C1: Champion Dudley Lidiard (1 win, 77 points.)
C2: Challenger Kirsten Thompson.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
It’s almost the end of November and the weather finally seems to be turning colder, which must mean we’re getting towards the end of the series – and indeed we are, with only a couple of weeks remaining until the quarter-finals begin. Yesterday (i.e. Thursday), Dudley ‘Doolittle’ Lidiard replaced two-time winner Alex Morton as reigning champion – can Kirsten Thompson do a similar thing today and send Dudley packing back to Formby? Kirsten’s from Sheffield, supports Scunthorpe United and has a cat called Socks (or is it Sox?), as does a certain Jeffrey Stelling. Without further ado, let’s get on with it...
R01: C T F P U E I A N
R02: G R L A I E T N A
R03: P S S M O I O E D
R04: R T W A I H X T E
R05: 75, 4, 8, 4, 6, 1. Target: 371.
TTT: RICKPETE - "Rick and Pete felt sorry for the man on strike."
R06: L Y S A E M C I R
R07: N T T J E A E V S
R08: D T Q A I E T D I
R09: R G R S E A O N W
R10: 100, 50, 7, 4, 10, 6. Target: 682.
TTT: STARTLAW - "If you want to start studying law, you'll need to work very hard."
R11: N G P D E O E N F
R12: S D Z A O U A H B
R13: S C M P L O E U N
R14: 50, 25, 9, 6, 4, 10. Target: 950.
R15: G E N T O F S I N (conundrum)
Countdown is sponsored by Vitabiotics Menopace.
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
The opening banter today revolves around biscuits, but let’s Breakaway from such talk and get on with the recap.
Round 1: C T F P U E I A N
C1: PAINT (5)
C2: PANIC (5)
DC: PEANUT (6) PETUNIA (7)
OT: PICANTE (7) PUNCTAE (7) TUNICAE (7) UNIFACE (7)
Score: 5–5 (max 7)
Our contestants settle in gently with five apiece.
Round 2: G R L A I E T N A
C1: INTEGRAL (8)
C2: ALTERING (8)
DC: TRIANGLE (8) RELATING (8)
OT: AERATING (8) ALERTING (8) ALGINATE (8) GERANIAL (8) REGALIAN (8) TANGLIER (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 15)
Rachel drops an E, there are lots of eights and GERANIAL is a fragrant oil found in lemon grass and used in perfumery.
Round 3: P S S M O I O E D
C1: episodes
C2: IMPOSES (7)
DC: DISPOSE (7)
OT: SODOMISE (8)
Score: 13–20 (max 23)
Dudley sees a phantom E, while DC possibly spotted SODOMISE, but had it edited out – it certainly looked like Tim was going to say something else after DISPOSE, at any rate.
Round 4: R T W A I H X T E
C1: WRAITH (6)
C2: WAITER (6)
DC: THWAITE (7)
Score: 19–26 (max 30)
After Susie shows us THWAITE on the pen-cam and tells us what it means, Jeff quips: “that was well worth the thwaite.” Let’s hope Nick Hewer’s as good at puns, eh?
Round 5: 75, 4, 8, 4, 6, 1. Target: 371.
C1: 371. ((4+1)x75)-4 (10)
C2: 371. ((4+1)x75)-4 (10)
Score: 29–36 (max 40)
Tim Vine trains the audience to shout “Countdown was here” and then runs through lots of events that have happened since Countdown started in 1982 and gets them to shout out after each one. It went on a little bit, but it meant we got lots of audience shots (did anyone spot anyone they knew?) and Tim’s been great value as usual this week. No pen behind the ear, though...
Teatime teaser: RICKPETE -> PICKETER
Round 6: L Y S A E M C I R
C1: MEASLY (6)
C2: RECLAIMS (8)
DC: MIRACLES (8) CREAMILY (8)
OT: CLAIMERS (8)
Score: 29–44 (max 48)
Dudley offers a MEASLY six, while Kirsten RECLAIMS the lead. Oh, wait a minute...
Round 7: N T T J E A E V S
C1: EVENTS (6)
C2: EVENTS (6)
DC: NEATEST (7)
Score: 35–50 (max 55)
DC spot the NEATEST word available.
Round 8: D T Q A I E T D I
C1: TIDIED (6)
C2: DATED (5)
Score: 41–50 (max 61)
The least characters in a round recap for a while?
Round 9: R G R S E A O N W
C1: ORANGES (7)
C2: ORANGES (7)
DC: WAGONERS (8) GROANERS (8)
OT: WRONGERS (8)
O.K., so explain it to me again... you can’t have QUOTERS, but WRONGERS is fine, yes? (Don’t write in.)
OoW: Susie tells us about the origins of the names ‘Monty Python’ and ‘American Beauty’.
Score: 48–57 (max 69)
Round 10: 100, 50, 7, 4, 10, 6. Target: 682.
C1: 684.
C2: 682. ((100+10)x6)+50-(7x4) (10)
Score: 48–67 (max 79)
A great numbers spot from Kirsten. And it looks like she just might win this thing.
Teatime teaser: STARTLAW -> STALWART
Round 11: N G P D E O E N F
C1: PONGED (6)
C2: pongoed
DC: PONGEE (6)
OT: DONNEE (6) GENNED (6) OPENED (6) PENNED (6)
Score: 54–67 (max 85)
Ouch – a bit of a dodgy gamble from the Sheffield lass, while Dudley’s smelly six earns him six valuable points.
Round 12: S D Z A O U A H B
C1: ABASH (5)
C2: DAUB (4)
DC: BASHO (JS) (5) BAUDS (5)
OT: DHABAS (6) OUBAAS (6)
Score: 59–67 (max 91)
Kirsten doesn’t add the S to DAUB and allows Dudley to catch up even further. DC offer the dodgy, but valid, alternative plural of BAUD. The selection looks like it contains an obscure Hindi six-letter word – and it does, in the shape of DHABAS, which are Indian roadside stalls selling food. And despite appearances, OUBAAS isn’t the plural of OUBAA^, it’s a South African word for the head of a family.
Round 13: S C M P L O E U N
C1: MUSCLE (6)
C2: CLUMPS (6)
DC: POEMS (5) POUNCES (7) COUPLES (7) COLUMNS (JS) (7)
OT: COMPELS (7) CONSUME (7) COUNSEL (7) MESCLUN (7) PLENUMS (7) PLUMOSE (7) SPUMONE (7) UNCLOSE (7)
Score: 65–73 (max 98)
Despite the bounty of sevens on offer, both our players plump for a six. MESCLUN is a Provencal green salad and PLUMOSE means ‘having a feathery appearance’.
Round 14: 50, 25, 9, 6, 4, 10. Target: 950.
C1: 950. (6+9+4)x50 (10)
C2: 950. (4x25x9)+50 (10)
Score: 75–83 (max 108)
With the scores so close, CECIL comes up with a characteristically disappointing numbers game target. Surprised no one did the super-efficient (10+9)x50, though – not that it matters a jot.
Round 15: G E N T O F S I N
C2 buzzes on 2 seconds to say SOFTENING which is correct.
Final Score: 75–93 (max 118)
So, Kirsten does require Dudley to vacate the champion’s chair and she will be sitting alongside Robin Cousins on Monday, when he returns for a second stint in Dictionary Corner. I’m off now to enjoy the rest of the weekend – see you next week!
Jeff Stelling Countdowns remaining: 15.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65