Ah well, let's enjoy it anyway.
Countdown recap for Thursday 15 November 2012.
C1: Champion Heather Styles (6 wins, 559 points.) An Apteforumite and assistant editor from Sevenoaks, Kent. She's aiming to beat her mother, Phyllis, by winning a 7th show today, one more than she could muster in Series 65.
C2: Challenger Stuart Gillespie. A dance teacher from Nottingham. He and his wife have ran their own dance school for the past 27 years.
DC: Susie Dent and Connie Fisher.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: S N P S E O A U C
R02: M D R E I M E A G
R03: B T R I E A B V E
R04: C J N W I O A L E
R05: 75, 5, 3, 1, 9, 2. Target: 838.
TTT: CHIPTIME - "This certainly doesn't apply to the smell of chips"
R06: P N R I A L O I T
R07: A E A E F Q R F N
R08: L S P I O S E G A
R09: R D H S I A E O A
R10: 100, 5, 4, 7, 8, 10. Target: 920.
TTT: CAPPOINT - "The answer will be clear and perfectly visible"
R11: E U A O T X T L S
R12: T S M K I E O G T
R13: N M S V E I A O E
R14: 75, 5, 2, 7, 10, 6. Target: 494.
R15: D R O P C R U E T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: S N P S E O A U C
C1: POUNCES (7)
C2: SNAPS (5)
DC: SOAPS (5) PECANS (6)
OT: SUNSPACE (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
Heather POUNCES early to take the lead straight away in this match.
Quite an unusual darrenic 8 left alone here. 
A SUNSPACE (or SUN ROOM) is a room designed to admit a large amount of sunlight.
Round 2: M D R E I M E A G
C1: miraged
C2: ADMIRE (6)
DC: MIRAGE (6) MEAGRE (6) GAMER (5) DREAM (5) GAMMIER (7) MERMAID (7)
Score: 7–6 (max 15)
Oh dear, a bit of a MIRAGE in the dictionary, as you can't MIRAGE something apparently......
Round 3: B T R I E A B V E
C1: RABBIT (6)
C2: RABBIT (6)
DC: BEAVER (6) VIBRATE (7)
Score: 13–12 (max 22)
Is this show being sponsored by Playboy or something
A couple of VIBRATE-ing RABBITs and a BEAVER 
What next 
Round 4: C J N W I O A L E
C1: JAWLINE (7)
C2: CLEAN (5)
DC: WINCE (5)
Score: 20–12 (max 29)
WOW!!!! There was me being happy with INWALE there, but that is literally a jaw-dropper from Heather there. Very well done.
Round 5: 75, 5, 3, 1, 9, 2. Target: 838.
C1: 839. ((2 + 9) x (75 + 1)) + 3 (7)
C2: 834.
RR: 838. ((2 + 9) x (75 + 1)) + 5 - 3 (10)
Score: 27–12 (max 39)
Ack, very unfortunate for Heather here. She did all the hard work, but she forgot that she had the 5 which she could've used in combination with the 3 to make the 2 she craved for.
But, it's still 7 points and her lead is looking healthier now. Connie talks about a case of mistaken identity, when she mistook a local Welsh businessman for the Welsh rugby legend, Gareth Edwards
I must say that Connie has been a very lively guest this week and it's nice to see guests have a go at the letters rounds, and with her youth, it's nice to see someone that people of my generation can relate to.
Teatime teaser: CHIPTIME -> MEPHITIC
Round 6: P N R I A L O I T
C1: RATION (6)
C2: POINT (5)
DC: PATRON (6)
OT: PINTAIL (7) TRIPOLI (7)
Score: 33–12 (max 46)
Just a RATION, but that's all she needs to extend her lead.
A PINTAIL is a long-necked river duck, Anas acuta, of the Old and New Worlds, having long and narrow middle tail feathers.
A TRIPOLI is any of several siliceous substances, as rottenstone and infusorial earth, used chiefly in polishing.
Round 7: A E A E F Q R F N
C1: FANFARE (7)
C2: REEF (4)
DC: FERN (4)
Score: 40–12 (max 53)
Now that's a FANFARE to behold!!! Right up there with JAWLINE and PLANETOID. That's definitely Styles' Style.
Round 8: L S P I O S E G A
C1: spoilages
C2: SPOILAGE (8)
DC: POSIES (6) GOSPELS (7)
Score: 40–20 (max 61)
Oh dear, I wonder how many others fell into that trap.
I did. On the plus side, at least Stuart has gone past the lowest male score in 15 round history. 
Round 9: R D H S I A E O A
C1: SHADIER (7)
C2: HAIRDO (6)
DC: AIRHEADS (8)
Score: 47–20 (max 69)
Oh dear, Stuart doesn't add the S to his word again, but this time it works against him, as he could've stuck it on the end to match Heather's SHADIER declaration. But, there are no AIRHEADS in DC, as they spot the darrenic 8.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the phrase, "shooting the breeze" and of the very Irish "shebeen".
Round 10: 100, 5, 4, 7, 8, 10. Target: 920.
C1: 920. (100 - 8) x 10 (10)
C2: 918.
Score: 57–20 (max 79)
Easy when you know how, as Stuart finds out to his cost.
Teatime teaser: CAPPOINT -> PANOPTIC
Round 11: E U A O T X T L S
C1: OUTLAST (7)
C2: EXTOLS (6)
DC: TOTALS (6) LUXATES (7)
OT: OUTLETS (7) TEXTUAL (7)
Score: 64–20 (max 86)
Another good 7 spot by Heather. Just one more push should get her to that magnificent 7.
Round 12: T S M K I E O G T
C1: EGOTISM (7)
C2: TOTEMS (6)
DC: KISMET (6) MOTETS (6)
OT: EGOTIST (7)
Score: 71–20 (max 93)
And there you go, simple as that. Interesting though that Susie says that EGOTISM might be the only 7, when EGOTIST is right there too............
Round 13: N M S V E I A O E
C1: EVASION (7)
C2: NAMES (5)
DC: MOVIES (6)
OT: MEANIES (7) NEMESIA (7)
Score: 78–20 (max 100)
That's a trio of 7's completed in this half for Heather. A score of 98 if she gets the numbers and conundrum would be the joint 2nd highest of her run to date.
A NEMESIA is any plant of the southern African scrophulariaceous genus Nemesia, cultivated for their brightly coloured (often reddish) flowers.
Round 14: 75, 5, 2, 7, 10, 6. Target: 494.
C1: 494. ((75 - 5) x 7) + 10 - 6 (10)
C2: -
Score: 88–20 (max 110)
That's part 1 done. Now, can she finish it off
Round 15: D R O P C R U E T
No one buzzes. The answer was CORRUPTED.
Final Score: 88–20 (max 120)
Not this time, but I don't think she'll mind that much.
She now has a score of 647 from her 7 matches, so a win of 63 or higher will see her catapulted to #2 in the rankings for the finals, which are now less than a month away. A win on Monday will definitely seal her place too. Just for a little bonus, she can now say that she's the best Styles family member on the show too. Although, I'm sure Phyllis won't mind relinquishing her crown to her daughter.
So, because of the horse racing, the show is taking a day off tomorrow, so it and me will return on Monday. I'm busy next Wednesday and Thursday, so I've switched with Graeme and Jack for the week, so it'll be 4 on the spin for me.
Whether or not you guys can cope remains to be seen......... So, till Monday, have a good weekend and bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Heather:
Total score - 88
Raw score - 88
Total % of max - 73
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 5.9
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 7
Stuart:
Total score - 20
Raw score - 76
Total % of max - 17
Raw % of max - 63
Total average score per round - 1.3
Raw average score per round - 5.1
Number of maxes - 1
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67