So, enjoy this pre-finals show.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 7 December 2011.
C1: Champion Phyllis Styles (6 wins, 537 points.) An Apterite from Sevenoaks, Kent. She helps out at her local society for the blind and visually impaired, and through her performances on this show, has helped raise money for them too.
C2: Challenger Jack Worsley. An Apteforumite from Blackpool. He is a gap-year student. He supports Chelsea F.C., but does have a soft spot for his local team, the Tangerines of Blackpool F.C..
DC: Susie Dent and David "Bumble" Lloyd.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: K S O I D P A E F
R02: X C N M I A U O R
R03: W T I A R Z E I N
R04: V P S H U A O E R
R05: 75, 25, 8, 7, 5, 3. Target: 230.
TTT: SINGITEM - "Rachel's not wrong, it is in the dictionary"
R06: B T C Q A I E R O
R07: G S E U D R O E V
R08: S T Y P A E E R I
R09: D N U O J N A E O
R10: 50, 75, 100, 25, 5, 5. Target: 830.
TTT: NEEDDUAL - "I don't need a dual fuel car, this will do"
R11: M L E A N R A E F
R12: W S L H I E A G I
R13: N T O U R T I A L
R14: 50, 4, 9, 8, 2, 1. Target: 290.
R15: T E N T O D I N E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: K S O I D P A E F
C1: ADIPOSE (7)
C2: ADIPOSE (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
Amazingly, a DC beater
So, a super impressive start by both players.Round 2: X C N M I A U O R
C1: ACORN (5)
C2: MINOR (5)
DC: MICRON (6) MANIOC (6)
OT: COUMARIN (8)
Score: 12–12 (max 15)
From DC beating, to being beaten all ends up here. While DC can themselves only manage 6's, we can beat them with CRANIUM and MANICOU and the impressive darren, COUMARIN.
A COUMARIN is a fragrant crystalline substance, C9H6O2, obtained from the tonka bean, sweet clover, and certain other plants or prepared synthetically, used chiefly in soaps and perfumery.
Round 3: W T I A R Z E I N
C1: WAITER (6)
C2: TAWNIER (7)
DC: TWINER (6) TINWARE (7)
OT: TRIAZINE (8)
Score: 12–19 (max 23)
Jack takes the first lead in this game with his brownish 7, but there is a darrenic 8 missed by all.
A TRIAZINE is any of a group of three compounds containing three nitrogen and three carbon atoms arranged in a six-membered ring and having the formula C3H3N3.
Round 4: V P S H U A O E R
C1: SHAPER (6)
C2: VAPOURS (7)
DC: PUSHOVER (8)
Score: 12–26 (max 31)
DC are no PUSHOVERs in this round, as Jack doubles his advantage with his gassy 7.
Round 5: 75, 25, 8, 7, 5, 3. Target: 230.
C1: 230. (75 x 3) + 5 (10)
C2: 230. (75 x 3) + 5 (10)
Score: 22–36 (max 41)
Phyllis tries to up the ante, but her 2 large is too straightforward.
David talks about his enthusiasm for trains and things he wants to do before he dies, such as driving a steam train and riding a horse. He also talks about his love of curries and how he went around all the curry houses of the country during the recent England v India series.
Teatime teaser: SINGITEM -> TIMESING
Round 6: B T C Q A I E R O
C1: BORATE (6)
C2: EROTICA (7)
DC: AEROBIC (7)
OT: ICEBOAT (7)
Score: 22–43 (max 48)
Jack brings down the tone of the game with some EROTICA, while Bumble gives us some AEROBIC EROTICA.
Round 7: G S E U D R O E V
C1: SERVED (6)
C2: GROUSED (7)
DC: OVERUSED (8)
Score: 22–50 (max 56)
Jack is starting to romp this one now, even DC's darrens seem to pale into insignificance at the moment.
Round 8: S T Y P A E E R I
C1: PARTIES (7)
C2: PASTIER (7)
DC: ASPERITY (8)
OT: YEASTIER (8)
Score: 29–57 (max 64)
Phyllis gets some letters points for the first time since round 2.
Round 9: D N U O J N A E O
C1: NOUN (4)
C2: UNDONE (6)
DC: DONJON (6)
OT: DUENNA (6)
Score: 29–63 (max 70)
Slightly ironic that Phyllis is the one who has started to become UNDONE, yet it's Jack who spots it.
In Spain and Portugal, a DUENNA is an older woman serving as escort or chaperon of a young lady.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "The Orkneys" and "Halifax".
Round 10: 50, 75, 100, 25, 5, 5. Target: 830.
C1: 825.
C2: 830. ((100 + 75) x 5) - 50 + 5 (10)
Score: 29–73 (max 80)
Even with an advantage that big, Jack is showing no mercy and goes all out with his 4 large, and in all honesty, has probably wrapped it up now.
Teatime teaser: NEEDDUAL -> UNLEADED
Round 11: M L E A N R A E F
C1: ENAMEL (6)
C2: FREEMAN (7)
OT: MELAENA (7)
Score: 29–80 (max 87)
Jack will probably be made a FREEMAN of Blackpool thanks to this performance.
MELAENA (or MELENA) is the discharge of black, tarry, bloody stools, usually resulting from a hemorrhage in the alimentary tract.
I sincerely hope that hasn't put you off your dinner.
Round 12: W S L H I E A G I
C1: SHAWL (5)
C2: WHALES (6)
OT: SHAWLIE (7)
Score: 29–86 (max 94)
Game over for Phyllis as Jack is having a WHALE of a time today.
Although, Phyllis could've got the darren by extending her own word a little.In Ireland, a SHAWLIE is a disparaging term for a working-class woman who wears a shawl.
Round 13: N T O U R T I A L
C1: RATION (6)
C2: RAINOUT (7)
DC: TUTORIAL (8)
OT: RUTILANT (8)
Score: 29–93 (max 102)
Jeff's least favourite word makes another appearance, as DC get the 8 that is almost stuck out there.
RUTILANT is an adjective meaning glowing or glittering with ruddy or golden light.
Round 14: 50, 4, 9, 8, 2, 1. Target: 290.
C1: 290. ((9 - 4 + 1) x 50) - 8 - 2 (10)
C2: 290. ((8 - 2) x 50) - 9 - 1 (10)
Score: 39–103 (max 112)
But, Jack does show some compassion to at least not get Phyllis' name on the under-30 list, as well as giving himself a century to boot.
Round 15: T E N T O D I N E
No one buzzes. The answer was DETENTION.
Final Score: 39–103 (max 122)
From dropping just 9 points, to 19 points, as no-one gets the conundrum, but I'm sure Jack won't care, as he has put in a top-draw performance to defeat a very good champion.
Now, we'll have to wait until January 9th next year, when Jack will be in Phyllis' seat and Nick Hewer will be in Jeff's seat.
I'll be back tomorrow for the first quarter-final of the series between the #1 Seed, Mark "The Braughing Bullet" Deeks and the #8 Seed David "The Epsom Enforcer" Butcher, although based on their average performances, maybe they should swap their surnames, although Mark would be playing cricket in-between methinks, so maybe not a good idea.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Phyllis:
Total score - 39
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 32
Raw % of max - 75
Total average score per round - 2.6
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 3
Jack:
Total score - 103
Raw score - 103
Total % of max - 84
Raw % of max - 84
Total average score per round - 6.9
Raw average score per round - 6.9
Number of maxes - 7
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65