So, enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 15 December 2011.
C1: #2 Seed Graeme "The Reading Ramrod" Cole (9 wins, 926 points.) An Apteforumite and software engineer from Reading, Berkshire. Beat #7 Seed Nikki Roberts in last Friday's quarter-final by a score of 113-61. He's also delighted to see Jon Culshaw in DC, as he gave him his new nickname of "Jools", thanks to him "revealing" his Jools Holland impersonation when he was last on the show.
C2: #3 Seed Paul "The Finchley Firestorm" Keane (9 wins, 840 points.) A forumite and accountant from North Finchley, London. Beat #7 Seed Dave Taylor in Monday's quarter-final by a score of 96-78.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Culshaw.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L G T E O E S G N
R02: H T V O I I W E R
R03: N R N O E A D E E
R04: T R S A I O V N I
R05: 3, 7, 9, 5, 1, 10. Target: 543.
TTT: ALANJIVE - "If you throw one of these, the RSPCA will be after you"
R06: M S M K A E U N Q
R07: P B C I U A N R E
R08: T P X U A A H S E
R09: R T S A I E D T A
R10: 25, 100, 7, 9, 1, 3. Target: 805.
TTT: ROMANODE - "Trapped on an island and went purple in the face"
R11: G P R E O A B T E
R12: L T C U E I D C O
R13: L M D I E E L D T
R14: 100, 4, 4, 7, 10, 2. Target: 655.
R15: C A T M O B I L E (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: L G T E O E S G N
C1: telogens
C2: LONGEST (7)
DC: TELOGEN (7) TOGGLES (7)
OT: GENTLES (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)
My internal sources tell me that play was held up for quite a while while behind-the-scenes discussions were going on about whether to allow the plural of TELOGEN. Interesting that Susie said that there was nothing to suggest that a plural could be used, even though the reason given by her, "the resting phase of follicles", seemed a reasonable shout for a plural to me.
Round 2: H T V O I I W E R
C1: OVERHIT (7)
C2: OVERHIT (7)
DC: WITHER (6)
Score: 7–14 (max 14)
No worries here, as the darren is spotted nicely.
Round 3: N R N O E A D E E
C1: NEARED (6)
C2: ENDEAR (6)
OT: DONNEE (6) EARNED (6) ENNEAD (6) ORENDA (6) REDONE (6)
Score: 13–20 (max 20)
Flat, flat. Festival pancake time
A DONNÉE is a set of artistic or literary premises or assumptions.
An ENNEAD is a group of nine persons or things.
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 4: T R S A I O V N I
C1: RATIONS (7)
C2: RATIONS (7)
DC: starvin VISITOR (7)
OT: OVARITIS (8)
Score: 20–27 (max 28)
Just some RATIONS here, lucky that they missed the darren then, not that they could literally get it.
OVARITIS (or OOPHORITIS) is inflammation of an ovary, usually combined with an inflammation of the Fallopian tubes.
Round 5: 3, 7, 9, 5, 1, 10. Target: 543.
C1: 543. ((5 + 1) x 9 x 10) + 3 (10)
C2: 543. ((5 + 1) x 9 x 10) + 3 (10)
Score: 30–37 (max 38)
Graeme hopes to get back in nicely with the 6 small, but a nice easy one appears and Paul maintains his lead of 7.
After apologising to Graeme for giving him the "Jools" nickname, Jon does some more Christmas odes in the style of Ozzy Osbourne.
Teatime teaser: ALANJIVE -> JAVELINA
Round 6: M S M K A E U N Q
C1: MASQUE (6)
C2: MASQUE (6)
DC: UNMAKES (7)
Score: 36–43 (max 45)
He could have got back in then, but Graeme (and I think Paul too) both chickened on UNMAKES........
Round 7: P B C I U A N R E
C1: CAPRINE (7)
C2: URBANE (6)
DC: CARBINE (7)
OT: UNBRACE (7)
Score: 43–43 (max 52)
But it was only a matter of time and now we're back to a level playing field now.
Round 8: T P X U A A H S E
C1: EXHAUST (7)
C2: UPSET (5)
DC: EXPATS (6) shatup
Score: 50–43 (max 59)
And that DC beater (
) by Graeme gives him the lead for the first time today. 
Round 9: R T S A I E D T A
C1: RADIATES (8)
C2: RADIATES (8)
DC: TIRADES (7) TARDIEST (8) SATIATED (8)
OT: ADSTRATE (8) STRIATED (8)
Score: 58–51 (max 67)
And the contestants are both now glowing brightly thanks to their 8.
STRAITED means marked with striae; or in other words, furrowed; striped; streaked.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the pudding, "pavlova" and "groggy".
Round 10: 25, 100, 7, 9, 1, 3. Target: 805.
C1: 805. (100 + 25 - 9 - 1) x 7 (10)
C2: 806.
Score: 68–51 (max 77)
Knowing your 115 times table seems to have put Graeme in good stead, as his lead now increases to double figures.
Teatime teaser: ROMANODE -> MAROONED
Round 11: G P R E O A B T E
C1: BORGATE (7)
C2: OPERATE (7)
DC: POTAGER (7)
OT: PORTAGE (7) PROBATE (7) PROTEGE (7)
Score: 75–58 (max 84)
Plenty of 7's here.
Round 12: L T C U E I D C O
C1: OCCULTED (8)
C2: CLOUTED (7)
DC: CUTICLE (7) DUCTILE (7)
Score: 83–58 (max 92)
A risky, but well risked darrenic 8 by Graeme has put within touching distance of the final now.
Round 13: L M D I E E L D T
C1: MELTED (6)
C2: MIDDLE (6)
OT: MEDLIED (7)
Score: 89–64 (max 99)
Everyone might have missed the darren, but Graeme won't care, as that 6 has given him his key to the final.
Round 14: 100, 4, 4, 7, 10, 2. Target: 655.
C1: 654. (7 x 100) - (4 x 10) - 4 - 2 (7)
C2: 656. (7 x 100) - (4 x 10) - 4 (7)
RR: 655. ((100 - ((10 + 4) / 2)) x 7) + 4 (10)
Score: 96–71 (max 109)
A nice stinky numbers to finish with today, but Rachel shows us how it's done.
Round 15: C A T M O B I L E
No one buzzes. The answer was METABOLIC.
Final Score: 96–71 (max 119)
And no-one can unscramble the conundrum, so it's left to a gentleman, who I believe is Jayne Wisniewski's husband, Eddie, to solve and get himself a mug.
So, Graeme recovers from that unfortunate start with telogens to put in a commanding performance and book his place in tomorrow's final, where I'm fairly sure that all of us will be backing our favourite Jools Holland impersonator to beat the "powerlifting cheat" (J. Corby 2011) and claim the Richard Whiteley Memorial Trophy as his own.
Join Mike tomorrow for the climax of the Jeff Stelling era, and the final of Series 65 between the #2 & #4 Seeds, Graeme Cole & Carl Williams.
I'll be back on Wednesday January 12th next year for my first Hewer-ised recap.
Till then, enjoy your Christmas and New Year everyone, and till next year, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Graeme:
Total score - 96
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 81
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 6.4
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 9
Paul:
Total score - 71
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 60
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 4.7
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65
