Tuesday 13th November 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 71)

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Jack Worsley
Series 66 Champion
Posts: 979
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:32 pm
Location: Blackpool

Tuesday 13th November 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 71)

Post by Jack Worsley »

Countdown recap for Tuesday 13 November 2012.

Hello, it's me again. :D :)

C1: Champion Heather Styles (4 wins, 388 points.) An editing assistant from Sevenoakes, Kent, her hobbies include music and cookery. Her favourite dish to cook is curry apparently. Her mother Phyllis won six games back in series 65, two more wins and she's equalled her. She's been doing very well so far, averaging a cool 97 points per game, with the highlight being her debut, when she registered a score of 114, the highest of the series so far. That included the wonderful niner PLANETOID, possibly the best contestant spot of the series.
C2: Challenger Alma Cox. From Worthing, she works at Heathrow Airport. She is a world duty-free consultant. Her hero is Jose Rizal, who proved that the pen is mightier than the sword. Her ambition is to move to Switzerland in the future.
DC: Susie Dent and Connie Fisher.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: R S C T O E U O F
R02: H P N A E T W O I
R03: E A O E M D S B R
R04: I A Z F T U E S N
R05: 100, 5, 6, 7, 3, 6. Target: 589.
TTT: GOLFUNIT - "It's not bending the rules, it's breaking them"
R06: I O E F R D H A J
R07: N R G I E I N S A
R08: M N T E A O R S I
R09: L H R G E U E A I
R10: 50, 75, 10, 4, 2, 4. Target: 998.
TTT: ICONRIFT - "The rift between the two of them caused this"
R11: B X M N U I E O E
R12: D C S A O A Q M I
R13: T S D G O A E I A
R14: 75, 1, 9, 6, 5, 2. Target: 153.
R15: T A N G E L L O S (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R S C T O E U O F

C1: FRUCTOSE (8)
C2: FRUCTOSE (8)
DC: OUTSCORE (8)
OT: ECOTOURS (8) FOOTSURE (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)

Well that's not a bad start at all, let's hope for more of the same.

Round 2: H P N A E T W O I

C1: WHITEN (6)
C2: PHAETON (7)
DC: PANTO (5) PHONATE (7)
Score: 8–15 (max 15)

First blood to the challenger who takes the lead with an impressive seven, which sees Heather behind for the first time in her Countdown career. How will she respond?

Round 3: E A O E M D S B R

C1: BREAMS (6)
C2: DEMOBS (6)
DC: DAMES (5) BEADS (5) BREEDS (6)
OT: AEROBES (7) BARDEES (7) BEAMERS (7) BEDSORE (7) BESMEAR (7) BREAMED (7) DEBASER (7) RADOMES (7) REBASED (7) SMEARED (7) SOBERED (7)
Score: 14–21 (max 22)

Lots and lots of sevens but shockingly no one in the studio can spot any of them! :evil: :roll: :shock: I'll let them off since this was a morning show.

Round 4: I A Z F T U E S N

C1: AUNTIES (7)
C2: FAINT (5)
DC: FASTEN (6)
OT: FUSTIAN (7) SINUATE (7) ZANIEST (7)
Score: 21–21 (max 29)

Alma could have added the S to her FAINT but it would have been academic anyway as Heather draws level thanks to her AUNTIES. Three other sevens go unnoticed.
FUSTIAN is a thick hard-wearing twilled cloth with a short nap, often dyed in dark colours.

Round 5: 100, 5, 6, 7, 3, 6. Target: 589.

C1: 589. 6 x 100 - 5 - 6 (10)
C2: 589. 6 x 100 - 5 - 6 (10)
Score: 31–31 (max 39)

Far too easy.

Connie talks about odd pieces of fan mail she's received and how she ended up marrying her number one fan.

Teatime teaser: GOLFUNIT -> FLOUTING

Round 6: I O E F R D H A J

C1: FARED (5)
C2: FIORD (5)
DC: FEIJOA (6)
OT: FAIRED (6) FEDORA (6) HAIRDO (6) HAIRED (6) JEHADI (6) ROADIE (6)
Score: 36–36 (max 45)

Fives for the contestants but there are a few sixes available. DC get possibly the most obscure one of the bunch. They are evergreen shrubs which bear edible green fruit and are native to South America.

Round 7: N R G I E I N S A

C1: NEARING (7)
C2: grainier
DC: ginseng GIN (3) SINGER (6) GRANNIES (8)
OT: ARGININE (8) EARNINGS (8) ENGRAINS (8) INGRAINS (8) RESINING (8) SIRENIAN (8)
Score: 43–36 (max 53)

Alma looks set to retake the lead but she unfortunately uses the R twice and finds herself facing a deficit.
A SIRENIAN is a large aquatic plant-eating mammal of the order Sirenia.

Round 8: M N T E A O R S I

C1: MENTORS (7)
C2: ROMANISE (8)
OT: AMNIOTES (8) AMORTISE (8) ATOMISER (8) MINARETS (8) MONSTERA (8) MORAINES (8) NOTARIES (8) NOTARISE (8) RAIMENTS (8) ROMAINES (8) STOREMAN (8)
Score: 43–44 (max 61)

This time Alma's eight is there as Heather misses the eights. She may be kicking herself for missing MONSTERA, which she spotted in her first game.

Round 9: L H R G E U E A I

C1: GRAIL (5)
C2: REGALE (6)
DC: LEAGUE (6) LAUGHER (7) HAULIER (7)
OT: HEURIGE (7) LEAGUER (7)
Score: 43–50 (max 68)

Alma increases her lead to seven before DC reveal a couple of sevens.
HEURIGE (also HEURIGER) can refer to wine from the latest harvest in Austria. It can also be the establishment where the wine is served.

Oow: Susie discusses the origins of the musical-related terms LIMELIGHT and GREEN ROOM.

Round 10: 50, 75, 10, 4, 2, 4. Target: 998.

C1: 998. (10 + 4) x 75 - 50 - 2 (10)
C2: 999.
Score: 53–50 (max 78)

A very good solution by Heather, who leaves the 2 behind when making the 1,000, so she can subtract it at the end. That perfect solve turns the game in her favour as we are set for a very interesting part three. ;)

Teatime teaser: ICONRIFT -> FRICTION

Round 11: B X M N U I E O E

C1: IMBUE (5)
C2: INBOX (5)
DC: NUMB (4) BONXIE (6)
Score: 58–55 (max 84)

A rather pants selection here with just a weird six hiding in there, which DC spot.
BONXIE is a Scottish term for the great skua (seabird).

Round 12: D C S A O A Q M I

C1: MOSAIC (6)
C2: MAIDS (5)
DC: DAIMS (5) DISCO (5) ADIOS (5)
Score: 64–55 (max 90)

Heather extends her lead with her darrenic offering but it's not quite enough to be out of conundrum striking distance. The gap of nine is as high as it's been all game!

Round 13: T S D G O A E I A

C1: GODETIAS (8)
C2: GODETIAS (8)
DC: ADAGIOS (7)
Score: 72–63 (max 98)

Both players are clearly keen viewers of the show, which is proved by their offering of the old favourite GODETIAS here. It's the darren in this round, as it is so often.

Round 14: 75, 1, 9, 6, 5, 2. Target: 153.

C1: 153. 75 x 2 + 9 - 6 (10)
C2: 153. 75 x 2 + 9 - 6 (10)
Score: 82–73 (max 108)

After her two large failed last time, Alma goes for one large this time and gets a very easy last numbers game, meaning that Rachel has been unemployed today, something which is fairly uncommon. A nine point difference going into the final round means only one thing; CRUCIAL CONUNDRUM!

Round 15: T A N G E L L O S

No one buzzes. The answer was GALLSTONE.
Final Score: 82–73 (max 118)

Nice to see TANGELOS make an appearance in the conundrum scramble (sort of). It's not an easy one at all and it defeats both players, meaning that Heather will remain as the champion. She was given a stern test by Alma though who came up with some very good words and would have beaten many champions. She managed to hold her nerve though and the second numbers solve was a pivotal moment in the match. Join James tomorrow if she can match her mother's total of six wins.

I was looking forward to recapping David Barnard's debut next week but I may be doing next Thursday's instead. I'm not absolutely sure so join me whenever it is for another Worsley Recap. Goodbye. ;)


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67
Malcolm James
Acolyte
Posts: 146
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:59 pm

Re: Tuesday 13th November 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 71)

Post by Malcolm James »

I missed the start of the show. Was anything said about where Alma came from originally, since she didn't look or sound British? I suspect she might originally have been from the Philippines and if English is not her first language it makes her performance all the more impressive.
David O'Donnell
Series 58 Champion
Posts: 2010
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:27 pm
Location: Cardiff

Re: Tuesday 13th November 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 71)

Post by David O'Donnell »

Good game yesterday, some quality spots from both.
Heather Styles

Re: Tuesday 13th November 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 71)

Post by Heather Styles »

Alma is from the Philippines. She played really well, and I was lucky to scrape through.
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Innis Carson
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Re: Tuesday 13th November 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 71)

Post by Innis Carson »

Jack Worsley wrote:Round 3: E A O E M D S B R

C1: BREAMS (6)
C2: DEMOBS (6)
DC: DAMES (5) BEADS (5) BREEDS (6)
OT: AEROBES (7) BARDEES (7) BEAMERS (7) BEDSORE (7) BESMEAR (7) BREAMED (7) DEBASER (7) RADOMES (7) REBASED (7) SMEARED (7) SOBERED (7)
Score: 14–21 (max 22)

Lots and lots of sevens but shockingly no one in the studio can spot any of them! :evil: :roll: :shock: I'll let them off since this was a morning show.
Made even more jarring by the fact that Susie went out her way to explain that 'bream' could be a verb, but apparently didn't think of BREAMED. I'm convinced that Dictionary Corner deliberately underplay at times, perhaps to give the viewers at home chances to feel that they've 'beaten the experts'.

But putting trivialities aside, this was a great game. Very well done to both players.
Gavin Chipper
Post-apocalypse
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Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm

Re: Tuesday 13th November 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 71)

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Innis Carson wrote:Made even more jarring by the fact that Susie went out her way to explain that 'bream' could be a verb, but apparently didn't think of BREAMED. I'm convinced that Dictionary Corner deliberately underplay at times, perhaps to give the viewers at home chances to feel that they've 'beaten the experts'.
Sometimes it can be more annoying though.
David O'Donnell
Series 58 Champion
Posts: 2010
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:27 pm
Location: Cardiff

Re: Tuesday 13th November 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 71)

Post by David O'Donnell »

Innis Carson wrote: I'm convinced that Dictionary Corner deliberately underplay at times, perhaps to give the viewers at home chances to feel that they've 'beaten the experts'.
I vaguely remember reading this in Countdown: Spreading the Word (available at all good bookshops).
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