Yeah, you're probably right, Spain's my bet too. 
Oh, you weren't thinking of that.
That's nice to know, so here we go as we enter the semi-final fray.Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 27 June 2012.
C1: No.5 Seed Nick "The Stratford-Upon Avon Shakespearean" Hall (7 wins, 674 points.) From Stratford-Upon-Avon, Staffordshire. Beat #4 Seed, Suzi Purcell, 86-80 in his quarter-final yesterday.
C2: No.1 Seed Jonathan "The Sheffield Superkid" Rawlinson (9 wins, 951, NOT 961 points.) An Apteforumite from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Beat #8 Seed, Rob Gibney, 101-77 in his quarter-final last Thursday.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr. Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T V S U E A P C O
R02: U R I W E C A E X
R03: S T G T U O A E R
R04: O M U Z A L E T I
R05: 25, 5, 7, 8, 10, 4. Target: 511.
TTT: IRULEDIM - "The dim ruler lives in this state"
R06: O R A N I R E I N
R07: P E O E D J N C I
R08: E T A W E M I O N
R09: S P H V I K A E N
R10: 100, 6, 1, 4, 9, 10. Target: 246.
TTT: EARPILOT - "It plays an important role in the removals business"
R11: T S Y N O E A D E
R12: I Q E S I B O L M
R13: L S R G E O A L O
R14: 75, 2, 10, 7, 8, 3. Target: 124.
R15: I R E S E N T I T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T V S U E A P C O
C1: OCTAVES (7)
C2: OUTPACES (8)
DC: AVOCETS (7)
Score: 0–8 (max 8)
Well, that the perfect start for our #1 seed. The darrenic 8 gives puts him up by 8.
Round 2: U R I W E C A E X
C1: WAXIER (6)
C2: WAXIER (6)
DC: CAREX (5)
Score: 6–14 (max 14)
And it's darrenic again, but Nick gets it too, so he gets off the mark too.
Round 3: S T G T U O A E R
C1: GAROTTES (8)
C2: OUTRAGES (8)
DC: TUTORAGES (18)
Score: 14–22 (max 32)
After TUTORIALS yesterday, we now have TUTORAGES, but DC have clearly learned their lesson from yesterday and haven't disappointed.
Round 4: O M U Z A L E T I
C1: mailout
C2: ATOMIZE (7)
Score: 14–29 (max 39)
Nick is having to dig in already, but he nearly pulls it off. If only that hyphen wasn't in mail-out.
Round 5: 25, 5, 7, 8, 10, 4. Target: 511.
C1: 511. (4 x 5 x 25) + 8 - 7 + 10 (10)
C2: 511. (4 x 5 x 25) + 8 - 7 + 10 (10)
Score: 24–39 (max 49)
Nice and easy numbers game to start today.
Dr. Phil carries on where he left off on Question Time, by talking about Andrew Lansley's confusing Healthcare Reform Bill.
Teatime teaser: IRULEDIM -> DELIRIUM
Round 6: O R A N I R E I N
C1: RAINIER (7)
C2: RAINIER (7)
Score: 31–46 (max 56)
It's not yet raining on anyone's parade yet. Nick is still hanging on in there.
Round 7: P E O E D J N C I
C1: JOINED (6)
C2: OPENED (6)
DC: CODEINE (7)
Score: 37–52 (max 63)
Now it's Dr. Phil's turn to go medical marvel, as he gives us a brilliant description of the medical darrenic 7 that DC have found.
Round 8: E T A W E M I O N
C1: emation
C2: AMNIOTE (7)
DC: MATINEE (7)
OT: TEMENOI (7)
Score: 37–59 (max 70)
Ack, another unlucky punt by Nick, as eNation is fine, but eMation isn't.
Round 9: S P H V I K A E N
C1: SHAVEN (6)
C2: HANKIES (7)
DC: HAVENS (6) SHAKEN (6)
OT: KNAVISH (7)
Score: 37–66 (max 77)
Jonathan certainly hasn't blown his chances into a HANKY yet, as that 7 stretches his lead even further.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the pub name, "The John Snow", which was Susie's old pub in Soho.
Round 10: 100, 6, 1, 4, 9, 10. Target: 246.
C1: 246. (((100 / 4) - 1) x 10) + 6 (10)
C2: 246. ((10 x 4) + 1) x 6 (10)
Score: 47–76 (max 87)
2 very different ways, but 2 lots of 10 points.
Teatime teaser: EARPILOT -> EPILATOR
(I bet Jonathan was delighted to see an EPILATOR again after last Monday's game.
)Round 11: T S Y N O E A D E
C1: STONED (6)
C2: NOYADES (7)
DC: DONATES (7) DENOTES (7)
OT: STANDEE (7)
Score: 47–83 (max 94)
Just a few 7's here, but Nick can't find one and you have a feeling that this game will be wrapped up shortly...........
Round 12: I Q E S I B O L M
C1: MOBILES (7)
C2: MOBILISE (8)
DC: EMBOLI (6)
Score: 47–91 (max 102)
And that's a cruel way to lose, but Jonathan has had his brain MOBILISEd today, and he can now relax knowing that his place in the final is secured.
Round 13: L S R G E O A L O
C1: ALLEGRO (7)
C2: GAOLERS (7)
DC: ALLEGROS (8)
Score: 54–98 (max 110)
Oh dear, just to compound Nick's misery further, he could have pluralised his brilliant 7 for the darrenic 8........
Round 14: 75, 2, 10, 7, 8, 3. Target: 124.
C1: -
C2: 124. ((10 - 3) x 7) + 75 (10)
Score: 54–108 (max 120)
Jonathan gets his 8th century out of 10, but can he make it 10 out of 10 in conundrum terms...................
Round 15: I R E S E N T I T
C1 buzzes on 11.25 seconds to say ITINERENTS which is incorrect.
C2 does not buzz.
The answer was ENTERITIS.
Final Score: 54–108 (max 130)
Unfortunately, not.
Even Nick has a last chance at some glory, but he can't get it right either, so it's left to a member of the audience, via Dr. Phil to tell us the medical answer. So, after being clearly fatigued last week, Jonathan is back on top form and looking like champion material too.
The final on Friday does sound like a classic in the making, whether it's between him and Jack, or him and Peter.Well, join me tomorrow for the 2nd semi-final, which will be betwen the #2 Seed, Jack "The Blackpool Bazooka" Worsley, and the #3 Seed, Peter "The Dublin Dynamo" Lee. What a cracker in prospect we have.
See you tomorrow for that, you be sure of it
Statistics Corner
Nick:
Total score - 54
Raw score - 80
Total % of max - 41
Raw % of max - 61
Total average score per round - 3.6
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 4
Jonathan:
Total score - 108
Raw score - 108
Total % of max - 83
Raw % of max - 83
Total average score per round - 7.2
Raw average score per round - 7.2
Number of maxes - 11
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=66