Thursday 3rd April 2008 (Series 58, Game 63)

[Jon Corby]

Countdown recap for Thursday 3rd April 2008.

C1: Champion Nigel Davies (2 wins, 173 points.)
C2: Challenger Mary Dickson.
DC: Susie Dent and Lynda Baron.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S T Z I A O L M I
R02: N R R A O H E D R
R03: W S F A E O P S L
R04: F B G A E O T M A
R05: 100, 5, 2, 3, 2, 5. Target: 171.
TTT: EACHPICK - "A young bird, and a vegetable with a pulse."
R06: P T D E O A R C E
R07: T L C O A E Y S N
R08: D T J I A O Q S O
R09: N R C E O A L D P
R10: 100, 5, 2, 10, 4, 8. Target: 187.
TTT: KISSTELL - "Ability that went to pot, twice."
R11: M L R U E A B T R
R12: X S S I E I O P S
R13: N H T E O E N T R
R14: 100, 1, 4, 7, 2, 2. Target: 582.
R15: D R I E D B E E F (conundrum)


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Champion Nige dethroned Richard Priest as he honed in on Octochamp status a couple of days ago, so with that kind of pedigree we'd expect him to go far. He's a Man City fan, and he really reminds me of somebody but I can't quite place who. Today he faces Mary Dickson from Darlington, a retired primary school deputy head who is looming in on 40 years of marriage to, apparently, a poor golfer.

Round 1: S T Z I A O L M I
C1: MAILS (5)
C2: LIMITS (6)
DC: MATZOS (6)
OT: SAMITI (6) STOMAL (6) ALMOST (6) MALOTI (6) MOTZAS (6)
Score: 0–6 (max 6)
A samiti is (in India) a committee, society or association. Maloti (plural of loti) are the basic monetary unit of Lesotho, and motza is a variant spelling of motser, which is Aussie slang for a large sum of money, especially won by gambling.

Round 2: N R R A O H E D R
C1: HOARDER (7)
C2: HOARDER (7)
DC: ERRAND (6) HARDEN (6)
OT: ADORNER (7)
Score: 7–13 (max 13)

Round 3: W S F A E O P S L
C1: SLOPES (6)
C2: SLAPS (5)
DC: LAPSES (6) PEAFOWLS (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 21)
Peafowl is the only 7 as well.

Round 4: F B G A E O T M A
C1: AMOEBA (6)
C2: AGATE (5)
DC: BEGAT (5) BEGOT (5)
OT: BEMATA (6)
Score: 19–13 (max 27)
Bemata is an alternative plural form of bema, which is the altar part or sanctuary in ancient and Orthodox churches.

Round 5: 100, 5, 2, 3, 2, 5. Target: 171.
C1: 171.5*5*3-2-2+100 (10)
C2: 170.
Score: 29–13 (max 37)

Teatime teaser: EACHPICK -> CHICKPEA

In addition to Susie's "Origin of Words" feature, another new segment appears to have been trialled today, in which a woman tells a badly injured man that "she can't, she just can't" in a cave in front of a fire. Again, an odd choice from the production team as to the timing - some felt that it was awkward to position Susie's "Origin Of Words" piece before the second numbers game, and again, there was just something about this section felt a little out of place, although I can't quite put my finger on what it was.

Round 6: P T D E O A R C E
C1: DECORATE (8)
C2: CARPETED (8)
DC: CREATED (7)
OT: RECOATED (8) OPERATED (8)
Score: 37–21 (max 45)

Round 7: T L C O A E Y S N
C1: LOCATES (7)
C2: LOCATES (7)
DC: COATS (5)
OT: LACTONES (8) ACOLYTES (8)
Score: 44–28 (max 53)
A lactone is an organic compound containing an ester group as part of a ring, and an acolyte is a person assisting a priest in a religious service or procession, but more commonly used these days just to mean a follower or assistant.

Round 8: D T J I A O Q S O
C1: STAID (5)
C2: STOOD (5)
DC: OOTIDS (6)
Score: 49–33 (max 59)

Round 9: N R C E O A L D P
C1: PAROLED (7)
C2: PRANCED (7)
DC: CORNEAL (7) COLANDER (8)
OT: ENDOCARP (8) CROPLAND (8)
Score: 56–40 (max 67)
An endocarp is a layer in a fruit which surrounds the seed.

Round 10: 100, 5, 2, 10, 4, 8. Target: 187.
C1: 187.2*100-5-8 (10)
C2: 187.100+8*10+2+5 (10)
Score: 66–50 (max 77)

Teatime teaser: KISSTELL -> SKILLETS

Round 11: M L R U E A B T R
C1: MAULER (6)
C2: RAMBLER (7)
DC: TUMBLER (7) RUMBLER (7)
Score: 66–57 (max 84)
Lots of other sevens here that I can't be bothered to list.

Round 12: X S S I E I O P S
C1: POSSIES (7)
C2: PIXIES (6)
Score: 73–57 (max 91)
Possie here isn't as in Wild West posse, but yet more Australian slang, for "position". Actually, we use that here as well, don't we?

Round 13: N H T E O E N T R
C1: trothe
C2: ENTHRONE (8)
DC: HORNET (6) TETHER (6) ROTTEN (6) TOTHER (6)
Score: 73–65 (max 99)

Round 14: 100, 1, 4, 7, 2, 2. Target: 582.
C1: 582.(7-1)*(100-4+(2/2)) (10)
C2: 582.Mistake in working.
Score: 83–65 (max 109)
D'oh, Mary uses the 1 twice in her formula of (7-1)*(100-2-1) which ends her challenge. Had she just made the 6 by saying 4 + 2, she would have forced a crucial conundrum...

Round 15: D R I E D B E E F
C1 buzzes on 3 seconds to say DEBRIEFED which is correct.
Score: 93–65 (max 119)

... but would have lost anyway. Oh well, Nigel marches on past an entertaining game which looked like it was going to go down to the wire. Exciting stuff.

... ah - I've just remembered who it is that Nigel reminds me of - the actor Nicholas Ball.

... and the announcer has just apologised for the technical difficulties earlier on, hoping that they didn't "enspoil our enjoyment" of the programme. I can't think why they'd think an unexpected 30 second excerpt from a grisly 18-rated horror might have had that effect on a daytime audience of OAPs.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.thecountdowncorral.com/cd/se ... ?series=58

[Howard Somerset]

Round 4: F B G A E O T M A
C1: AMOEBA (6)
C2: AGATE (5)
DC: begat BEGOT (5)
OT: BEMATA (6)
Score: 19–13 (max 27)
Lynda lazily offers begat which wouldn't be allowed. Bemata is an alternative plural form of bema, which is the altar part or sanctuary in ancient and Orthodox churches.

Curious. Why wouldn't BEGAT be allowed?

[JimBentley]

I don't know. My book (edition prior to the current one) offers "BEGAT archaic past of BEGET". Either it was removed for the current edition, or Corby's made a balls-up. The latter case is so preposterous as to surely be wrong, but it seems like an odd candidate for removal. I don't know what to think now!

[Charlie Reams]

Round 4: F B G A E O T M A
C1: AMOEBA (6)
C2: AGATE (5)
DC: begat BEGOT (5)
OT: BEMATA (6)
Score: 19–13 (max 27)
Lynda lazily offers begat which wouldn't be allowed. Bemata is an alternative plural form of bema, which is the altar part or sanctuary in ancient and Orthodox churches.

Curious. Why wouldn't BEGAT be allowed?

It should be. Perhaps Corby was thinking of begats, which a contestant has attempted before, and which was rightly disallowed.

[Jon Corby]

I don't know. My book (edition prior to the current one) offers "BEGAT archaic past of BEGET". Either it was removed for the current edition, or Corby's made a balls-up. The latter case is so preposterous as to surely be wrong, but it seems like an odd candidate for removal. I don't know what to think now!

One of these is indeed the correct explanation.... recap duly amended