C1: Champion David Preedy (1 win, 71 points.)
C2: Challenger Ellen Hill.
DC: Susie Dent and Keith Barron.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: E I E C M N N T E
R02: S N P A O I R D E
R03: I O U R C W P P E
R04: D S N I A A T S O
R05: 25, 75, 50, 100, 10, 3. Target: 415.
TTT: GURNMATE - "It's better to solve it than start it."
R06: L R S I E E B S U
R07: O U I T M S G X O
R08: T L N I E A N V A
R09: O U A L D S T F I
R10: 10, 3, 2, 7, 5, 100. Target: 590.
TTT: CARSLIME - "Smokey's extraordinary backing, perhaps"
R11: E A O R J N Y E I
R12: T C D A E A R R I
R13: O A O T H P S E D
R14: 8, 1, 5, 10, 10, 75. Target: 348.
R15: D E S E R T P A L (conundrum)
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David Preedy knocked out our very own Ben Hanks in a bit of a scrappy game yesterday. It was quite something, today, to have contestants whose hair didn't complement the colours of the set. This is meant as a compliment, Ben, though I am not sure if it would be if it was the same set when Ben Wilson won his series. I often wondered about that colour scheme: was it to commemorate the twentieth anniversay of Bobby Sands's hunger strike? Anyway, moving on, David won a tricky game and showed the mettle to advance but will he advance further. "No!" yells Ellen Hill and when she makes a stand she makes a stand and not even her own weight in bacon is going to convince her otherwise.
Round 1: E I E C M N N T E
C1: EMINENCE (8) (Quality spot, I stupidly stopped on EMINENT in this round).
C2: ENTICE (6)
OT: ENCEINTE (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
ENCEINTE means pregnant as an adjective and a fortification enclosing fortress or town in its noun form.
Round 2: S N P A O I R D E
C1: parisoned
C2: SPRAINED (8)
DC: ANEROIDS (8) PADRONES (8)
OT: There are ten eights.
Score: 8–8 (max 16)
parisoned, presumably, means a rush of blood to the head.
Round 3: I O U R C W P P E
C1: COPPER (6)
C2: COPPER (6)
DC: COWRIE (6)
OT: COPIER (6) RECOUP (6)
Score: 14–14 (max 22)
Round 4: D S N I A A T S O
C1: STAINS (6)
C2: STANDS (6)
DC: SONATAS (7)
Score: 20–20 (max 29)
Round 5: 25, 75, 50, 100, 10, 3. Target: 415.
C1: 425.Mistake in working.
C2: -
CV: 415. (50-(100/25-3))*10-75 (10)
Score: 20–20 (max 39)
Des, charitably, points out that David is a first class Oxbridge graduate in maths to which Carol replies that you don't use numbers in maths: cue a break in filming and an ice-cold face cloth for Des's throbbing temples.
Teatime teaser: GURNMATE -> ARGUMENT
Round 6: L R S I E E B S U
C1: blesser
C2: BRUISES (7)
OT: BLUESIER (8) SUBERISE (8)
Score: 20–27 (max 47)
BLUESIER means more bluesy and that's not something you can define because you gotta feel da blues; to SUBERISE means to attain a cork like quality which presumably means a very thick accent and a love of hurling.
Round 7: O U I T M S G X O
C1: MOIST (5)
C2: MOIST (5)
DC: GUSTO (5)
OT: OSTIUM (6)
Score: 25–32 (max 53)
OSTIUM is a small opening or orifice, as in a body organ or passage or any of the small openings or pores in a sponge: feel free to introduce it into your dirty talk.
Round 8: T L N I E A N V A
C1: NATIVE (6)
C2: VALIANT (7)
OT: ALANINE (7)
Score: 25–39 (max 60)
An ALANINE is a constituent of many proteins, a crystalline amino acid, C3H7NO2.
Round 9: O U A L D S T F I
C1: FLOUTS (6)
C2: FLOUTS (6)
DC: OUTSAIL (7) DUALIST (7) squalid (Des)
OT: STIFADO (7) FISTULA (7)
Score: 31–45 (max 67)
A FISTULA is an abnormal duct or passage resulting from injury, disease, or a congenital disorder that connects an abscess, cavity, or hollow organ to the body surface or to another hollow organ. A lot of stuff about passages today, Corby would love to be doing this recap
.Round 10: 10, 3, 2, 7, 5, 100. Target: 590.
C1: 590.5*100+(7+2)*10 (10)
C2: 590.3*2*100-10 (10)
Score: 41–55 (max 77)
Teatime teaser: CARSLIME -> MIRACLES
Round 11: E A O R J N Y E I
C1: JOINERY (7)
C2: JOINER (6)
DC: JOINERY (7)
OT: ENJOYER (7)
Score: 48–55 (max 84)
Round 12: T C D A E A R R I
C1: DIRECT (6)
C2: CARRIED (7)
DC: TARRIED (7)
OT: AIRDATE (7) RADIATE (7) etc
Score: 48–62 (max 91)
Round 13: O A O T H P S E D
C1: SOOTHED (7)
C2: shooted
DC: POTHEADS (8)
Score: 55–62 (max 99)
Round 14: 8, 1, 5, 10, 10, 75. Target: 348.
C1: 348.(75+10)*(5-1)+8 (10)
C2: 344.
Score: 65–62 (max 109)
Round 15: D E S E R T P A L
C2 buzzes on 9 seconds to say PLASTERED which is correct.
Score: 65–72 (max 119)
A strange old game and rather perplexing. Ostensibly David should have been kicking ass and it seemed like it would be that way after his first round spot but then things went the way of the pear with David missing a few easy words. Ah well, I guess he is the absent-minded intellectual type, nothing absent-minded about today's challenger though. Good to see a lady in the champion's chair but I don't want to patronise her because I know that is completely politically incorrect. One thing though ... can she string a few wins together before her menstrual cycle kicks in?
PS I hope she doesn't make the finals otherwise I am in for a real kick in the stones
, if she can find them 
.Further summaries are at:
http://www.thecountdowncorral.com/cd/se ... ?series=58
.