Monday 14 April 2008 (Series 58, Game 70)

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Monday 14 April 2008 (Series 58, Game 70)

Post by JimBentley »

Monday 14 April 2008 (Series 58, Game 70)

Player 1: Hugh Shand, appearance 2
Player 2: Carole Algie, a full time carer from Surrey
Dictionary Corner: Susie Dent and Jo Brand

Summary of game:

ROUND 1 N G D E O A J N E
ROUND 2 A F E M O Z M R I
ROUND 3 N G D O E I E L V
ROUND 4 I T R E I T N W S
ROUND 5 75 4 7 8 10 7 Target 236

TTT 1 SLOWLACE The old king's rules, what a cabbage

ROUND 6 E R N O E P C L I
ROUND 7 S T D U E O R B A
ROUND 8 E A S D L E N T B
ROUND 9 M N R A E I X S A
ROUND 10 25 3 3 10 8 9 Target 275

TTT 2 REALBASE Can be corrected if you use a rubber

ROUND 11 P F S I U O K H Q
ROUND 12 I C T D E A G R S
ROUND 13 T P Y R O U O C L
ROUND 14 50 8 4 3 2 1 Target 742

ROUND 15 M E S S Y L I L A


A very tight game last Friday saw Hugh become champion, defeating Westlife-loving Julie Gregory 91-82 (although, to be fair, neither contestant really hit top form, with 30 points for each player coming from three very easy numbers games). Today Hugh faces another Westlife fan (what, are they holding auditions at piss-poor Irish boyband gigs now?) in Carole Algie - will the outcome be the same?



ROUND 1 N G D E O A J N E

C1: GONAD (5)
C2: DEAN (4)
DC:
OT: DONNÉE, ENNEAD, GENNED, NONAGE (6)
>>> DONNÉE (noun, also DONNÉ) a subject or theme of a narrative; ENNEAD (noun) a group or set of nine; GEN (verb, GENS, GENNING, GENNED) to provide (someone) with information; NONAGE (noun) the period of a person's immaturity or youth
Max: 6 (6)
Score: 5 - 0

ROUND 2 A F E M O Z M R I

C1: FAME (4)
C2: zimmer (x) - it's capitalised
DC: MAZIER (6)
OT: FOAMIER (7)
Max: 7 (13)
Score: 9 - 0

ROUND 3 N G D O E I E L V

C1: DELVING (7)
C2: LEGION (6)
DC: DINGLE, DONGLE (6)
OT: LEGIONED (8)
>>> LEGIONED (adjective, literary) arrayed in legions
Max: 8 (21)
Score: 16 - 0

ROUND 4 I T R E I T N W S

C1: WINTERS (7)
C2: WINTERS (7)
DC: WINTRIEST (9)
OT: No more nines, but NITRITES, TWISTIER, WRENTITS (8)
>>> NITRITE (noun) a salt or ester of nitrous acid; WRENTIT (noun) a long-tailed North American songbird
Max: 18 (39)
Score: 23 - 7

ROUND 5 75 4 7 8 10 7 Target 236

C1: 236 = ((7 - 4) x 75) + 10 + 8 - 7
C2: 236 = ((7 - 4) x 75) + 10 + 8 - 7
CV:
Max: 10 (49)
Score: 33 - 17

Tea Time Teaser 1 SLOWLACE = COLESLAW

ROUND 6 E R N O E P C L I

C1: PINCER (6)
C2: porcelein (x) - it's PORCELAIN
DC: PONCIER, PORCINE (7)
OT: LEPORINE, REPLICON (8)
>>> LEPORINE (adjective) of or resembling a hare or hares; REPLICON (noun) in DNA, a nucleic acid molecule, or part of one, which replicates as a unit
Max: 8 (57)
Score: 39 - 17

ROUND 7 S T D U E O R B A

C1: BOASTER (7)
C2: BROADEST (8)
DC: OBTRUDES (8)
OT: BOUTADES, BROASTED, DOUBTERS, OBDURATE, REDOUBTS, SABOTEUR (8)
>>> BOUTADE (noun) a sudden outburst or outbreak; BROAST (verb, North American) to cook food by a combination of broiling and roasting; REDOUBT (noun) a temporary or supplementary military fortification
Max: 8 (65)
Score: 39 - 25

ROUND 8 E A S D L E N T B

C1: BELATED (7)
C2: BLASTED (7)
DC: BLANDEST, ABSENTED (8)
OT: BENDLETS, SENDABLE (8)
>>> BENDLET (noun) in Heraldry, a bend of half the normal width, usually in groups of two or three
Max: 8 (73)
Score: 46 - 32

ROUND 9 M N R A E I X S A

C1: AMNESIA (7)
C2: MARINES (7)
DC: MARINAS, SEMINAR, REMAINS (7)
OT: Between them, the contestants and DC have all five sevens
Max: 7 (80)
Score: 53 - 39

ROUND 10 25 3 3 10 8 9 Target 275

C1: 275 = (8 + 3) x 25
C2: 275 = ((25 + 3) x 10) - (8 - 3)
CV:
Max: 10 (90)
Score: 63 - 49

Tea Time Teaser 2 REALBASE = ERASABLE

ROUND 11 P F S I U O K H Q

C1: quofs (x) - possibly thinking of QUAFFS
C2: QUIPS (5)
DC: FISH (4)
OT: HOKIS, PIOUS, POUFS, POUIS (5)
>>> HOKI (noun) an edible marine fish related to the hakes, found off the southern coasts of New Zealand (a lot of frozen fish now uses hoki as an alternative to cod, as hoki for the moment is fished from a sustainable source); POUF (noun) is an alternative spelling of both POOF and POUFFE, so can either be a homosexual man or a cushioned footstool, according to your preferences or inclinations; POUI (noun, plural same or POUIS) a Caribbean and tropical American tree, grown as an ornamental and valued for its timber
Max: 5 (95)
Score: 63 - 54

ROUND 12 I C T D E A G R S

C1: STAGED (6)
C2: CREDITS (7)
DC: AGRESTIC (8)
OT: DISGRACE (8)
Max: 8 (103)
Score: 63 - 61

ROUND 13 T P Y R O U O C L

C1: COLOUR (6)
C2: POULTRY (7)
DC: CROUPY (6)
OT: COURTLY, OUTCROP (7)
Max: 7 (110)
Score: 63 - 68

ROUND 14 50 8 4 3 2 1 Target 742

C1: 742 = (((4 x 3) + 2 + 1) x 50) - 8
C2: 742 = (((4 x 3) + 2 + 1) x 50) - 8
CV:
Max: 10 (120)
Score: 73 - 78

ROUND 15 - Conundrum

M E S S Y L I L A


C1 buzzes on about eight seconds to say SEMINALLY - but he's wrong!

The rest of the time ticks away, but C2 doesn't buzz.

Jo gets it in DC, but Des has already given the answer...it's AIMLESSLY.

Max: 10 (130)
Score: 73 - 78


OK, not a classic in terms of high scores or amazing top quality play, but this was a really good game. Carole started off badly and despite not playing well, Hugh somehow found himself with a lead of 22 points after six rounds and the game looked like it was going to turn into a win at a canter for the current champ.

But Carole started picking up momentum, and when Hugh had QUOFS disallowed in round 11, an unlikely comeback looked like a real possibility. Two more winners in CREDITS and the excellent POULTRY and she was ahead; it was a surprise that she didn't finish with a flourish on the conundrum.

Three more straightforward numbers rounds gift 60 of the aggregate 151 points in the game, but mean that Hugh finishes his run with maximum points for the numbers (this is a surprisingly rare feat even amongst the one-game winners - only two other players have managed it in the last eight series).

If Carole can continue playing like she was in the latter stages of today's game, she could put a few together, but this series has defied prediction thus far, so anything could happen, really. That's the sort of incisive prediction I know you all tune in for.


Further summaries are at:
http://www.sooreams.com/cd/series.asp?series=58


Written by Veronica Purdey & Jim Bentley
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Charlie Reams
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Re: Monday 14 April 2008 (Series 58, Game 70)

Post by Charlie Reams »

jimbentley wrote:Three more straightforward numbers rounds gift 60 of the aggregate 151 points in the game, but mean that Hugh finishes his run with maximum points for the numbers (this is a surprisingly rare feat even amongst the one-game winners - only two other players have managed it in the last eight series).
Great fact, Jim; who were the other two? What's the furthest into a run anyone has got before dropping numbers points? I NEED MORE STATISTICS.
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Re: Monday 14 April 2008 (Series 58, Game 70)

Post by JimBentley »

Yeah, I was going to link the games, but then decided...meh, people here are resourceful, they'll find 'em if they really want to.

The only other 100% numbers players are Dominic Marsh from Series 53 (1 win, 1 loss) and Graham Dugdale from Series 55 (who I thought at the time was going to be an octochamp, 2 wins, 1 loss).

As for who's got the furthest without dropping any numbers points...I'm not sure at the moment. I'll find out.

(edit) I found out! It is Mr. Paul Howe, with ten games, before tripping up on this:

25, 9, 8, 6, 5, 7, target 638.
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Re: Monday 14 April 2008 (Series 58, Game 70)

Post by Paul Howe »

jimbentley wrote: As for who's got the furthest without dropping any numbers points...I'm not sure at the moment. I'll find out.

(edit) I found out! It is Mr. Paul Howe, with ten games, before tripping up on this:

25, 9, 8, 6, 5, 7, target 638.
Wahey! Jim, you've made me a very happy man and I'm impressed you keep such comprehensive statistics to let you figure such things out.

Charlie, I demand a little gold trophy on your ratings page, or maybe a new category in the octochamp stats :)
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Re: Monday 14 April 2008 (Series 58, Game 70)

Post by Charlie Reams »

Paul Howe wrote: Charlie, I demand a little gold trophy on your ratings page, or maybe a new category in the octochamp stats :)
I will do the latter (for letters and numbers) at some time when I'm bored enough to collect the data. Promise.
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Re: Monday 14 April 2008 (Series 58, Game 70)

Post by Martin Gardner »

I think I managed 5 in a row before tripping up on the last selection of my second game; noting that one of my previous 4-from-the-top games was not solvable at all. In fairness though I was always shit on games with 25 as the only large number, as more often that not the multiplier needed is just as large as the 25 itself. If you look through the Countdownwiki, my weakest games were the ones with only the 25.

Martin
If you cut a gandiseeg in half, do you get two gandiseegs or two halves of a gandiseeg?
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