Tuesday, 22 April (Series 58: Game 76)

[David O'Donnell]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 22nd April 2008.

C1: Champion Ben Hanks (2 wins, 182 points.)
C2: Challenger Melinda Ehlert.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: W H B A I E M N T
R02: O E G N S I A R P
R03: K C S O E J S E O
R04: T Q N E O I L T U
R05: 1, 4, 3, 5, 50, 25. Target: 309.
TTT: ENDAPATE - "Take a dip it's rather fishy"
R06: R F D E I U C S E
R07: D D Y V A O A T E
R08: O U A P R T E Z R
R09: L S P A I E S G H
R10: 5, 2, 8, 2, 4, 50. Target: 885.
TTT: THEGENIE - "The age where you can but anything except wisdom."
R11: F N T D A A E I T
R12: X N S A E A M S E
R13: T C I U E N R L G
R14: 25, 1, 6, 10, 2, 4. Target: 830.
R15: N E T T L E F A D (conundrum)


SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER



Ben joined us on Friday and even though he has hardly watched the show he seems to be making mincemeat of the competition. Today he faces the long arm of the law but has Melinda strayed too far from her beat by entering the land of Countdownia?



Round 1: W H B A I E M N T
C1: AMBIENT (7)
C2: INMATE (6)
OT: Only the one seven.
Score: 7–0 (max 7)

Round 2: O E G N S I A R P
C1: SPEARING (8)
C2: SOAPING (7)
DC: ORGANISE (8) SPONGIER (8)
OT: REPOSING (8) completes the eights.
Score: 15–0 (max 15)

Round 3: K C S O E J S E O
C1: SOCKS (5)
C2: SEEKS (5)
DC: JOCOSE (6)
OT: COOEES (6) is an, unlikely sounding, alternative six.
Score: 20–5 (max 21)

Round 4: T Q N E O I L T U
C1: TOILET (6)
C2: QUOTIENT (8) (Good stuff missus!).
DC: OUTLINE (7) QUINTET (7)
Score: 20–13 (max 29)

Round 5: 1, 4, 3, 5, 50, 25. Target: 309.
C1: 309.3*4*25+50/5-1 (10)
C2: 305.
Score: 30–13 (max 39)

Teatime teaser: ENDAPATE -> TAPENADE

Round 6: R F D E I U C S E
C1: CURSED (6)
C2: REFUSED (7)
DC: DEUCES (6) CRUISED (7) REDUCES (7)
OT: Loads of sevens (c'mon Ben!!) of which the only one that is new on me is UREIDES (7)
Score: 30–20 (max 46)

UREIDE is a derivative of urea: lovely!

Round 7: D D Y V A O A T E
C1: DATED (5)
C2: VOTED (5)
OT: Nothing better but ADYTA (5) is an interesting sounding one.
Score: 35–25 (max 51)

ADYTA is the plural of adytum which is the sanctum in an ancient temple.

Round 8: O U A P R T E Z R
C1: PARROT (6)
C2: REPORT (6)
DC: RAPTURE (7) TROUPER (7)
OT: PRAETOR (7) PRORATE (7) (Matt Coates)
Score: 41–31 (max 58)

Round 9: L S P A I E S G H
C1: HASSLE (6)
C2: HAPLESS (7)
DC: SHAGPILES (18) (Countmax doesn't like the plural but Susie gives it the thumbs-up: classic spot!!)
Score: 41–38 (max 76)

Round 10: 5, 2, 8, 2, 4, 50. Target: 885.
C1: 880.(8*2+2)*50-(5*4) (7)
C2: -
CV: 884. (7)
OT: 885. [(50+4)*2+2]*8+5 (10) (Matt Coates)
Score: 48–38 (max 86)

Teatime teaser: THEGENIE -> EIGHTEEN

Round 11: F N T D A A E I T
C1: FAINTED (7)
C2: DEFIANT (7)
DC: TAINTED (7)
OT: ATTAINED (8) (M. Coates)
Score: 55–45 (max 94)

Round 12: X N S A E A M S E
C1: SEAMAN (6)
C2: meaness
DC: seamed (PZ sees a phantom D)
OT: Quite a few sixes but that elusive seven remains ... erm ... elusive.
Score: 61–45 (max 100)

Round 13: T C I U E N R L G
C1: CURLING (7)
C2: CURLING (7)
DC: LECTURING (18)
OT: CULTIGEN (8)
Score: 68–52 (max 118)

Round 14: 25, 1, 6, 10, 2, 4. Target: 830.
C1: -
C2: -
CV: 830. [(2+1)*25+(2*4)]*10 (10)
Score: 68–52 (max 128)

Round 15: N E T T L E F A D
C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say FLATTENED which is correct.
Score: 78–52 (max 138)


Ben runs out a comfortable winner in what proved to be a solid performance. Melinda's numbers let her down today but as Joseph will tell you it can be tricky doing complicated number games in the studio environment. This was my first time seeing Ben and from the descriptions of the mad blue hair I expected the current champ to be a punk. Who knows, maybe he can get a mohican for the finals if he makes it? I had a mohican but I shaved the wrong parts.


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

[Jon Corby]

Round 5: 1, 4, 3, 5, 50, 25. Target: 309.
C1: 309.3*4*25+50/10-1 (10)

Code: Select all

ERROR.

DOES NOT COMPUTE.

[David O'Donnell]

Oh bugger! I give up.

[Charlie Reams]

Round 15: N E E D F L A T T
C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say FLATTENED which is correct.
Score: 78–52 (max 138)

This has to be the easiest conundrum ever. If the conundrum really is Ben's weakness, he must've been thrilled to see something like this roll over...

[Benji Hanks]

I was VERY disappointed at only getting a 6 in R6... and actually rather annoyed at missing shagpile/s, especially after Jo's "Hag-pile" on Friday!

Also hit 885 today when watching the dam thing, but never mind!
(By the way, R 10 your maths is slightly wrong, i think you just forgot to write down a +2...

[(50+4)x2+2]x8+5

[David O'Donnell]

I was VERY disappointed at only getting a 6 in R6... and actually rather annoyed at missing shagpile/s, especially after Jo's "Hag-pile" on Friday!

Also hit 885 today when watching the dam thing, but never mind!
(By the way, R 10 your maths is slightly wrong, i think you just forgot to write down a +2...

[(50+4)x2+2]x8+5

Cheers Ben, duly edited.

[Martin Gardner]

I actually got the third numbers from my extremely comfortable armchair;

25-6+2=21
21*4 = 84
84-1 = 83
83*10 = 830

Martin

[Jon Corby]

This has to be the easiest conundrum ever.

TINCLEMEN?

[Paul Howe]

This has to be the easiest conundrum ever.

TINCLEMEN?

I remember RUMRUMGIN from quite a while back, which was also amusingly bungled by the answering contestant.

[Charlie Reams]

Point taken, although I think the relative unfamiliarity of INCLEMENT (compared to FLATTENED) probably made it harder. Maybe the conundrum in some future episode could be DFLATTENE.

[David O'Donnell]

Point taken, although I think the relative unfamiliarity of INCLEMENT

I am fairly sure Corby knows this but was taking the opportunity to have a dig at Jono ... and why not?

[Jon Corby]

I am fairly sure Corby knows this but was taking the opportunity to have a dig at Jono ... and why not?

Spot on big man

I do actually agree with your original point though Charlie, I can't remember seeing an easier one.

Except GERANIUMS maybe

[Ben Pugh]

Another easy conundrum was the recent scramble of MICROWAVE which kept M-ICRO at the start, I read it as MICROWAVE and spent 10 seconds trying to work out what it could be.

[Damian E]

David O'Donnell wrote:
Round 15: N E E D F L A T T

I've got NETTLEFAD as my mix-up version for this.

[David O'Donnell]

David O'Donnell wrote:
Round 15: N E E D F L A T T

I've got NETTLEFAD as my mix-up version for this.

Crap, BUSTED!

[Damian E]

Haha - i thought i wouldn't have done one SO easy.

You're not 'losing it' before the QF's are you David?

[Benji Hanks]

Haha - i thought i wouldn't have done one SO easy.

You're not 'losing it' before the QF's are you David?

I hope so! (If I get there)

[Dinos Sfyris]

Round 15: N E E D L E F A D
C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say FLATTENED which is correct.
Score: 78–52 (max 138)

Hmmm...

[David O'Donnell]

Round 15: N E E D L E F A D
C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say FLATTENED which is correct.
Score: 78–52 (max 138)

Hmmm...

Oh for fuck sake ............