Tuesday 26 May 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 78)

[Mike Brown]

Tuesday 26 May 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 78).

It’s time (again somewhat belatedly – sorry) for the all-forumite match between the laid-back (but stubborn - an interesting combination) James Doohan and professional gambler Jack Morgan. Let’s see what happened, it’s probably going to be a close one...

C1: Champion James Doohan (2 wins, 176 points.)
C2: Challenger Jack Morgan (from Whitstable in Kent.)
DC: Susie Dent and Barry Cryer.
JS: Jeff Stelling.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: D G N R O A I M O
R02: P L E I N S E L O
R03: H S S R U U E P T
R04: T R I O V S A N I
R05: 100, 50, 75, 6, 7, 6. Target: 574.
TTT: ANGRYTEN - "A colony of greedy birds, perhaps."
R06: C R E O D L E M O
R07: K D J T A E U B C
R08: T C E O N P E R U
R09: M N L O E I P T A
R10: 25, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5. Target: 914.
TTT: TOASTWHO - "The dentist can't help you with this: you need a hardware shop."
R11: Z F G I A E Q G S
R12: T R E A R S E S A
R13: W Y N B I E I D N
R14: 50, 6, 3, 8, 2, 8. Target: 778.
R15: B R E D C L A M S (conundrum)
R16: M C E X P L O D E (conundrum)

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Round 1: D G N R O A I M O

C1: ROAMING (7)
C2: MOORING (7)
JS: ROOMING (7)
OT: RIGADOON (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

A good start for both players. A RIGADOON is a lively dance for couples.

Round 2: P L E I N S E L O

C1: SPLEEN (6)
C2: OPINES (6)
DC: NELLIES (7) PENSILE (7) EPSILON (7)
OT: ELLIPSE (7) PEONIES (7) POLLEES (7) POLLIES (7)
Score: 13–13 (max 15)

Jack thinks OPINES slightly risky, but he’s spot on. A POLLEE is someone whose opinion is sought; A POLLIE (also POLLY) is an Antipodean politician.

Round 3: H S S R U U E P T

C1: PURSUES (7)
C2: PUSHERS (7)
OT: UPRUSHES (8)
Score: 20–20 (max 23)

A cracking game so far and a shame someone is going to have to lose!

Round 4: T R I O V S A N I

C1: RATIONS (7)
C2: RATIONS (7)
DC: VISITOR (7)
OT: OVARITIS (8)
Score: 27–27 (max 31)

Also there: one of my favourite words, TRAVOIS. And you don’t want OVARITIS, it sounds painful.

Round 5: 100, 50, 75, 6, 7, 6. Target: 574.

C1: 574. (6x100)-(75-50)-(7-6) (10)
C2: 574. (6x100)-(75-50)-(7-6) (10)
Score: 37–37 (max 41)

A nice little numbers game to settle them both in. And it’s still all-square.

Barry Cryer tells us about a ventriloquist who gets his own back on some nosy parkers. Have we heard this one before, Barry?

Teatime teaser: ANGRYTEN -> GANNETRY

Round 6: C R E O D L E M O

C1: LOOMED (6)
C2: COOLED (6)
DC: REMODEL (7)
OT: EMOCORE (7)
Score: 43–43 (max 48)

Jack considers playing REMODEL, but decides to play it safe. Is he regretting it now? EMOCORE is the full name for the sort of music I don’t quite get at my age.

Round 7: K D J T A E U B C

C1: cubated
C2: BACKED (6)
OT: ABDUCT (6) ABJECT (6) BUCKED (6) BUCKET (6) JACKED (6) JACKET (6) TABUED (6) TACKED (6) TUCKED (6)
Score: 43–49 (max 54)

James takes a chance on a seven in a bid to pull ahead, but it doesn’t pay off, and the gambler moves into a slender lead.

Round 8: T C E O N P E R U

C1: percent
C2: COUNTER (7)
OT: RECOUNT (7) TROUNCE (7) POTENCE (7) POUNCER (7) PRECENT (7)
Score: 43–56 (max 61)

Ouch! James blobs for the second round in succession by offering the U.S. variant of PER CENT. There was a bit of debate about this on C4C, as it isn’t a spelling exactly, but I think the right decision was made. Otherwise, we’ll be allowing ALUMINUM next! Also, it looked like Susie had only checked the dictionary because Jeff queried whether it was an abbreviation of PERCENTAGE, but in fact ‘them upstairs’ had disallowed it already.

Round 9: M N L O E I P T A

C1: topline
C2: PLANT (5)
DC: PTOMAINE (8)
Score: 43–61 (max 69)

And double ouch!! This time it’s the turn of the dreaded hyphen (that’s on its way out) to annoy the young man from Donegal. Nice spot from DC with a bit of a Countdown regular.

OoW: Susie discusses the origins of the words TREACLE and TOXIC.

Round 10: 25, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5. Target: 914.

C1: 909. ((4x25)+1)x(5+2+2) (7)
C2: -
RR: 912. (not specified) (7)
OT: 915. (((25-2)x4x2)-1)x5 (7)
Score: 50–61 (max 76)

An impossible numbers game allows James to reduce the margin by getting within 5 of the target whereas Jack has nothing to declare. Great stuff (for us).

Teatime teaser: TOASTWHO -> SAWTOOTH

Didn’t rate this Teaser much, as the clue implies SAWTOOTH is a noun. I’ll stop whinging now.

Round 11: Z F G I A E Q G S

C1: GAZES (5)
C2: GAZES (5)
DC: GAZES (5) GAGES (5)
OT: AEGIS (5) FAZES (5) SEIZA (5)
Score: 55–66 (max 81)

Yuck. SEIZA is an upright kneeling position used in Japanese martial arts, and that sort of thing.

Round 12: T R E A R S E S A

C1: ARRESTS (7)
C2: RESEATS (7)
DC: SERRATE (7) REASSERT (8)
OT: ASSERTER (8) TERRASSE (8)
Score: 62–73 (max 89)

I was shouting “surely you can pluralise SERRATE” at the screen when I watched this. Then I looked it up.

Round 13: W Y N B I E I D N

C1: BENDY (5)
C2: BINNED (6)
DC: BINNED (6)
Score: 62–79 (max 95)

Unbelievably, BINNED is the darren. With Jack 17 points in the lead, it’s looking like the curtains are closing for James, but the fat lady is yet to sing (if you’ll pardon me for mixing my metaphors).

Round 14: 50, 6, 3, 8, 2, 8. Target: 778.

C1: 776. (8x2x50)-(3x8) (7)
C2: 777. Mistake in working.
RR: 778. ((50x8)-3-8)x2 (10)
Score: 69–79 (max 105)

It all goes wrong for Jack (and right for James), so it’s a crucial after all.

Round 15: B R E D C L A M S

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say SCRAMBLED which is correct.
Score: 79–79 (max 115)

James is quick on the draw and he forces a tie-break. Actually, this game originally had no fewer than four conundrums, but two weren’t shown due to time constraints. One was a scramble of PUPPETEER, which I only know thanks to the power of the Spoilers Forum. Cheers, Jack!)

Round 16: M C E X P L O D E

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say COMPLEXED which is correct.
Score: 89–79 (max 115)

A nasty conundrum solution and James looks rather unsure of himself, but at least it finally separates the combatants after a nail-biting finish to the game. And in case you’re wondering, COMPLEX is a verb used in Chemistry (and probably nowhere else).

Recap by Kid Mole (yes, he’s back.)

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

[Neil Zussman]

Round 2: P L E I N S E L O

C1: SPLEEN (6)
C2: OPINES (6)
DC: NELLIES (7) PENSILE (7) EPSILON (7)
OT: ELLIPSE (7) PEONIES (7) POLLEES (7) POLLIES (7)
Score: 13–13 (max 15)

James thinks OPINES slightly risky, but he’s spot on. A POLLEE is someone whose opinion is sought; A POLLIE (also POLLY) is an Antipodean politician.


James is quick on the draw and he forces a tie-break. Actually, this game originally had no fewer than four conundrums, but two weren’t shown due to time constraints. One was a scramble of PUPPETEER, which I only know thanks to the power of the Spoilers Forum. Cheers, Jack!)

Round 16: M C E X P L O D E

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say COMPLEXED which is correct.
Score: 89–79 (max 115)

A nasty conundrum solution and James looks rather unsure of himself, but at least it finally separates the combatants after a nail-biting finish to the game. And in case you’re wondering, COMPLEX is a verb used in Chemistry (and probably nowhere else).

Just a quick correction- you've either got the declarations the wrong way round for round 2, or the wrong name.
Also, I think James said that one of the unseen conundrums was 'Luxuriant' but I'm not entirely certain, obviously you'll have to check with him (or Damian, or anyone else who was there).

[Phil Reynolds]

Just a quick correction- you've either got the declarations the wrong way round for round 2, or the wrong name.

It's the wrong name - OPINES was Jack's word, not James's.

[Mike Brown]

Just a quick correction- you've either got the declarations the wrong way round for round 2, or the wrong name.

It's the wrong name - OPINES was Jack's word, not James's.

Cheers guys. Edited. Damn that Kid Mole, I'm going to have to sack him!