Thursday 16th July 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 19)

[Jon Corby]

Countdown recap for Thursday 16 July 2009.

C1: Champion Andrew Hulme (5 wins, 580 points.)
C2: Challenger Barbara Speak.
DC: Susie Dent and Ian Hyland.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S T M U E I S T L
R02: R A S E R I L A M
R03: S D F E I E A S E
R04: H I E P I D C Y O
R05: 50, 9, 7, 6, 2, 8. Target: 439.
TTT: RENEWHAY - "It's neither here nor there really"
R06: R A K O X E Q A S
R07: R N T E U A Z L O
R08: N N I O A M R T E
R09: D B N I O A C R A
R10: 100, 10, 3, 6, 1, 5. Target: 176.
TTT: SHEERFAT - "You'll see lots of these if you count down"
R11: W T C O E I R E S
R12: P G T O E A L D F
R13: H T G E O E S A R
R14: 75, 9, 8, 2, 7, 9. Target: 836.
R15: D A R N W A T E R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Champion Andrew needs little introduction - he has been battering all before him for 5 days now, and his whopping 580 (average 116 per game) means that Kirk's recently set octo-record of 925 is a little under threat. 116 * 8 = 928, for those of you who aren't very good at maths. Speaking of which, today's challenger is Barbara "Barb" Speak, an admin assistant from Adlington in Lancashire. She describes herself as a puzzle addict, who shoots up on sudoku, Nintendo and crosswords to satisfy her cravings. She's a massive Robbie Williams fan with two young granddaughters, and her favourite place in the world is her own bungalow.

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S T M U E I S T L

C1: LUSTIEST (8)
C2: SMILES (6)
DC: MUESLIS (7) MUSTIEST (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)

Andrew's off in typical form...

Round 2: R A S E R I L A M

C1: MARRIES (7)
C2: MAILERS (7)
DC: REALISM (7)
OT: AERIALS (7) MALAISE (7) MARARIS (7) RAILERS (7)
Score: 15–7 (max 15)

...but Barb matches him to get on the scoreboard after some fine constonant picking. Could be a close one this!

Round 3: S D F E I E A S E

C1: DISEASE (7)
C2: eased (declared as 6)
DC: SEASIDE (7)
Score: 22–7 (max 22)

Andrew's on the max yet again as Barb miscounts her offering, which wouldn't have scored anyway so never mind.

Round 4: H I E P I D C Y O

C1: IDIOCY (6)
C2: poetic
DC: DICEY (5) COPIED (6)
OT: DIOECY (6) HYPOID (6)
Score: 28–7 (max 28)

Andrew confesses that he stole IDIOCY from yesterday's show (in the round where he risked OXIDIC^) and Barb yet again misdeclares, this time finding a phantom 'T'. Maybe it won't be so close after all.

Round 5: 50, 9, 7, 6, 2, 8. Target: 439.

C1: 439. 9*50-(7+6-2) (10)
C2: 433.
Score: 38–7 (max 38)

Andrew's yet to drop a point, and it looks like this is all over as a contest before the first advert break.

Teatime teaser: RENEWHAY -> ANYWHERE

Round 6: R A K O X E Q A S

C1: AREAS (5)
C2: RAKES (5)
DC: SOAKER (6)
OT: ARKOSE (6)
Score: 43–12 (max 44)

Round 7: R N T E U A Z L O

C1: NEUTRAL (7)
C2: OUTRAN (6)
OT: TORULAE (7)
Score: 50–12 (max 51)

Round 8: N N I O A M R T E

C1: NOMINATE (8)
C2: mantle
DC: ANOINTER (8) ORNAMENT (8) (Jeff)
OT: TRAINMEN (8)
Score: 58–12 (max 59)

Yet another misdeclare from Barb, and Hazel Wheeler's record is looking under threat.

Round 9: D B N I O A C R A

C1: CARBON (6)
C2: BRAIN (5)
OT: BRACONID (8)
Score: 64–12 (max 67)

I remembered BRACONID after that god-awful Mel Giedroyc tried to claim it as her own word once. Appalling.

Round 10: 100, 10, 3, 6, 1, 5. Target: 176.

C1: 176. (5+3-1)*10+6+100 (10)
C2: 176. 3*100...6*5...Mistake in working.
Score: 74–12 (max 77)

Teatime teaser: SHEERFAT -> FEATHERS

Round 11: W T C O E I R E S

C1: ESOTERIC (8)
C2: ERECTS (6)
DC: COTERIES (8)
Score: 82–12 (max 85)

Round 12: P G T O E A L D F

C1: TADPOLE (7)
C2: GLOATED (7)
DC: FLOATED (7)
OT: GATEFOLD (8)
Score: 89–19 (max 93)

Round 13: H T G E O E S A R

C1: SHORTAGE (8)
C2: GATHERS (7)
Score: 97–19 (max 101)

Round 14: 75, 9, 8, 2, 7, 9. Target: 836.

C1: 835. (9+2)*75+9+8-7 (7)
C2: 835. 9-7...75*...Mistake in working.
RR: 836. (8-7+75)*(9+2) (10)
Score: 104–19 (max 111)

Andrew's possibly showing signs of tiredness and will probably feel he should have got this...

Round 15: D A R N W A T E R

No one buzzes. The answer was WARRANTED.
Score: 104–19 (max 121)

...and this, as Kirk's record looks a little safer with just two games left. Still, congratulations Andrew on yet another century, and congratulations Barb for avoiding taking Hazel Wheeler's record. Champagne all round.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61

[Charlie Reams]

Very good recap.

[Andrew Hulme]

Not sure if this was on purpose... but:

and his whopping 580 (average 114 per game) is a little under threat... ...for those of you who aren't very good at maths.

[Charlie Reams]

Barbara didn't so much get buried as inHulmed.

OH YEAH!

[Jon Corby]

Not sure if this was on purpose... but:

and his whopping 580 (average 114 per game) is a little under threat... ...for those of you who aren't very good at maths.

Yeah it was on purpose.

[Kirk Bevins]

My record is 925 not 926 mate.

[David O'Donnell]

My record is 925 not 926 mate.

It's about to be Inhulmed!

Loving the puns!

[Charlie Reams]

My record is 925 not 926 mate.

It's about to be Inhulmed!

Loving the puns!

I already did that one! Pay attention O'Donnell. Clearly we need a database of jokes that have already been made.

[Jon Corby]

My record is 925 not 926 mate.

FFS, I even looked it up to check because I wasn't sure, and still wrote it down wrong. Oh well never mind, it'll only exist for a couple more days anyway...

[Derek Hazell]

My record is 925 not 926 mate.

It's about to be Inhulmed!

Loving the puns!

I already did that one! Pay attention O'Donnell. Clearly we need a database of jokes that have already been made.

All these puns Hulme-Amey.

[Jon Corby]

All these puns Hulme-Amey.

I tried for ages to think of a 'Hulme' pun Andrew a blank

[David O'Donnell]

All these puns Hulme-Amey.

I tried for ages to think of a 'Hulme' pun Andrew a blank

Ah well, you're only Hulme-an.

Edit: Apologies to Charlie for stealing his gag but I am an unoriginal, hackneyed, git; I thought everybody knew this already.

[Marc Meakin]

All these puns Hulme-Amey.

I tried for ages to think of a 'Hulme' pun Andrew a blank

Ah well, you're only Hulme-an.

Edit: Apologies to Charlie for stealing his gag but I am an unoriginal, hackneyed, git; I thought everybody knew this already.

Can I assHulme from this that we have run out of good Hulmeoured puns on the subject

[Jon Corby]

Edit: Apologies to Charlie for stealing his gag but I am an unoriginal, hackneyed, git; I thought everybody knew this already.

Expect a torrent of abuse - I think Damian had a point when he said that Charlie's barbed way of speaking was getting a little out of hand.

[Phil Reynolds]

Can I assHulme from this that we have run out of good Hulmeoured puns

I think perhaps mine was too subtle.