Oh well, enjoy anyway.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 6 July 2011.
C1: Champion John Symonds (1 win, 88 points.) From Forest Hill, London. He works as a languages supply teacher, mainly for French, but he can do a tiny bit of German. His favourite place in the world is Sydney, where he did a Masters degree for 18 months on Teaching English As A Foreign Language.
C2: Challenger Simon Garratt. From Leicester. He worked as a postman for 17 years. He likes swimming and his favourite place in the world is the island of Mauritius, where he got married. His nickname is Tintin, mainly because of his very striking similarity to the aforementioned character.
DC: Susie Dent and Robin Cousins.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: C U L A M G A T R
R02: Y O M P I S R U I
R03: G O L E H L I V S
R04: E L O S D T E R W
R05: 75, 100, 50, 25, 3, 8. Target: 846.
TTT: IASKCHEF - "I asked chef to make me one of these"
R06: G B S I U J C A E
R07: F E M U N L E T D
R08: A G E F V K I T D
R09: S A R O T S I D P
R10: 100, 25, 6, 10, 3, 8. Target: 688.
TTT: NICETANS - "Things might happen quickly, for example"
R11: T A R E N A Q D O
R12: I T Z E S H U N T
R13: C A T I R N O D A
R14: 75, 50, 1, 7, 4, 7. Target: 860.
R15: I C E D S H E L L (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: C U L A M G A T R
C1: CARAT (5)
C2: maltar
DC: ACTUAL (6) TRAUMA (6) TALCUM (6)
OT: MACULAR (7) MULGARA (7)
Score: 5–0 (max 7)
A tricky start to today's proceedings with Simon giving an invalid 6, meaning John has the early lead, as 2 odd-looking 7's are avoided.
MACULAR relates to MACULA/MACULE, a spot or blotch, especially on one's skin.
Round 2: Y O M P I S R U I
C1: POURS (5)
C2: PRISM (5)
DC: opiums OPIUM (5) YOMPS (5)
OT: IMPIOUS (7)
Score: 10–5 (max 14)
Deary me, another stinky set of letters today. Hopefully not many more......
Round 3: G O L E H L I V S
C1: GLOVES (6)
C2: SHELL (5)
DC: HOLLIES (7) GOLLIES (7)
OT: VILLOSE (7)
Score: 16–5 (max 21)
The letters still aren't up to much, but John's got his GLOVES on, and has got his lead into double figures.
VILLOSE (or VILLOUS) is an adjective meaning pubescent with long and soft hairs that are not interwoven.
Round 4: E L O S D T E R W
C1: WRESTLED (8)
C2: SLOT (4)
Score: 24–5 (max 29)
Woah! A double knockdown of sorts, as John's 8 completely demolishes Simon's 4.
Round 5: 75, 100, 50, 25, 3, 8. Target: 846.
C1: 847. (100 x 8) + 50 - 3 (7)
C2: 847. (100 x 8) + 50 - 3 (7)
RR: 846. ((25 - 8) x 50) - ((3 x 100) / 75) (10)
Score: 31–12 (max 39)
A tricky 4 large, which even Rachel needs extra time to solve. I'm glad I'm not playing today, I've only had 1 max so far
Robin talks about his career on the stage, including his current work on Grease, which I saw in Bradford last weekend.
He was actually quite good I have to say. 
Teatime teaser: IASKCHEF -> FISHCAKE
Round 6: G B S I U J C A E
C1: JUICES (6)
C2: JUICES (6)
OT: CUBAGES (7)
Score: 37–18 (max 46)
Hmmmm, everyone might have got some JUICES here, but I think a lot of people might have liked some JUGS in this one.......
I wonder why.......
(Thanks to Brian for this. 
)Round 7: F E M U N L E T D
C1: UNMELTED (8)
C2: MELTED (6)
Score: 45–18 (max 54)
Another good darrenic 8 spot by John here, and he seems to be in control here.
Round 8: A G E F V K I T D
C1: FIDGET (6)
C2: FAKED (5)
DC: GIFTED (6) DATIVE (6)
Score: 51–18 (max 60)
All 6's are accounted for here, but Simon is still getting not much luck today.
Round 9: S A R O T S I D P
C1: oarist
C2: ROASTS (6)
DC: PARODISTS (18)
Score: 51–24 (max 78)
Until now, as John goes up the creek without an oar, so to speak (although it also makes you wonder why he didn't go with oarists
). Brilliant 9 from DC too.Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the underwear-related words, "pants", "corsets", "corselets", "bras" and "knickers".
Round 10: 100, 25, 6, 10, 3, 8. Target: 688.
C1: 683.
C2: 685. (6 x 100) + (25 x 3) + 10 (7)
RR: 688. ((100 + 10) x 6) + 25 + 3 (10)
Score: 51–31 (max 88)
Another tricky numbers game, but Simon is slowly getting back into it with his 3 away.
Teatime teaser: NICETANS -> INSTANCE
Round 11: T A R E N A Q D O
C1: donater
C2: DONATE (6)
DC: ORNATE (6) ARDENT (6)
OT: ADNATE (6) ATONED (6) ORATED (6) ORENDA (6) RANTED (6) RODENT (6)
Score: 51–37 (max 94)
Oh dear, a flat round is slightly spoilt by John's risky gamble......... This game is certainly not done and dusted any more.
An ORENDA is a supernatural force believed by the Iroquois Indians to be present, in varying degrees, in all objects or persons, and to be the spiritual force by which human accomplishment is attained or accounted for.
Round 12: I T Z E S H U N T
C1: HEIST (5)
C2: UNTIES (6)
DC: UNITES (6)
OT: ZENITHS (7)
Score: 51–43 (max 101)
And now the game is definitely well back in the balance, as John is on the brink of totally capsizing.
Round 13: C A T I R N O D A
C1: RAINCOAT (8)
C2: DRAIN (5)
DC: CORTINA (7)
OT: TORNADIC (8)
Score: 59–43 (max 109)
But, all of a sudden, the tables have turned again, and John's lead is suddenly doubled again, and he's got to the favourite to win it now.
Round 14: 75, 50, 1, 7, 4, 7. Target: 860.
C1: 857. ((7 + 4 + 1) x 75) - 50 + 7 (7)
C2: 853.
RR: 859/861. (7)
OT: 860. ((50 + 1) x ((75 - 7) / 4)) - 7 (10)
Score: 66–43 (max 119)
Another stinky numbers game to end the day with, but John manages to make the most out of it to take the points, and with it, his 2nd win.
Round 15: I C E D S H E L L
No one buzzes. The answer was CHISELLED.
Final Score: 66–43 (max 129)
Neither contestant can hammer out the answer with a certain implement, but John has his 2nd win in a game littered with appauling letters selection, not that the max at the end of the game would suggest that.
But, John has won, and that will do for him, so he'll be back tomorrow, as will me for the recap.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
John:
Total score - 66
Raw score - 78
Total % of max - 51
Raw % of max - 60
Total average score per round - 4.4
Raw average score per round - 5.2
Number of maxes - 4
Simon:
Total score - 43
Raw score - 73
Total % of max - 33
Raw % of max - 57
Total average score per round - 2.9
Raw average score per round - 4.9
Number of maxes - 1
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65