c4countdown

The hat-trick is about to be completed.

Enjoy.

Countdown recap for Thursday 24 November 2011.

C1: Champion Alex Morton (2 wins, 171 points.) From Sale, Greater Manchester. He owns a window and conservatory company.
C2: Challenger Dudley Lidiard. From Formby, Merseyside. He has 3 nicknames, "Cuddly Dudley", "Deadly Dudley" and "Dudley Dolittle", not to be confused with the show's warm-up man of course. He likes golf and even though he claims not to be any good, but he did get a hole in one at Formby Hall Golf Course.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: L P D I O C A N Y
R02: H G D B U E U A R
R03: H I W S M E J O L
R04: G D N D I O A E T
R05: 25, 50, 10, 8, 7, 6. Target: 238.
TTT: ROCKLEGS - "They're not from the coast, they're just visiting"
R06: W M T M O A E O S
R07: L V K E A N S U Z
R08: T N R S O U E O Q
R09: R D I U E F T C U
R10: 7, 1, 6, 10, 9, 8. Target: 339.
TTT: HOLDCAKE - "The school boss and rugby player combine to make things painful"
R11: L N S E O R T E B
R12: T R S V I A O I R
R13: S R A X N E P G O
R14: 75, 5, 1, 1, 6, 9. Target: 312.
R15: C A N D E S I G N (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: L P D I O C A N Y

C1: CANDY (5)
C2: POLICY (6)
OT: POLYADIC (8)
Score: 0–6 (max 8)

A very stinky selection of letters does produce a darrenic 8, although you'd probably need to be a geek to get that. Any takers

POLYADIC is an adjective relating to a mathematical operation having several argument places, as … moves … from … to …, which might be represented as Mpox1y1z1t1x2y2z2t2 where p names a person, o an object, and each t a time, and each the coordinates of a place.

Well, while all your brains cool down from possible meltdown, let's continue with the show.

Round 2: H G D B U E U A R

C1: BADGER (6)
C2: RAGED (5)
DC: ARGUED (6)
OT: AUGURED (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 15)

Another darren here, but while that remains, the scores are levelled up thanks to Alex's BADGER.

To AUGUR is to divine or predict, as from omens.

Round 3: H I W S M E J O L

C1: WHOLES (6)
C2: HOMIES (6)
OT: HOLISM (6) HOLMES (6) ISOHEL (6) LOWISH (6) MOHELS (6) MOLIES (6) OWLISH (6) WHELMS (6) WHILES (6) WHILOM (6)
Score: 12–12 (max 21)

Flat, flat, flattttttttttttttttttttttttt.

A HOLMES is a term meaning one's pal or friend.
An ISOHEL is a line on a weather map connecting points that receive equal amounts of sunshine.
A MOHEL is the person who performs the circumcision in the Jewish rite of circumcising a male child on the eighth day after his birth.
In classical mythology, a MOLY is a herb given to Odysseus by Hermes to counteract the spells of Circe.
WHILOM is another word for former or erstwhile.

Round 4: G D N D I O A E T

C1: DOTING (6)
C2: TINGED (6)
DC: TANGOED (7) GODETIA (7)
OT: DONATED (7) TEDDING (7) TOADIED (7)
Score: 18–18 (max 28)

A few 7's available, but will Dudley be regretting not risking TANGOED..............

Round 5: 25, 50, 10, 8, 7, 6. Target: 238.

C1: 235.
C2: 237. (10 x 25) - (6 + 7) (7)
RR: 238. (25 x 10) + 50 - ((8 x 7) + 6) (10)
Score: 18–25 (max 38)

Probably loads of ways to solve this one, but what was well surprising was that Rachel needed some extra time to solve it

Tim treats us to some funny songs with his guitar.

Teatime teaser: ROCKLEGS -> GROCKLES

Round 6: W M T M O A E O S

C1: moths
C2: TEAMS (5)
OT: TWOSOME (7)
Score: 18–30 (max 45)

I fancy a TWOSOME in this one.

Round 7: L V K E A N S U Z

C1: LEAKS (5)
C2: KNAVES (6)
DC: ANKLES (6) NAVELS (6)
OT: AVULSE (6) KANZUS (6) KULANS (6) NAEVUS (6) SNAVEL (6) SNAVLE (6) UNSEAL (6) VALUES (6)
Score: 18–36 (max 51)

Flat, flat, flat, flattttttttttttttttttt, but Alex has just got more and more LEAKS.

A KANZU is a long, usually white, robe worn especially by men in central and eastern Africa.
A KULAN is another term for an ass.
A NAEVUS is any congenital growth or pigmented blemish on the skin; birthmark or mole.

Round 8: T N R S O U E O Q

C1: quoters
C2: quoters
OT: ONEROUS (7) QUESTOR (7) ROQUETS (7) TONSURE (7) TORQUES (7) UNROOTS (7)
Score: 18–36 (max 58)

You might think that people who quote are quoters..................., but you'd be wrong

In Roman times, a QUESTOR (or QUAESTOR) is one of two subordinates of the consuls serving as public prosecutors in certain criminal cases.
In croquet, to ROQUET is to cause one's ball to strike another player's ball.

Round 9: R D I U E F T C U

C1: FRIED (5)
C2: FRUITED (7)
DC: FUTURE (6)
Score: 18–43 (max 65)

A good darren by Dudley, whose lead has shot up to 25, with Alex failing to score so far in this half.

Susie's Origins Of Words carries on with the popular culture theme with the origins of "Roman Holiday", "King Kong" and "Full Metal Jacket".

Round 10: 7, 1, 6, 10, 9, 8. Target: 339.

C1: 339. (((7 x 6) - 8) x 10) - 1 (10)
C2: 343.
Score: 28–43 (max 75)

Now is that a bit of a bad judgement call by Dudley there He didn't really have any need to go 6 small, and he has paid the price, as Alex is now well back in it.

Teatime teaser: HOLDCAKE -> HEADLOCK

Round 11: L N S E O R T E B

C1: BELTERS (7)
C2: BELTERS (7)
DC: BONESET (7)
Me: ENTRESOL (8)
Score: 35–50 (max 83)

I get a Magazine of Monaghan by finding the darren, but there are some BELTERS all round in this one.

Round 12: T R S V I A O I R

C1: VISITOR (7)
C2: TRIVIA (6)
OT: OVARITIS (8) VARISTOR (8)
Score: 42–50 (max 91)

And now the gap has shrunk to 8 points. And if any of you were thinking of adding the S to TRIVIA, you can't, because it's already pluralised, the singular being TRIVIUM.

OVARITIS (or OOPHORITIS) is inflammation of an ovary, usually combined with an inflammation of the Fallopian tubes.
A VARISTOR is a resistor whose resistance automatically varies in proportion to the voltage of the current through it.

Round 13: S R A X N E P G O

C1: SPONGER (7)
C2: SPONGER (7)
DC: saxon GRAPES (6) ORANGES (7)
OT: ONAGERS (7) PERSONA (7)
Score: 49–57 (max 98)

So, we have a couple of SPONGERs, some GRAPES and ORANGES. What more do you want

Round 14: 75, 5, 1, 1, 6, 9. Target: 312.

C1: 312. (75 + 9 - 6) x (5 - 1) (10)
C2: 312. (5 - 1) x (75 + 9 - 6) (10)
Score: 59–67 (max 108)

Dudley seemed to dither around with his solution, but he has got it, and we have a crucial conundrum here.

Round 15: C A N D E S I G N

C2 buzzes on 12.5 seconds to say ASCENDING which is correct.
Final Score: 59–77 (max 118)

But he makes up for his dithering by solving the conundrum to win the match.

Alex wasn't really that impressive a champion, in fairness, and based on today's game, I don't think that Dudley will last much longer either. We just need to find a more higher calibre of contestant really, and if that person comes on tomorrow's or Monday's show, then they'll still have a chance of making the series finals.

Join Mike tomorrow to see if that person will appear.

Till next week, bye bye.

Statistics Corner

Alex:
Total score - 59
Raw score - 81
Total % of max - 50
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 3.9
Raw average score per round - 5.4
Number of maxes - 4

Dudley:
Total score - 77
Raw score - 95
Total % of max - 65
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 5.1
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 6

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65

James Robinson wrote:You might think that people who quote are quoters..................., but you'd be wrong

Loved Jeff's quip: "It's about common usage - that's the reason that qintars, the Albanian currency's in there."

Mike Brown wrote:

James Robinson wrote:You might think that people who quote are quoters..................., but you'd be wrong

Loved Jeff's quip: "It's about common usage - that's the reason that qintars, the Albanian currency's in there."

Yeah, another brill reason why we'll miss him.

Mike Brown wrote:

James Robinson wrote:You might think that people who quote are quoters..................., but you'd be wrong

Loved Jeff's quip: "It's about common usage - that's the reason that qintars, the Albanian currency's in there."

Agreed. It's that sort of remark that makes him so good.

In fairness to the makers of the dictionary, I think it's fair enough that the appearance of a word like QUOTER is a judgement call based on usage, whereas QINTAR has to be in even if it's used less. What is someone who quotes called? There isn't really a word for it, or even the need for a word for it. What is the currency of Albania? The qintar.

David Williams wrote:In fairness to the makers of the dictionary, I think it's fair enough that the appearance of a word like QUOTER is a judgement call based on usage, whereas QINTAR has to be in even if it's used less. What is someone who quotes called? There isn't really a word for it, or even the need for a word for it. What is the currency of Albania? The qintar.

I pretty much agree with that, David, but it's nice to have a little fun at Oxford's expense. And I do think it makes them look a bit silly in the eyes of Joe Public when someone offers a seemingly OK agent noun on Countdown and has it disallowed while some aptogeek offers an obscure word for a Himalyan teepee and has it deemed acceptable.

James Robinson wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2011 9:19 pm Round 3: H I W S M E J O L

C1: WHOLES (6)
C2: HOMIES (6)
OT: HOLISM (6) HOLMES (6) ISOHEL (6) LOWISH (6) MOHELS (6) MOLIES (6) OWLISH (6) WHELMS (6) WHILES (6) WHILOM (6)
Score: 12–12 (max 21)

Flat, flat, flattttttttttttttttttttttttt.

A HOLMES is a term meaning one's pal or friend.
An ISOHEL is a line on a weather map connecting points that receive equal amounts of sunshine.
A MOHEL is the person who performs the circumcision in the Jewish rite of circumcising a male child on the eighth day after his birth.
In classical mythology, a MOLY is a herb given to Odysseus by Hermes to counteract the spells of Circe.
WHILOM is another word for former or erstwhile.

Was WHOLISM not valid back then? WHOLISM is the belief that a MOHEL's work is unnecessary.

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:02 pm

James Robinson wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2011 9:19 pm Round 3: H I W S M E J O L

C1: WHOLES (6)
C2: HOMIES (6)
OT: HOLISM (6) HOLMES (6) ISOHEL (6) LOWISH (6) MOHELS (6) MOLIES (6) OWLISH (6) WHELMS (6) WHILES (6) WHILOM (6)
Score: 12–12 (max 21)

Flat, flat, flattttttttttttttttttttttttt.

A HOLMES is a term meaning one's pal or friend.
An ISOHEL is a line on a weather map connecting points that receive equal amounts of sunshine.
A MOHEL is the person who performs the circumcision in the Jewish rite of circumcising a male child on the eighth day after his birth.
In classical mythology, a MOLY is a herb given to Odysseus by Hermes to counteract the spells of Circe.
WHILOM is another word for former or erstwhile.

Was WHOLISM not valid back then? WHOLISM is the belief that a MOHEL's work is unnecessary.

Clearly not, it was still paper dictionaries back then, so someone can double check....

James Robinson wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:08 pm

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:02 pm

James Robinson wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2011 9:19 pm Round 3: H I W S M E J O L

C1: WHOLES (6)
C2: HOMIES (6)
OT: HOLISM (6) HOLMES (6) ISOHEL (6) LOWISH (6) MOHELS (6) MOLIES (6) OWLISH (6) WHELMS (6) WHILES (6) WHILOM (6)
Score: 12–12 (max 21)

Flat, flat, flattttttttttttttttttttttttt.

A HOLMES is a term meaning one's pal or friend.
An ISOHEL is a line on a weather map connecting points that receive equal amounts of sunshine.
A MOHEL is the person who performs the circumcision in the Jewish rite of circumcising a male child on the eighth day after his birth.
In classical mythology, a MOLY is a herb given to Odysseus by Hermes to counteract the spells of Circe.
WHILOM is another word for former or erstwhile.

Was WHOLISM not valid back then? WHOLISM is the belief that a MOHEL's work is unnecessary.

Clearly not, it was still paper dictionaries back then, so someone can double check....

It is in ODE3. The episode's wiki page was updated long ago.

Oh yes, so the max on the wiki says 119 and it's listed as 118 here. Discovered because I made a stupid joke.