C1: Champion Eileen Taylor (2 wins, 190 points) is a retired personnel officer from Sydenham, London. When she appeared on the show back in series 22 in 1991, she was pipped by a single point. So far she's made the most of her second chance - on Wednesday she beat Jill Hayward 102-98, and the following day she beat Paul Johnson by 3 points with the help of the nine-letter word CARBONISE and the crucial conundrum CHATTIEST.
C2: Challenger Ron Boyman from Aylesworth, Peterborough, worked for the RAF as an electronics engineer for 42 years. He's now retired. His three granddaughters are watching in the audience.
DC: Susie Dent and Bill Turnbull.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: I E O H S T K P A
R02: R N E V C U N I A
R03: 75, 3, 1, 4, 2, 5. Target: 113.
TTT: RUDEADAM - "Rude Adam caused trouble all over the place."
R04: T Z B E N P I G O
R05: E A E R N D R T F
R06: 50, 6, 3, 9, 7, 5. Target: 181.
R07: A I E G S R N C V
R08: S M I L S E T G O
R09: 75, 1, 5, 3, 4, 9. Target: 561.
TTT: FUDGETIN - "If you can spot this, then you're not this."
R10: S M R E T L A N E
R11: O U O H T X L I T
R12: S R A G M O E R A
R13: E U I W D T L D S
R14: 50, 25, 7, 5, 3, 10. Target: 227.
R15: L A Y L A T U R N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: I E O H S T K P A
C1: POKIEST (7)
C2: pastie (misdeclared as 5)
DC: SHITAKE (7)
OT: ATOPIES (7) HOKIEST (7) KATIPOS (7) OAKIEST (7) OPIATES (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
PASTIE is an acceptable variant of PASTY, but Ron declares it as five. Didn't matter anyway, Eileen is straight out of the blocks with POKIEST.
Round 2: R N E V C U N I A
C1: CANNIER (7)
C2: revue
DC: VICUNA (6) CRAVEN (6) INCURVE (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 14)
Another seven for Eileen, and Ron sees a phantom E.
Round 3: 75, 3, 1, 4, 2, 5. Target: 113.
C1: 113. 5*2*4+75-(3-1) (10)
C2: 113. (5+4)*(3+1)+2+75 (10)
Score: 24–10 (max 24)
CECIL produces a low numbers target and Ron's off the mark.
Teatime teaser: RUDEADAM -> MARAUDED
Round 4: T Z B E N P I G O
C1: BINGE (5)
C2: -
DC: BINGO (5) PIGEON (6) OPTING (6)
OT: POINTE (6) TOEING (6) TOPING (6)
Score: 29–10 (max 30)
Nothing doing from Ron, so Eileen goes five further in front. Susie and Bill play pigeon bingo.
Round 5: E A E R N D R T F
C1: TENDER (6)
C2: ENDEAR (6)
DC: RETREAD (7)
OT: RAFTERED (8)
Score: 35–16 (max 38)
The curious-looking RAFTERED is fine, it refers to a roof with exposed rafters.
Round 6: 50, 6, 3, 9, 7, 5. Target: 181.
C1: -
C2: 181. Mistake in working.
RR: 181. (50+7)*3+9+6-5 (10)
Score: 35–16 (max 48)
Eileen has showed herself to be handy with the letters, but it's the numbers that seem to be tripping her up. Fortunately for her, Ron only gets as far as 14 before realising he's made a mistake, so it's left to Rachel.
Round 7: A I E G S R N C V
C1: CRAVINGS (8)
C2: CREASING (8)
DC: VINEGARS (8)
OT: CARVINGS (8)
Score: 43–24 (max 56)
No nine here. Eights for everyone.
Round 8: S M I L S E T G O
C1: MOLESTS (7)
C2: -
DC: GIMLETS (7)
OT: EGOISTS (7) EGOTISM (7) LISSOME (7) LOGIEST (7) MITOSES (7) SOMITES (7) STOGIES (7)
Score: 50–24 (max 63)
Ron blanks for the second time today, Eileen finds one of the sevens, and Susie finds GIMLETS, which are cocktails.
Round 9: 75, 1, 5, 3, 4, 9. Target: 561.
C1: -
C2: 565. Mistake in working.
RR: 561. (5+3-1)*75+4*9 (10)
Score: 50–24 (max 73)
Ron looks like he's going to close the gap a bit, but it turns out he's used the 5 twice.
Teatime teaser: FUDGETIN -> UNGIFTED
Round 10: S M R E T L A N E
C1: MANTELS (7)
C2: SMELTER (7)
DC: ANTLERS (7) LAMENTERS (18)
Score: 57–31 (max 91)
Looks like there's something more than seven there, and Susie finds it - LAMENTERS.
Round 11: O U O H T X L I T
C1: TOOTH (5)
C2: TOOL (4)
DC: OOLITH (6)
OT: OTOLITH (7)
Score: 62–31 (max 98)
OOLITH appears on Susie's pencam - it's any of the rounded grains making up oolite, a kind of limestone. Also there was OTOLITH, which is a part of the inner ear that helps with balance.
Round 12: S R A G M O E R A
C1: GORES (5)
C2: -
DC: REMORAS (7)
OT: SAGAMORE (8)
Score: 67–31 (max 106)
Eileen's only got five, but Ron's lost for words again so five points it is. A REMORA is defined as "a slender marine fish which attaches itself to large fish by means of a sucker on top of the head". Because that's just what marine animals do. SAGAMORE is a term for a chief among some American Indian peoples.
Round 13: E U I W D T L D S
C1: TWIDDLES (8)
C2: TWIDDLES (8)
Score: 75–39 (max 114)
Eileen sat back not long into the time, which made me think she'd got a nine. But she declares 8, so she was just Hursting. Ron also spots TWIDDLES, but it's not enough to stop Eileen taking her third victory.
Round 14: 50, 25, 7, 5, 3, 10. Target: 227.
C1: 227. Mistake in working.
C2: 229. 10*25-7*3 (7)
RR: 227. (25-3)*10+7 (10)
Score: 75–46 (max 124)
Now it's Eileen's turn to make a mistake on the numbers, and Ron's two away, so Rachel steps in again.
Round 15: L A Y L A T U R N
Eileen buzzes on 2 seconds to say NATURALLY which is correct.
Final Score: 85–46 (max 134)
A quick conundrum spot on exactly two seconds gives Eileen a score of 85 and a total so far of 275. This means she's already sixth on the leaderboard, and another three wins or so should guarantee her entry into the quarter-finals. I'll be back next Monday, which is Another Truncated Countdown Week, and the following Monday, which is Yet Another Truncated Countdown Week. Yes, from Wednesday to Friday next week the remaining horses which haven't already been doped with questionable substances or given an intimate tour of the Findus factory will once again be running around in circles all over Channel 4.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68