Let's get it on
Enjoy. 
Countdown recap for Thursday 16 February 2012.
C1: Champion Chris Butler (1 win, 96 points.) An Apterite from Oldham, Greater Manchester. He is a trainee maths teacher.
C2: Challenger Matthew Conway. An Apterite from Kimberley, Nottinghamshire. He is a media graduate. His dream job is to be a travel guide writer. His grandfather was Serbian and got deported by the Germans to Denmark, as he was a member of the Allies.
He's learning to speak French and is a fan of Nottinghamshire CCC.DC: Susie Dent and Gloria Hunniford.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: K E D T A S U Y L
R02: T G A N M O E R A
R03: V O S U H T W E O
R04: P M I T S E O D U
R05: 9, 3, 2, 2, 5, 3. Target: 222.
TTT: DARESHIS - "Dares his friend to eat a mouthful of these"
R06: S L E R D A I H E
R07: R I T G E I W Q A
R08: S F I C B O E N I
R09: L A M G U T O N I
R10: 100, 50, 10, 1, 3, 6. Target: 984.
TTT: WALESKID - "A kid from Wales goes for a stroll in America"
R11: T P A O G S D E A
R12: R J E D N O I P L
R13: S E N Z O S U L B
R14: 75, 25, 6, 4, 10, 7. Target: 485.
R15: C O S Y M E E T S (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: K E D T A S U Y L
C1: SALUTED (7)
C2: SALUTED (7)
DC: STALKED (7)
OT: AUKLETS (7) AULDEST (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
So, just 7's here in the first round. So I SALUTE them both for getting one.
An AUKLET is any of several small auks of the coasts of the North Pacific, as Aethia cristatella (crested auklet), having a crest of recurved plumes.
Round 2: T G A N M O E R A
C1: MANAGER (7)
C2: MANAGER (7)
DC: GARMENT (7) TANAGER (7) MAGNETO (7)
OT: MAGNETAR (8)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)
Yet more 7's, but there is a darrenic 8 available here that is missed by all.
A MAGNETAR is a type of neutron star that has a very intense magnetic field, over 1000 times greater than that of a pulsar.
Round 3: V O S U H T W E O
C1: HOOVES (6)
C2: SHOOT (5)
DC: SOOTHE (6)
Score: 20–14 (max 21)
And it's the current champ who goes into the lead thanks to his lucky horse's HOOVES, where he might have nicked a lucky horseshoe or two.
Round 4: P M I T S E O D U
C1: OUTSIDE (7)
C2: PITEOUS (7)
DC: DUMPIEST (8)
Score: 27–21 (max 29)
DC go darrenic as our contestants are keeping up a good standard in these early stages.
Round 5: 9, 3, 2, 2, 5, 3. Target: 222.
C1: 222. ((3 + 2) x 5 x 9) - 3 (10)
C2: 222. ((3 + 2) x 5 x 9) - 3 (10)
Score: 37–31 (max 39)
Matt almost stumbles giving his method out, but the 6 small is solved brilliantly by both and let's hope that the standard will continue for the rest of the game.
Gloria talks about her singing that she did when she started working on Radio 2.
Teatime teaser: DARESHIS -> RADISHES
Round 6: S L E R D A I H E
C1: REALISED (8)
C2: REALISED (8)
DC: HERALDS (7) RELISHED (8) SIDEREAL (8)
OT: SHIRALEE (8)
Score: 45–39 (max 47)
Loadsa loadsa 8's here. And loadsa loadsa spotting them too.
A SHIRALEE is an Australian traveller's bundle containing personal belongings, cooking utensils, food, or the like.
Round 7: R I T G E I W Q A
C1: GAITER (6)
C2: TRIAGE (6)
DC: WAITER (6) EARWIG (6)
Score: 51–45 (max 53)
All four 6's present and accounted for leaving the gap at 6 points.
Round 8: S F I C B O E N I
C1: IONISE (6)
C2: ICONISE (7)
OT: BIONICS (7)
Score: 51–52 (max 60)
Until now that is as a brilliant 7 from Matthew gives him a slender lead.
Round 9: L A M G U T O N I
C1: MOULTING (8)
C2: MAULING (7)
Score: 59–52 (max 68)
But he now goes 7 behind thanks to a superb darrenic 8 by Chris. This game is going up another level now methinks.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the nautical terms, "son of a gun", "under and overwhelmed", "aloof" and "clean bill of health".
Round 10: 100, 50, 10, 1, 3, 6. Target: 984.
C1: 984. ((100 - 1) x 10) - 6 (10)
C2: -
Score: 69–52 (max 78)
Oh dear, Matthew blacks out giving Chris a simple 10 points. Can he come back I wonder............
Teatime teaser: WALESKID -> SIDEWALK
Round 11: T P A O G S D E A
C1: POSTAGE (7)
C2: POSTAGE (7)
DC: PAGODAS (7)
OT: DOTAGES (7) POTAGES (7)
Score: 76–59 (max 85)
Another flat round is given a stamp of approval here.
Round 12: R J E D N O I P L
C1: JOINER (6)
C2: JOINDER (7)
OT: PROLINE (7)
Score: 76–66 (max 92)
Oooooooooooh, Matthew gets back in by sticking the D in Chris' JOINER and we now have a gap of TEN.
PROLINE is an alcohol-soluble amino acid, C4H9 NHCOOH, occurring in high concentration in collagen.
Round 13: S E N Z O S U L B
C1: BLOUSES (7)
C2: BLOUSES (7)
DC: LESSON (6) ZONULES (7)
OT: BOLUSES (7) BONUSES (7) ENSOULS (7)
Score: 83–73 (max 99)
Another flat round means we still have a gap of 10 heading into the final 2 rounds. Will this numbers be as crucial as the last one
Round 14: 75, 25, 6, 4, 10, 7. Target: 485.
C1: 485. (75 x 6) + 25 + 10 (10)
C2: 487.
Score: 93–73 (max 109)
And unfortunately for Matthew it is, as Chris has shown all his maths teacher knowledge to solve what was in fairness, not a tricky numbers game and has given him the game and robbed us of a crucial conundrum, which I think was well deserved in this game.
Round 15: C O S Y M E E T S
No one buzzes. The answer was ECOSYSTEM.
Final Score: 93–73 (max 119)
I suppose Matthew won't feel as bad in one aspect as only one (we think) audience member can solve the conundrum, although the fact that he lost by 20 points, mainly down to his 2 numbers games might make him feel a bit more depressed, but let's take nothing away from Chris, who along with Matthew, gave us one of the best contests of the series so far in terms of skill and quality.
Let's hope he can give us more of the same tomorrow when he tries to complete the hat-trick. Join Thomas for that.
I'll be back next Wednesday for another 2 recaps.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Chris:
Total score - 93
Raw score - 105
Total % of max - 78
Raw % of max - 88
Total average score per round - 6.2
Raw average score per round - 7.0
Number of maxes - 10
Matthew:
Total score - 73
Raw score - 92
Total % of max - 61
Raw % of max - 77
Total average score per round - 4.9
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 8
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=66