for an emergency. But no emergency is too tough for ME 
Enjoy this, as I get my brain into gear.
Countdown recap for Friday 4 May 2012.
C1: Champion Nick Hall (6 wins, 519 points.) A therapist from Stratford-Upon-Avon, Staffordshire.
C2: Challenger Catherine Johnson. A library assistant from Buxton, Derbyshire. She is a keen country and line dancer.
DC: Susie Dent and Chris Packham.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: P K R G A E I U S
R02: L E D O V E J U S
R03: R N I A O F B M A
R04: L I A I E P W S M
R05: 50, 8, 7, 5, 1, 2. Target: 573.
TTT: TORNADOS - "The area was hit by tornadoes, so they gave money to help"
R06: O E A I G T D C H
R07: L R P N A E O E B
R08: O E U I T N L S T
R09: R N Q F A E U I N
R10: 25, 75, 7, 9, 8, 6. Target: 254.
TTT: WORDCARD - "The word on my card helps brings things to a close"
R11: V D N E I A T C E
R12: O E A U H Z R S D
R13: L E S T A R E I S
R14: 75, 25, 10, 3, 5, 6. Target: 378.
R15: A L B I N O C A T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: P K R G A E I U S
C1: GASPER (6)
C2: GRAPES (6)
DC: PARKIES (7)
OT: GARPIKES (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)
A very good 8 is missed by all, but both our contestants are off the mark in this one.
A GARPIKE (or GARFISH) is any predaceous freshwater fish of the genus Lepisosteus, of North America, covered with hard, diamond-shaped scales and having long jaws with needlelike teeth.
Round 2: L E D O V E J U S
C1: SOLVED (6)
C2: ELUDES (6)
DC: DELVES (6) DELOUSE (7)
Score: 12–12 (max 15)
A very good darrenic 7 by DC there, but the contestants are still level-pegging.
Round 3: R N I A O F B M A
C1: FORAMINA (8)
C2: BARMAN (6)
Score: 20–12 (max 23)
A veyr impressive darrenic 8 spot by Nick breaks the tie.
Round 4: L I A I E P W S M
C1: MAPLES (6)
C2: WIMPLES (7)
DC: IMPALES (7)
OT: IMPLIES (7)
Score: 20–19 (max 30)
But, Catherine replies immediately with her 7, putting her just 1 behind.
Round 5: 50, 8, 7, 5, 1, 2. Target: 573.
C1: 571.
C2: 574. ((50 + 7) x (2 + 8)) + 5 - 1 (7)
RR: 573. ((50 + 8) x 2 x 5) - 7 (10)
Score: 20–26 (max 40)
And Catherine takes the lead, although if she had slight modified her method, she could have hit the jackpot.
Chris, on his 51st birthday, talks about the mystery of "exotic animals" randomly appearing in the UK. I think he has been very informative on his first week in DC, I can certainly understand gripes that some people have with him, but I think that's just his presentation style which puts others off.
Teatime teaser: TORNADOS -> DONATORS
Round 6: O E A I G T D C H
C1: COATED (6)
C2: CATHODE (7)
DC: ACHIOTE (7)
OT: GODETIA (7)
Score: 20–33 (max 47)
Shockingly good spot by Catherine there. Is Nick on the way out possibly............
Round 7: L R P N A E O E B
C1: PAROLE (6)
C2: ENABLE (6)
DC: OPENABLE (8) BEANPOLE (8)
OT: OPERABLE (8) PERONEAL (8) ROPEABLE (8)
Score: 26–39 (max 55)
Oh dear, both players could have added a letter to the end of their words (E for Nick and R for Catherine), but DC go even better with a nice pair of 8's.
PERONEAL is an adjective meaning pertaining to or situated near the fibula.
Round 8: O E U I T N L S T
C1: lutines
C2: UTENSIL (7)
DC: LUTEIN (6) OUTLINES (8) LUTENIST (8)
OT: ELUTIONS (8)
Score: 26–46 (max 63)
Oh dear, Nick goes even further behind by guessing a plural and incorrectly spelling the singular. So, a bit of a lose-lose situation there.
Round 9: R N Q F A E U I N
C1: UNFAIR (6)
C2: enquire
DC: FUNNIER (7) AQUIFER (7)
Score: 32–46 (max 70)
DC clear up all the 7's, but Catherine has let Nick back in after finding a phantom 2nd E.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the letter "X", and how it came to be used to donate a kiss.
Round 10: 25, 75, 7, 9, 8, 6. Target: 254.
C1: 256. ((9 - 7 + 8) x 25) + 6 (7)
C2: 252. Mistake in working.
RR: 254. (9 x 6) + (8 x 25) (10)
Score: 39–46 (max 80)
So much for leaving the door ajar, it's been blasted wide open now, as Catherine messes up her method and goes 100 out.
Teatime teaser: WORDCARD -> DRAWCORD
Round 11: V D N E I A T C E
C1: INVADE (6)
C2: INVADE (6)
DC: VENDACE (7) DEVIANCE (8) INVECTED (8)
OT: ENACTIVE (8)
Score: 45–52 (max 88)
A few 8's around again, but our contestants are just happy to INVADE.
ENACTIVE is an adjective meaning having power to enact or establish, as a law.
Round 12: O E A U H Z R S D
C1: ASHORE (6)
C2: HOUSED (6)
DC: SHORED (6) AROUSED (7)
Score: 51–58 (max 95)
DC are darrenically AROUSED in this one, but the game is still on a knife-edge.
Round 13: L E S T A R E I S
C1: TEARLESS (8)
C2: REALISTS (8)
DC: SALTIRES (8)
OT: ATELIERS (8) EARLIEST (8) LEISTERS (8) REALISES (8) SERIATES (8) STEALERS (8) TESSERAL (8) TIRELESS (8)
Score: 59–66 (max 103)
SUPER FLAT ROUND.
An ATELIER is a workshop or studio, especially of an artist, artisan, or designer.
A LEISTER is a spearlike implement having three or more prongs, for use in spearing fish.
TESSERAL is an adjective from TESSERA, a small square tile of stone, glass, etc, used in mosaics.
Round 14: 75, 25, 10, 3, 5, 6. Target: 378.
C1: -
C2: 385. ((10 - 6) x (25 + 75)) - (5 x 3) (5)
RR: 378. (75 x 5) + 3 (10)
Score: 59–71 (max 113)
W-WH-WHAT!!!???? Complete meltdown by both contestants, but Nick's is more fatal, as by declaring 0, the 5 points accrued by Christine have knocked Nick out.
Round 15: A L B I N O C A T
C1 buzzes on 21.5 seconds to say BOTANICAL which is correct.
Final Score: 69–71 (max 123)
But, he manages to regain some credibility with that conundrum solve, but he'll be kicking himself at blowing his chance of coming back on Monday to become an octochamp.
Catherine will return on Monday, as will Graeme for the recap, and back in DC for the first time in over a decade is the newsreader, Angela Rippon.
I'll be back on Wednesday for my next scheduled recap.
So till then, have a good weekend, BE SURE OF IT!
Statistics Corner
Nick:
Total score - 69
Raw score - 88
Total % of max - 56
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 4.6
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 3
Catherine:
Total score - 71
Raw score - 77
Total % of max - 58
Raw % of max - 63
Total average score per round - 4.7
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=66