Monday 3rd December 2012 (Series 67, Prelim 84)

[Graeme Cole]

Countdown recap for Monday 3 December 2012.

C1: Champion Sohail Virdi (1 win, 82 points) is the last person who can qualify for the finals of series 67, which start next week. He's a locum pharmacist from Blackburn.
C2: Challenger Duncan Conway made the news last week because the Countdown production team allegedly told him that he had to cover up his chest hair. This story also made it onto Friday's Have I Got News For You featuring Nick Hewer. Even so, Countdown's twitter feed says it's sadly not quite true. Anyway, he's a law student from Lenzie near Glasgow. Who is not showing any chest hair.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: N T C O E A S R O
R02: L T E L I A M F P
R03: F V R I A I H S E
R04: M D O E R J N A W
R05: 100, 1, 1, 3, 9, 4. Target: 912.
TTT: AUNTCASH - "Aunt spends some cash on buying this type of plant."
R06: S S T C U I O S E
R07: T L L U E A T S I
R08: W N T O E A D N G
R09: D S N I E I G M U
R10: 75, 25, 7, 8, 5, 3. Target: 360.
TTT: COCANUTS - "Stories about financial records, perhaps."
R11: N T L E A E Q S V
R12: N T I A O H M F E
R13: K G D A E O M D A
R14: 75, 100, 25, 7, 6, 4. Target: 984.
R15: V A I N T A L L Y (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: N T C O E A S R O

C1: COASTER (7)
C2: CORNEAS (7)
DC: CORONETS (8) CARTOONS (8) ANCESTOR (8)
OT: ENACTORS (8) OSTRACON (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Solid sevens apiece to start. OSTRACON was there for fans of apterous's Game Of The Week feature.


Round 2: L T E L I A M F P

C1: IMPALE (6)
C2: PITFALL (7)
DC: LAMPLIT (7)
OT: FAMILLE (7) FLEAPIT (7)
Score: 7–14 (max 15)

Duncan goes in front with PITFALL. Susie and Paul spot LAMPLIT, which I wouldn't have thought was one word, but there it is.


Round 3: F V R I A I H S E

C1: FAIRIES (7)
C2: SHAVER (6)
DC: RAVISH (6) SHIVER (6)
OT: FAIRISH (7) FISHIER (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 22)

Duncan's presumably thinking about the trimming of his chest hair he claimed to have done prior to recording, but Sohail draws level with FAIRIES.


Round 4: M D O E R J N A W

C1: ROADMEN (7)
C2: MODERN (6)
DC: MAJORED (7)
Score: 21–14 (max 29)

Good spot by Sohail to take him in front for the first time in the game.


Round 5: 100, 1, 1, 3, 9, 4. Target: 912.

C1: 912. 9*100+4*3 (10)
C2: 912. 9*100+4*3 (10)
Score: 31–24 (max 39)

Ho hum.


Teatime teaser: AUNTCASH -> ACANTHUS


Round 6: S S T C U I O S E

C1: COSIEST (7)
C2: scouses
DC: COSSETS (7) TISSUES (7)
OT: CISTUSES (8)
Score: 38–24 (max 47)

Unfortunately for Duncan, the only permissible -SCOUSE- word is LOBSCOUSE, the stew from which the word associated with Liverpool is derived. Scouse itself is capitalised. CISTUS obeys the rule that if you don't know what something means, it's a plant.


Round 7: T L L U E A T S I

C1: TALLEST (7)
C2: STILT (5)
DC: TALLIES (7)
OT: SITTELLA (8)
Score: 45–24 (max 55)

You might be the TALLEST if you were walking on STILTS, but it's Sohail that's towering over everyone else in this round. A SITTELLA is an Australasian songbird.


Round 8: W N T O E A D N G

C1: GOWNED (6)
C2: WANTED (6)
DC: TONNAGE (7) TANGOED (7)
OT: WANTONED (8)
Score: 51–30 (max 63)

Sohail still comfortably in front.


Round 9: D S N I E I G M U

C1: SINGED (6)
C2: MUSING (6)
DC: minused MISGUIDE (8)
OT: DEMISING (8)
Score: 57–36 (max 71)

Susie is pleased that MINUSED^ hasn't wormed its way in like TIMESED, but she and Paul do find MISGUIDE for eight.


Round 10: 75, 25, 7, 8, 5, 3. Target: 360.

C1: 360. (75-3)*5 (10)
C2: 360. 75*5-25+7+3 (10)
Score: 67–46 (max 81)

A bit trickier than the last numbers round, but both players dispatch it with ease.


Teatime teaser: COCANUTS -> ACCOUNTS


Round 11: N T L E A E Q S V

C1: LEAVES (6)
C2: ENSLAVE (7)
DC: LEAVENS (7)
OT: LATEENS (7) LEANEST (7) LEVANTS (7) VELETAS (7)
Score: 67–53 (max 88)

Duncan spots ENSLAVE to close the gap a bit.


Round 12: N T I A O H M F E

C1: HITMAN (6)
C2: FAMINE (6)
DC: AMNIOTE (7) FOMENT (6)
Score: 73–59 (max 95)

Previously HITMAN was two words, but in these enlightened ODE3 times it's fine. Six points each.


Round 13: K G D A E O M D A

C1: DAMAGED (7)
C2: DAMAGED (7)
DC: GODDAM (6)
Score: 80–66 (max 102)

Both players spot the same seven. By the way, Countdown favourite Dave "probably the same seven" Taylor is in the Only Connect semi final today.

Susie and Paul find GODDAM. Not only is it in the dictionary, it doesn't have a capital G, much to Nick's disdain.


Round 14: 75, 100, 25, 7, 6, 4. Target: 984.

C1: 982. (6+4)*100-(25-7) (7)
C2: -
RR: 984. (100+75-(7+4))*6 (10)
Score: 87–66 (max 112)

Some contestants stick with 1 large or 2 large if they're 11-20 behind at this stage. Duncan's got the right idea by gambling with 3 large, but it doesn't work for him - he's too far away. Sohail mops up seven points and victory.


Round 15: V A I N T A L L Y

C1 buzzes on 3 seconds to say VALIANTLY which is correct.
Final Score: 97–66 (max 122)

And he finishes with a fast conundrum spot to win his second game. Folk hero Grant Waters isn't assured of a finals place yet, but there's a long way to go. This time next week, either I'll be recapping Sohail's seventh game, or it'll be someone else and the finals positions will be known. Either way, it looks like Sohail's capable of a few more wins yet.


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67