So, we've got some fresh rubber on the show today, so let's have a good time.
Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Tuesday 20 November 2012.
C1: Challenger Susan Holden. She is a campanologist and tower captain at her local church, wherever that is, since it wasn't mentioned..........
She has just returned from a trip to Shanghai, China.C2: Challenger David Barnard. An Apteforumite and charity shop worker from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. His ambition is to have a golf handicap of 1, but it shouldn't take him too long, as he's currently the only member of his golf club to be on a handicap of 2
DC: Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T L S A E O D N I
R02: B R S N E O E G X
R03: R G I A D C E A H
R04: L Y T N U I E D A
R05: 100, 7, 1, 7, 6, 4. Target: 873.
TTT: SQUAREME - "To get this the intent's got to be there"
R06: M L R D E I U T O
R07: C T A E F Q I O W
R08: T S C S A I A L M
R09: K R W T E U O U F
R10: 75, 7, 4, 3, 3, 5. Target: 700.
TTT: AMADSORT - "They're a mad sort, but so is their opponent"
R11: V N S G I A E A R
R12: M T P S E O I M P
R13: Z S A O N S E I P
R14: 75, 9, 8, 1, 5, 3. Target: 997.
R15: T W O D O T H I S (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T L S A E O D N I
C1: DETAILS (7)
C2: DELATIONS (18)
DC: SLIDE (5)
Score: 0–18 (max 18)
Now that's a start to a Countdown career that you want
Very well done, David. Round 2: B R S N E O E G X
C1: BOXERS (6)
C2: BOREEN (6)
DC: SEX (3) ENROBES (7) BOREENS (7)
OT: BERGENS (7)
Score: 6–24 (max 25)
A very interesting spot there from David again, although he could've stuck the S on the end for an even better word.
Meanwhile, Gyles can only spot SEX...... 
Round 3: R G I A D C E A H
C1: CHAIRED (7)
C2: CHARGED (7)
DC: AIRHEAD (7)
OT: CHARADE (7) RAGHEAD (7)
Score: 13–31 (max 32)
Sevens all round in this one.
Round 4: L Y T N U I E D A
C1: UNITEDLY (8)
C2: DETAIN (6)
Score: 21–31 (max 40)
WOW!!! Now that's a spot and a half from Susan. David's definitely got a fight on his hands now.
Round 5: 100, 7, 1, 7, 6, 4. Target: 873.
C1: -
C2: 873. ((100 + 6 + 4) x (7 + 1)) - 7 (10)
Score: 21–41 (max 50)
But he storms back in immediately with his brilliant solve of 873.
Gyles talks about his time in the Major Government when he was Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, when he was one of the signatories of government cheques, and he mentions that the last one he signed (along with Her Majesty, The Queen) was for £136 billion.
Teatime teaser: SQUAREME -> MARQUEES
Round 6: M L R D E I U T O
C1: DILUTER (7)
C2: MOULDIER (8)
DC: MILORD (6)
Score: 21–49 (max 58)
Now it's David's turn to give a darrenic 8 of his own.
Round 7: C T A E F Q I O W
C1: FACET (5)
C2: FACET (5)
DC: FACE (4) COIF (4)
OT: COATI (5) TOWAI (5) TWICE (5)
Score: 26–54 (max 63)
Not much joy in this one, with just a FACET apiece.
Round 8: T S C S A I A L M
C1: CLAIMS (6)
C2: CLAIMS (6)
DC: SALAMIS (7)
OT: CASITAS (7) LACTAMS (7) MASTICS (7) MISCAST (7)
Score: 32–60 (max 70)
While Gyles enjoys his SALAMIS, the contestants put in their claims for a 6.
A CASITA is a small crude dwelling forming part of a shantytown inhabited by Mexican labourers in the southwestern U.S., or a luxurious bungalow serving as private guest accommodations at a resort hotel, especially in the southwestern U.S. or Mexico.
A LACTAM is any of a group of cyclic amides characterized by the NHCO group, derived from aminocarboxylic acids by the intramolecular elimination of water from the amino and carboxylic groups.
Round 9: K R W T E U O U F
C1: FUTURE (6)
C2: TOWER (5)
DC: oeuf
OT: TWOFER (6)
Score: 38–60 (max 76)
The FUTURE's not necessarily looking good for Susan now, but she has got back in it thanks to her 6, while Gyles offers us the most commonly used word on the show's sister show in France, Des chiffres et des lettres, although he actually did say it the wrong way round..........
A TWOFER, quite simply, is a card or ticket entitling the holder to purchase two tickets to a theatrical performance at a reduced price, or things like that.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the political origins of "chancellor".
Round 10: 75, 7, 4, 3, 3, 5. Target: 700.
C1: 700. (75 / 3) x 4 x 7 (10)
C2: 700. ((75 x 3) - ((7 + 3) x 5)) x 4 (10)
Score: 48–70 (max 86)
Well, that's definitely one of the most unusual methods of solving 700 by David, but 10 points is 10 points.
Teatime teaser: AMADSORT -> MATADORS
Round 11: V N S G I A E A R
C1: RAVINGS (7)
C2: VERSING (7)
DC: EARS (4) VINEGARS (8)
OT: VAGARIES (8)
Score: 55–77 (max 94)
A couple of good 7's from the contestants, while DC go a bit spicy with the VINEGARS, while avoiding the VAGARIES of life.
Round 12: M T P S E O I M P
C1: MOPPETS (7)
C2: moppiest
DC: MOPIEST (7) POEMS (5)
OT: STOMPIE (7) TOPPIES (7)
Score: 62–77 (max 101)
Ouch, very unlucky for David, as MOPPY is fine, but its superlatives aren't specified, as to Countdown rules, so the gap has suddenly become a manageable 15 points............
A TOPPIE (or TOPKNOT) is a tuft or crest of feathers on the head of a bird.
Round 13: Z S A O N S E I P
C1: PASSION (7)
C2: PANSIES (7)
DC: zepassion
OT: SPINOSE (7)
Score: 69–84 (max 108)
Just a hat-trick of 7's here, but David still isn't home and dry yet, but I have a feeling that the "safe" 1 large is just around the corner.........
SPINOSE is an adjective meaning full of spines.
Round 14: 75, 9, 8, 1, 5, 3. Target: 997.
C1: 999.
C2: 997. ((8 + 5) x (75 + 1)) + 9 (10)
Score: 69–94 (max 118)
And indeed it is, although it actually creates a larger buffer for David, as he now has a lead of 25 with a round to go, meaning he has won of course.
Round 15: T W O D O T H I S
No one buzzes. The answer was WITHSTOOD.
Final Score: 69–94 (max 128)
No-one solves it within the time, but a quick glance to the audience, and yet another member of our community is on hand to solve the conundrum, and it happens to be Chris Marshall no less, who of course will be returning to the studios pretty soon for the finals which begin in just over 3 weeks time.
But, David has made a very good impression on his début and who knows, maybe he'll meet up with Chris in the finals..........
But, maybe I'm thinking ahead too much......... Right, Graeme and Jack will be with you on Wednesday and Thursday, while I'll return next Wednesday and Thursday for what could be David's final 2 shows.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Susan:
Total score - 69
Raw score - 90
Total % of max - 54
Raw % of max - 70
Total average score per round - 4.6
Raw average score per round - 6.0
Number of maxes - 7
David:
Total score - 94
Raw score - 105
Total % of max - 73
Raw % of max - 82
Total average score per round - 6.3
Raw average score per round - 7.0
Number of maxes - 8
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67