C1: Champion Jimmy Gough (6 wins, 632 points.) a fellow forumite, apterist and failed zookeeper who enjoys tennis, darts, football and juggling. Jimmy's had us on the edge of our seats for the past week, following his winning streak. He scored a fantastic debut of 115 and a few centuries since but only managed 86 yesterday. Lets hope today he can revive his initial lexonerd pizzazz.
C2: Challenger Kerr Nairn, a psychology student from Dundee who likes travel, photography, cooking and films. He's been elephant trekking in Thailand and would love to live abroad for a while, perhaps Berlin as he speaks German.
DC: Susie Dent and Rory McGrath.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: C E R O R A L E N
R02: T N O A M S Y I O
R03: L A T I R A L O T
R04: S L D A I G M E U
R05: 50, 1, 5, 2, 10, 9. Target: 193.
TTT: SKIBAILS - "Mythological creature in need of mouthwash"
R06: S N I R U E S P V
R07: H O X I P E T A R
R08: K I D N N E I C A
R09: Q U T A S I F E H
R10: 50, 3, 4, 1, 8, 9. Target: 284.
TTT: BIGCLUNK - "You'll hear a big clunk if you're doing it in the car"
R11: M A Z I S E B I F
R12: N S T E E D T O N
R13: L E M I D A P A J
R14: 100, 8, 7, 10, 9, 1. Target: 575.
R15: S T I N G M I M I (conundrum)
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Round 1: C E R O R A L E N
C1: CLEANER (7)
C2: LANCER (6)
DC: CORRAL (6)
OT: LARCENER (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
A larcener is a person who commits larceny
Round 2: T N O A M S Y I O
C1: MOTIONS (7)
C2: MOTIONS (7)
DC: AMINOS (6)
OT: MYOTONIA (8)
Score: 14–7 (max 16)
Myotonia is to do with abnormally long muscular contractions. A final I would have yielded ANIMOSITY
Round 3: L A T I R A L O T
C1: LARIAT (6)
C2: TAILOR (6)
DC: LITTORAL (8)
OT: TORTILLA (8)
Score: 20–13 (max 24)
A 3rd very tricky 8 escapes our contestants' grasps. Littoral means on the shore of a sea or lake.
Round 4: S L D A I G M E U
C1: MEDUSA (6)
C2: IMAGES (6)
DC: DUALISM (7)
OT: DUALISE (7) GAUDIES (7) MIAULED (7) MISDEAL (7) MISLEAD (7) SILAGED (7)
Score: 26–19 (max 31)
Round 5: 50, 1, 5, 2, 10, 9. Target: 193.
C1: 193. (50-2)x(9-5)+1 (10)
C2: 193. (5-1)x50-(9-2) (10)
Score: 36–29 (max 41)
Teatime teaser: SKIBAILS -> BASILISK
I learnt about basilisks reading Harry Potter 2 but I must have missed a chapter because Susie says a basilisk has lethal gays
Round 6: S N I R U E S P V
C1: PURSES (6)
C2: SNIPERS (7)
DC: INSURES (7)
OT: NURSIES (7) SUNRISE (7) PURINES (7) UPRISEN (7) SUPINES (7) SUSPIRE (7) UPRISES (7) VERSINS (7) VIRUSES (7)
Score: 36–36 (max 48)
Round 7: H O X I P E T A R
C1: EXPIATOR (8)
C2: EXPORT (6)
DC: THORAX (6)
Score: 44–36 (max 56)
Jimmy pulls ahead again with a classic Countdown word...
Round 8: K I D N N E I C A
C1: akinned
C2: CANNED (6)
DC: NICKED (6)
OT: INDICAN (7)
Score: 44–42 (max 63)
...Only to relinquish his lead somewhat risking a dodgy 7.
Round 9: Q U T A S I F E H
C1: QUIETS (6)
C2: FAITHS (6)
DC: FETISH (6) HIATUS (6)
OT: ESTUFA (6) FIESTA (6) HEIAUS (6) HUTIAS (6) SAITHE (6) SHUFTI (6)
Score: 50–48 (max 69)
Round 10: 50, 3, 4, 1, 8, 9. Target: 284.
C1: -
C2: 287. (9-3)x50-8-4-1 (7)
RR: 284. (50+8)x(4+1)-(9-3) (10)
Score: 50–55 (max 79)
Jimmy loses it on a fairly routine numbers. He's trailing for the first time! Will he ever recover?
Teatime teaser: BIGCLUNK -> BUCKLING
Round 11: M A Z I S E B I F
C1: iambis
C2: maizes
OT: SAMFIE (6)
Score: 50–55 (max 85)
Ouch again! Samfie is the darren, meaning a confidence trickster, especially one who pretends to have supernatural powers
Round 12: N S T E E D T O N
C1: ENDNOTES (8)
C2: DENOTES (7)
DC: STONED (6) TENDONS (7)
OT: SONNETED (8)
Score: 58–55 (max 93)
Yay Jimmy leads again with a fantastic 8
Round 13: L E M I D A P A J
C1: IMPALED (7)
C2: LAMPED (6)
OT: IMPLEAD (7)
Score: 65–55 (max 100)
Round 14: 100, 8, 7, 10, 9, 1. Target: 575.
C1: 573. (7-1)x100-10-9-8 (7)
C2: 573. (7-1)x100-10-9-8 (7)
RR: 575. (100-10-8)x7+1 (10) (After time)
Score: 72–62 (max 110)
A tricky numbers game evades both contestants but at least this time Jimmy manages to declare something, but the challenger is still within striking distance...
Round 15: S T I N G M I M I
C1 buzzes on 0 seconds to say he doesn't have it!
C2 does not buzz.
The answer was MISTIMING.
Score: 72–62 (max 120)
An agonising 30 seconds there for both players. Jimmy's Hansford technique/Sudbery tips aren't doing him any favours. A lull throughout rounds 6-11 saw him score only 14 points. That said today's letters were a bit of a biyatch with obscure Darrens allowing Jimmy to score only 5 maxes, and the challenger just 3. His Septochamp total is 704 by my reckoning so it will be interesting to see if he makes the 800 club tomorrow. C'mon Jimmy!
Recap brought to you by Michael Martin
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=60
