Monday 4th June 2012 (Series 66, Prelim 100)

Graeme Cole · Post by **Graeme Cole** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 3:45 pm

Countdown recap for Monday 4 June 2012.

C1: Champion Suzi Purcell (7 wins, 619 points) is currently the number 3 seed, and she's guaranteed to be no lower than fourth come the finals. Today she's got the chance to become an octochamp - the first since Peter Lee all the way back in February.
C2: Challenger Matthew Walker is a second year Economics student from Doncaster.
DC: Susie Dent and Alastair Stewart.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M A V D I N T O A
R02: R T G I E A T N E
R03: V O M I F M E C R
R04: I E O S T D L E R
R05: 25, 100, 6, 10, 4, 5. Target: 507.
TTT: EARNSBIG - "It sounds like the bank collapsed after Nick lost these."
R06: S U D I W B K A U
R07: S A N T E D P U E
R08: A L R I X D A B O
R09: Q A G C E P T U N
R10: 25, 100, 5, 1, 9, 2. Target: 164.
TTT: EGGBREAD - "Reduced to poverty, it was hard to believe."
R11: S A J T I C H E Y
R12: L O T A O N R E N
R13: S A T P O R W I E
R14: 100, 25, 50, 10, 10, 3. Target: 357.
R15: C O N S P I I R E (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: M A V D I N T O A

C1: TOAD (4)
C2: AVID (4)
DC: ADMIT (5) DOMAIN (6)
OT: AVOIDANT (8)
Score: 4–4 (max 8)

Bit of a difficult selection to start off, but there's an unexpected eight there.

Round 2: R T G I E A T N E

C1: TREATING (8)
C2: TREATING (8)
DC: INTEGRATE (18)
Score: 12–12 (max 26)

Both contestants are level as they both spot TREATING, but Alastair and Susie aren't distracted by the -ING and find the nine-letter word.

Round 3: V O M I F M E C R

C1: FORCE (5)
C2: CRIME (5)
DC: COMFIER (7)
Score: 17–17 (max 33)

Suzi can't break away yet - fives for both our contestants.

Round 4: I E O S T D L E R

C1: LOITERED (8)
C2: drolest
DC: RELISTED (8)
OT: DOLERITE (8)
Score: 25–17 (max 41)

Suzi goes eight in front with one of the three eights in the selection. Matthew's offering needs two Ls.

Round 5: 25, 100, 6, 10, 4, 5. Target: 507.

C1: 506. 5*100+6 (7)
C2: 506. 5*100+6 (7)
RR: 506. (7)
OT: 507. (100*6*4+10)/5+25 (10)
Score: 32–24 (max 51)

As numbers games that look easy but are actually very difficult go, this must be up near the top. Very easy to get 506, but there's only one way of getting 507, and you need to go via 2410 to get there.

Teatime teaser: EARNSBIG -> BEARINGS

Round 6: S U D I W B K A U

C1: DAUBS (5)
C2: DAUBS (5)
DC: BIAS SWAB WADIS (5)
OT: ADUKIS (6)
Score: 37–29 (max 57)

Another uninviting selection and the players find five each. An ADUKI (also ADZUKI) is a kind of bean.

Round 7: S A N T E D P U E

C1: UPDATES (7)
C2: PUNTED (6)
DC: PEDANTS (7) UNSEATED (8)
Score: 44–29 (max 65)

Suzi goes further in front with UPDATES. Alastair smugly offers PEDANTS, and UNSEATED is also there for eight.

Round 8: A L R I X D A B O

C1: LAIRD (5)
C2: BRIDAL (6)
OT: ABOARD (6) ABORAL (6) ABROAD (6) ADORAL (6) BAILOR (6) RADIAL (6) RIBALD (6)
Score: 44–35 (max 71)

Matthew pulls back with one of the many sixes available.

Round 9: Q A G C E P T U N

C1: uncage
C2: PACE (4)
DC: PEANUT (6) QUANT (5)
OT: PUNCTAE (7)
Score: 44–39 (max 78)

Now Suzi goes with the invalid "uncage", and Matthew is only five behind. Suzi's octochampdom is still far from confirmed. Susie spots QUANT, which is a pole for propelling a barge or punt. You can actually put an E on the front of that for EQUANT, but nobody spots the seven PUNCTAE.

OOW: Susie gives us the origin of the term "barnacle goose". It turns out barnacles take their name from the goose, not the other way round.

Round 10: 25, 100, 5, 1, 9, 2. Target: 164.

C1: 164. 100+2*25+9+5 (10)
C2: 164. 100+2*25+9+5 (10)
Score: 54–49 (max 88)

A straightforward numbers game means the gap is still five points with one of the three halves to go.

Teatime teaser: EGGBREAD -> BEGGARED

Round 11: S A J T I C H E Y

C1: AITCHES (7)
C2: ITCHES (6)
DC: YACHTS (6) YACHTIES (8)
Score: 61–49 (max 96)

Good spot by Suzi which puts her further ahead. Quite deservedly, as she's obviously aware it's pronounced AITCH, not HAITCH. If you hear anyone saying HAITCH, you can always try this approach.

Round 12: L O T A O N R E N

C1: ROOTLE (6)
C2: retotal
DC: LANTERN (7) LOANER (6) ORTOLAN (7)
OT: NORTENA (7) NORTENO (7)
Score: 67–49 (max 103)

Matthew's word isn't in the dictionary or the selection, so Suzi's now 18 in front with three rounds left. Her eighth win is starting to look very likely indeed...

Round 13: S A T P O R W I E

C1: sportie
C2: ROPIEST (7)
DC: RIPOSTE (7) WAITERS (7)
OT: PASTORIE (8) SEPTORIA (8) WIRETAPS (8)
Score: 67–56 (max 111)

... but she gives a dodgy spelling of SPORTY and Matthew closes the gap to 11. Important numbers round coming up...

Round 14: 100, 25, 50, 10, 10, 3. Target: 357.

C1: 357. Mistake in working.
C2: 360. 3*100+50+10 (7)
RR: 357. (10-3)+25*10+100 (10)
Score: 67–63 (max 121)

And it's Matthew who takes it as Suzi realises immediately after declaring that she's made a mistake. So the comeback's on, and Suzi's octochamp status will be decided on the very last round...

Round 15: C O N S P I I R E

No one buzzes. The answer was PRECISION.
Final Score: 67–63 (max 131)

And nobody gets it, so Suzi becomes the third octochamp of the series with an aggregate score of 686. Just as the credits start, she launches into a celebratory dance, then Channel 4 slap a promotional somethingorother over the right-hand side of the screen. Still, she's guaranteed to be 3rd or 4th seed in the finals in three weeks' time. It's going to take a lot to beat either of the big two at the top, but at the moment Suzi's got the best chance of doing it. And there's still time to fit one more octochamp in the series, so it's not all sewn up yet.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=66