Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 26 July 2012.
C1: Champion Chris Marshall (6 wins, 520 points.) An Huddersfield Town-supporting Apteforumite from Brighouse, West Yorkshire. Nick says that the most "shameful" thing about his run so far is the lack of centuries to his name. Let's see if he can turn it around today.
C2: Challenger Colin Murphy. A local hospice volunteer from Leicester. He plays in his local pool team, and won the City Of Leicester golf tournament.
DC: Susie Dent and Nicky Campbell.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S P G I A O Z S E
R02: D M I R E P M X A
R03: F W T O I E R O S
R04: L R M U A T G L E
R05: 50, 100, 3, 8, 9, 10. Target: 574.
TTT: TINASGOB - "Tina's gob is never closed, she's always showing off"
R06: I S E D L N E R O
R07: R S B E U I S A T
R08: L D A G L I J R O
R09: T C T E U I P O W
R10: 50, 100, 8, 9, 6, 3. Target: 956.
TTT: NUDEMILE - "Not quite nude, just a bit of a moon"
R11: B T N A E O K E C
R12: Q D A U N T O V C
R13: M F H I E O N I D
R14: 25, 100, 5, 8, 10, 2. Target: 316.
R15: M U M S A Y I N G (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S P G I A O Z S E
C1: GOSSIP (6)
C2: POSSE (5)
OT: ASSIZE (6) EPIZOA (6) PASEOS (6) POISES (6) POSIES (6) POSSIE (6)
Score: 6–0 (max 6)
After his recent slow starts, it's nice to see Chris get off to a perfect start thanks to all the GOSSIP that's around.
An EPIZOON (plural EPIZOA) is an external parasite or commensal on the body of an animal.
A PASEO is a slow, idle, or leisurely walk or stroll.
In Australia, a POSSIE is a job or position.
Round 2: D M I R E P M X A
C1: DAMPER (6)
C2: ADMIRE (6)
DC: MERMAID (7)
OT: PRIMMED (7)
Score: 12–6 (max 13)
DC go underwater to find their lovely 7.
To PRIM is to draw up the mouth in an affectedly nice or precise way.
Round 3: F W T O I E R O S
C1: FOOTERS (7)
C2: FOREST (6)
DC: WOOFTERS (8)
Score: 19–6 (max 21)
Now DC go derogatory to get their darrenic 8.
A good 7 though by Chris, and for once, he seems to have some breathing space today.Round 4: L R M U A T G L E
C1: MALLET (6)
C2: MATURE (6)
DC: malter
Me: GLUTEAL (7)
Score: 25–12 (max 28)
Nick and Nicky try to convince Susie that a malter is a person who makes whisky in a whisky distillery, it isn't, it's actually a MALTSTER.
So, it's now my turn to go darrenic with the 7. Round 5: 50, 100, 3, 8, 9, 10. Target: 574.
C1: 575. (50 x 10) + (9 x 8) + 3 (7)
C2: 575. (50 x 10) + (9 x 8) + 3 (7)
RR: 574. (9 x 50) + 100 + (3 x 8) (10)
Score: 32–19 (max 38)
Both contestants are stuck on 1 away, so it's up to Rachel to sort everyone out.
Nicky talks about his time on the consumer affairs programme, Watchdog, which he was the presenter for the best part of a decade.
Teatime teaser: TINASGOB -> BOASTING
Round 6: I S E D L N E R O
C1: SOLDIER (7)
C2: IDOLS (5)
DC: DESIRE (6) REDLINES (8)
Score: 39–19 (max 46)
DC go darrenic with the 8 again, as Chris SOLDIERs on to the promised land.
Round 7: R S B E U I S A T
C1: BUSTIER (7)
C2: BUSIEST (7)
DC: BUSTIERS (8)
OT: ABSTRUSE (8)
Score: 46–26 (max 54)
Oooooooh, Chris' pronounciation of BUSTIER makes him miss the alternative which is pluralisible, as Susie points out.
ABSTRUSE is an adjective meaning hard to understand.
Round 8: L D A G L I J R O
C1: RADIO (5)
C2: ragdoll
DC: GORILLA (7)
Score: 51–26 (max 61)
Oh dear, that is very cruel on Colin, as RAG DOLL is in, but as you can see, it's 2 words.
So, DC go ape instead. Round 9: T C T E U I P O W
C1: misdeclared 4
C2: TOPIC (5)
DC: OUTWIT (6) WIPEOUT (7)
Score: 51–31 (max 68)
Oh dear, Chris has only a 4, then doesn't even have that
So, Colin cancels out the last round thanks to his TOPIC. (Other disgusting chocolate brands are available too. 
)Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of words featured the 5th volume of the American English, which talks about words with American beginnings, such as "Motown", and "sell someone down the river".
Round 10: 50, 100, 8, 9, 6, 3. Target: 956.
C1: 956. (100 x 9) + 50 + 6 (10)
C2: 956. (100 x 9) + 50 + 6 (10)
Score: 61–41 (max 78)
Nice and easy numbers for both of the contestants. A gap of 20 is definitely catchable in the last 5 rounds.
Teatime teaser: NUDEMILE -> DEMILUNE
Round 11: B T N A E O K E C
C1: COATEE (6)
C2: BEATEN (6)
DC: BETAKEN (7) BETOKEN (7)
Me: ACETONE (7)
Score: 67–47 (max 85)
Both get 6's, DC get 2 good 7's and I get the last one to wrap it up.
An ACETONE is a colourless, volatile, water-soluble, flammable liquid, C3H6O, usually derived by oxidation of isopropyl alcohol or by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates.
Round 12: Q D A U N T O V C
C1: DAUNT (5)
C2: DAUNT (5)
DC: QUANT (5) VAUNT (5) TOUCAN (6)
Score: 72–52 (max 91)
Both of the contestants get the sticking-out 5, while DC find the only 6 that's available.
Round 13: M F H I E O N I D
C1: FINED (5)
C2: FIND (4)
DC: DOMINIE (7)
OT: HOMINID (7)
Score: 77–52 (max 98)
Ouch
That's a cruel way to lose a match. Literally one letter making all the difference here. So, Chris has (sort of by default) won his 7th match.Round 14: 25, 100, 5, 8, 10, 2. Target: 316.
C1: 315. ((5 - 2) x 100) + 25 - 10 (7)
C2: 317. (25 x 8) + 100 + 10 + 5 + 2 (7)
RR: 316. (((25 + 5) / 10) x 100) + (2 x 8) (10)
Score: 84–59 (max 108)
Quite a few ways to get this one, but the contestants go one above and below.
Round 15: M U M S A Y I N G
No one buzzes. The answer was GYMNASIUM.
Final Score: 84–59 (max 118)
MADAME MUG STRIKES AGAIN!!!! No, that's not a headline from the Daily Sport.
But, it's Nick's new nickname for Rachel, as yet again, she is the only person in the whole audience to solve the conundrum 
So, Chris has won his 7th game and will now be hoping to make it 2 octochamps in a row for the Apterous team tomorrow.
Join Thomas for that one.
No Wednesday or Thursday shows next week because of Glorious Goodwood. So, my next recap will be on Wednesday August 8th. See you then. Bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Chris:
Total score - 84
Raw score - 84
Total % of max - 71
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 5.6
Raw average score per round - 5.6
Number of maxes - 2
Colin:
Total score - 59
Raw score - 79
Total % of max - 50
Raw % of max - 67
Total average score per round - 3.9
Raw average score per round - 5.3
Number of maxes - 1
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67