Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 8 November 2012.
C1: Champion Heather Styles (1 win, 114 points.) An Apteforumite from Sevenoaks, Kent. Daughter of Series 65's #9 seed, Phyllis. She likes to sing in her local choir, as well as playing the flute in her local church.
C2: Challenger Rhondda McCracken. A retired chief cashier from Liverpool. She was once held up by a man with a gun while working at her bank. She likes going to the theatre, and when she was 8 years old, she sang on stage with Ken Dodd.
DC: Susie Dent and Janet Street-Porter.
RR: Rachel Riley, who looks pretty in shocking pink today, hopefully not too sexy for the Channel 4 bigwigs.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S Y R P E O U A D
R02: R S P I O E L T A
R03: I E O A R J C T L
R04: T F K E A E N S H
R05: 75, 9, 3, 1, 4, 8. Target: 377.
TTT: ILUNGEIN - "I lunge into a delicious plate of pasta"
R06: D N G I A S O M S
R07: Z F T D I U E I N
R08: H B G A O A I D E
R09: A E I O Q R N C A
R10: 50, 9, 2, 5, 4, 4. Target: 635.
TTT: RUDECOIL - ""The sky's a bit duller than usual", said Miss Schiffer"
R11: P T N O E I A S W
R12: L F T E O N A T M
R13: E A E U R T M D S
R14: 100, 50, 8, 7, 6, 8. Target: 607.
R15: P E T C U S S E D (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S Y R P E O U A D
C1: SPRAYED (7)
C2: DRAPES (6)
DC: syruped SYRUP (5)
OT: AROUSED (7) DASYURE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
A good start from out champion. More of the same please.
A DASYURE is any of several nocturnal, carnivorous marsupials of the genus Dasyurus and related genera, of Australia, Tasmania, and nearby islands, typically having a reddish or olive-brown coat marked with white spots.
Round 2: R S P I O E L T A
C1: SPOILER (7)
C2: TRAIPSE (7)
DC: EPILATORS (18)
Score: 14–7 (max 25)
Hmmmm, a similar selection to yesterday's shining moment from yesterday, but Heather can only manage a SPOILER, while DC shave off the extras to get the 9.
Round 3: I E O A R J C T L
C1: EROTICA (7)
C2: LOCATE (6)
DC: RECITAL (7)
Me: LORICATE (8)
Score: 21–7 (max 33)
Susie reveals that she always likes EROTICA. (Amazing what you learn when you watch the show as long as I have.
) But, it's left to me to get the darrenic 8. 
LORICATE is an adjective meaning covered with a LORICA, a hard protective case or sheath, as the protective coverings secreted by certain protists.
Round 4: T F K E A E N S H
C1: FASTEN (6)
C2: SHAKEN (6)
DC: THANKS (6)
OT: ETHANE (6) FAKEST (6) HASTEN (6) KEFEST (6) KENTES (6) SATEEN (6) SENATE (6) THANES (6)
Score: 27–13 (max 39)
It's a very flat 6 o'clock here.
A KENTE is a colourful fabric of Ghanaian origin, often worn as a symbol of African-American pride.
A SATEEN is a strong cotton fabric constructed in satin weave and having a lustrous face.
Round 5: 75, 9, 3, 1, 4, 8. Target: 377.
C1: 376. ((4 + 1) x 75) + 9 - 8 (7)
C2: 376. (75 x 4) + (9 x 8) + 3 + 1 (7)
RR: 377. ((4 + 1) x 75) + 3 - (9 - 8) (10)
Score: 34–20 (max 49)
Now how many others thought that both the contestants had this wrapped up straight away
Well, both contestants get 1 away, but with a little alteration, Heather could have got the 10 points. 
Janet talks about her "year of turmoil", thanks mainly to an "invasion" of Spanish "super"-slugs that have destroyed her vegetable crops.
Teatime teaser: ILUNGEIN -> LINGUINE
Round 6: D N G I A S O M S
C1: DOSSING (7)
C2: MASSING (7)
DC: MANGOS (6) IMAGOS (6)
OT: AGONISMS (8) MADISONS (8)
Score: 41–27 (max 57)
A couple of -ING-ing 7's, and a couple of un-ING-ing 8's available here.
Round 7: Z F T D I U E I N
C1: FINITE (6)
C2: FETID (5)
DC: UNIFIED (7) FINITUDE (8)
OT: UNITIZED (8)
Score: 47–27 (max 65)
A very nice 6 from Heather extends her lead to a score, and a slight extension of that word would've given her a super good 8.
Round 8: H B G A O A I D E
C1: BIGHEAD (7)
C2: bogied
OT: ADAGIO (6) BODEGA (6) BODGIE (6) HOAGIE (6)
Score: 54–27 (max 72)
ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM Uh-oh, one for the "Oops-a-daisy" file.
I must admit I thought it was a fantastic spot, but our intellectual sources inform me that BIGHEAD is actually big-head.............
Round 9: A E I O Q R N C A
C1: cronie
C2: ACORN (5)
DC: CARINAE (7)
OT: ACARINE (7) OCARINA (7)
Score: 54–32 (max 79)
I wonder if Heather was reminiscing about the anagram from her conundrum yesterday (CRONIEJIG, in case you forgot), but unfortunately, the singular of CRONIES is CRONY. Meanwhile, Rhondda is going nuts with her ACORN.
ACARINE is any of numerous arachnids of the order Acarina, comprising the mites and ticks.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the yummy origins of the desserts, "tapioca", Spotted Dick", "roly-poly" and "custard".
Round 10: 50, 9, 2, 5, 4, 4. Target: 635.
C1: 635. ((9 + 4) x (50 - (5 - 4))) - 2 (10)
C2: 636.
Score: 64–32 (max 89)
Wow, after the last numbers game, I was wondering what to expect from these two, but Heather pulls it out of the bag and her score is now double that of Rhondda's.
Teatime teaser: RUDECOIL -> CLOUDIER
Round 11: P T N O E I A S W
C1: POINTES (7)
C2: WASTE (5)
DC: PANTIES (7) TOWNIES (7) SAPIENT (7)
OT: SWAPTION (8)
Score: 71–32 (max 97)
Heather pointEs it out that she used the E for her POINTES, and her score is heading towards the high highs of her 114 yesterday.
Round 12: L F T E O N A T M
C1: LAMENT (6)
C2: FLATTEN (7)
DC: MATELOT (7) OMENTAL (7)
OT: MANTLET (7) TELAMON (7) TOMENTA (7)
Score: 71–39 (max 104)
Oh, well that's one way to FLATTEN the chances of a good score.
Now, all Rhondda needs is a 9 to make it very interesting............A MANTLET (or MANTELET) is any of various bulletproof shelters or screens.
A TELAMON is a sculptural figure of a man used as a column.
A TOMENTUM (plural TOMENTA) is a pubescence consisting of longish, soft, entangled hairs pressed close to the surface.
Round 13: E A E U R T M D S
C1: STREAMED (8)
C2: STREAMED (8)
DC: MEASURED (8) MUSTERED (8)
OT: DEMUREST (8) MASTERED (8)
Score: 79–47 (max 112)
Plenty of good 8's here, which seals Heather's passage to tomorrow's game, but it also means that she'll have to settle for a sub-century score today.
Round 14: 100, 50, 8, 7, 6, 8. Target: 607.
C1: 607. (100 x 6) + 7 (10)
C2: 607. (100 x 6) + 7 (10)
Score: 89–57 (max 122)
Well, at least that was easy.
Round 15: P E T C U S S E D
C2 buzzes on 5.5 seconds to say SUSPECTED which is correct.
Final Score: 89–67 (max 132)
But it's Rhondda who has the final word, as Nick SUSPECTED that she got the conundrum.
So, 2 wins and 203 points is a very good start for our Heather. Some very good spots (even BIG-HEAD), and a very bright personality which we hope we'll see for at least another 6 shows.
Thomas will around tomorrow for her attempt at a hat-trick.
I'll be back next week, hopefully for the final phases of Heather's run.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Heather:
Total score - 89
Raw score - 95
Total % of max - 67
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 5.9
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 6 (really 5, sorry Heather
)Rhondda:
Total score - 67
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 51
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 4.5
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 5
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67