (6)
DC: GREASED (7)
OT: DRAGEES (7) JAEGERS (7)
Score: 61–27 (max 68)

I feared that I might find that a dragee is someone who is dragged. Fortunately that is not the case; a dragee is an almond (or similar) covered sweet.
A jaeger is a small Arctic breeding skua.

In honour of our DC guest, Susie has decided to look at the derivation of some comedy terms this week, today being the turn of WAG and GAG, both turning out to have origins connected with crime.

Round 10: 3, 10, 8, 8, 2, 10. Target: 985.

C1: 989.
C2: 982. ((8 + 3) x 8 + 10) x 10 + 2 (7)
OT: 984. ((10 + 2) x 10 + 3) x 8 (7)
Score: 61–34 (max 75)

Ramsay starts a fightback, but is it too late?

Teatime teaser: RINGBASE -> BEARINGS

Round 11: C A N I S E T I R

C1: CANISTER (8)
C2: CANISTER (8)
DC: RAINIEST (8)
OT: SCANTIER (8) INCITERS (8)
Score: 69–42 (max 83)

Both contestants decided to go for the word that was almost spelt out.

Round 12: P M S A I N R O T

C1: IMPORTS (7)
C2: STRAIN (6)
DC: SATIN (5) MAINTOPS (8)
OT: TAMPIONS (8) RAMPIONS (8)
Score: 76–42 (max 91)

A tampion is a wodden stopper for the muzzle of a gun.
A rampion is some kind of flower.

Round 13: L I L E D U V I Q

C1: QUILLED (7)
C2: QUILLED (7)
DC: LIQUID (6)
Score: 83–49 (max 98)

It's now all over. Shane is definitely an octochamp. It just remains for us to see what total he can amass.

Round 14: 100, 50, 25, 75, 5, 1. Target: 196.

C1: 196. 100 + 25 + 75 - (5 - 1) (10)
C2: 196. (5 - 1) x 50 - 100 / 25 (10)
Score: 93–59 (max 108)

Round 15: R E D N D B L U E

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say BLUNDERED which is correct.
Score: 103–59 (max 118)

So Shane joins the ranks of the octochamps, overtaking Neil into 3rd place on the leaderboard, with a guranteed place in the series finals, looking at the possibility of a semifinal against Kate and a final against Kirk. But, of course, anything can happen in the next few weeks

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

[Phil Reynolds]

Today we see Shane, who seems to be wearing the same jersey has he did in his first programme

Ah yes. This is known as the Charlie Reams "If I'd known I was going to be here this long I'd have brought more shirts" wardrobe choice.

Oleic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid, and an oleate is a salt of oleic acid. I'm still none the wiser

As a barrister once remarked drily to a judge, "No my lord, but you are better informed."

Nice one Howard.

[Dinos Sfyris]

Oleic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid, and an oleate is a salt of oleic acid. I'm still none the wiser, but maybe Dinos can enlighten us all.

Actually I learnt it primarily as a Countdown word, until one time I missed it and Kirk had to inform me it was a chem word However my chemistry intuition told me the -ate ending means its the salt of an acid, which means the acid has lost a proton. Similarly formate, bromate, ethanoate etc are all acid salts.

Nice recap, Howard, although I think our lady octochamp is called Cate as in Blanchett, not Kate as in Winslet.

[Ian Fitzpatrick]

Oleic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid, and an oleate is a salt of oleic acid. I'm still none the wiser, but maybe Dinos can enlighten us all.

Nice recap, Howard, although I think our lady octochamp is called Cate as in Blanchett, not Kate as in Winslet.

Also Kate brings visions of someone else

[Howard Somerset]

What makes you think, Ian and Dinos, that I didn't deliberately say Kate rather then Cate? After all, as things stand right now, Cate and Kate are lined up to play each other in the quarter-finals.

TBH, though, it was a typo, but I think I'll just let it stand.