Wednesday 11th January 1995 (Series 29, Prelim 1)

[Joseph Krol]

Countdown recap for Wednesday 11 January 1995.

Welcome to the first JK recap of series 29. We’ve just seen the grand final of CoCVII, now back down to preliminaries with a bang (and quite possibly a crash and wallop).

C1: Challenger Mary Horswill. From Barnsley, and has been been placed for no apparent reason in the champion’s chair. Could this be prophetic?
C2: Champion Ann Dowers (2 wins, 99 points.) The champion at the end of Series 28, who for no apparent reason has been placed in the challenger’s chair.
DC: Richard Samson and Philip Franks.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: L J G U E H T I B
R02: P Y I L C E I D E
R03: F L G A A N M E C
R04: 25, 1, 10, 10, 5, 1. Target: 530.
R05: E A W S N E V R I
R06: X S D O Y D T I A
R07: C I M B T O A K G
R08: 75, 2, 1, 4, 10, 3. Target: 371.
R09: S U P E R D I E T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature. But this is the first fun spoiler space! Find the word which shouldn’t be there!

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Enjoy the (replicated lovingly in text) show.

Round 1: L J G U E H T I B

C1: BLITHE (6)
C2: BLITHE (6)
DC: BLIGHT (6)
OT: GLUTEI (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

6 is the max, the contestants get the same, DC get the other common one, and there is another left.

A GLUTEUS (plural GLUTEI) is a muscle in the buttocks. ‘Nuff said.

Round 2: P Y I L C E I D E

C1: PIECED (6)
C2: ELIDE (5)
DC: PEDICEL (7) PEDICLE (7)
Score: 12–6 (max 13)

Now time for some controversy. Is this a darren, seeing as it is an alternative, and anagrammed, spelling of the same word, or is it not? Please PM me with your ideas. Best reply by Sunday gets an image of a gluteus.

BTW, a PEDICEL/PEDICLE is a small stalk or stem of a plant.

Round 3: F L G A A N M E C

C1: MANACLE (7)
C2: MANACLE (7)
DC: FLAGMEN (7) FLAGMAN (7) GAMELAN (7)
Score: 19–13 (max 20)

4 sevens available, and our contestants both plump for probably the easiest one of the lot.

A FLAGMAN (plural FLAGMEN) is a person who signals with a flag. You needed that definition, didn’t you?

A GAMELAN is an orchestral xylophone. You probably needed that one, and I’m not being sarky this time.

Round 4: 25, 1, 10, 10, 5, 1. Target: 530.

C1: 530. ((10+10+1)*25)+5 (10)
C2: -
Score: 29–13 (max 30)

Ann blanks on a not-too-hard numbers, and her time on the show appears to be in serious danger of stopping.
Round 5: E A W S N E V R I

C1: WAIVERS (7)
C2: WAIVERS (7)
DC: INVERSE (7) WEAVERS (7) REVIEWS (7)
OT: ENVIERS (7) VERSINE (7) NEWSIER (7) WIENERS (7) RAVINES (7) VIEWERS (7) WEANERS (7) WEARIES (7) WIVERNS (7)
Score: 36–20 (max 37)

And a flat, but double-max, start to the second half.

A WIVERN, or WYVERN, is a mythical bird or something.

Round 6: X S D O Y D T I A

C1: DAISY (5)
C2: ADITS (5)
DC: ODDITY (6)
Score: 41–25 (max 43)

Some rather impressive mine entrances for our champ, but Mary equals them with a more run-of-the-mill five. DC find the darrenical 6 from this awkward collection.

Round 7: C I M B T O A K G

C1: GAMBIT (6)
C2: COMBAT (6)
OT: AKIMBO (6) ATOMIC (6) KITBAG (6) MAGICK (6)
Score: 47–31 (max 49)


6 sixes to pick and choose from, and both of our contestants find one. Don’t you just love it when you but a K on the end of a word? Eg. ‘My physicks teacher drank my iodine’ looks better than ‘My physics teacher drank my iodine.’

Round 8: 75, 2, 1, 4, 10, 3. Target: 371.

C1: 371. (75*(3+2))-4 (10)
C2: 371. (75*(3+2))-4 (10)
Score: 57–41 (max 59)

And an easy numbers means Ann is out for good. Can she go out with a swan song by getting the conundrum though?

Round 9: S U P E R D I E T

No one buzzes. The answer was DISREPUTE.
Score: 57–41 (max 69)

And the answer is no, as a tricky conundrum goes unsolved. Ann seemed a goodish player, but I doubt that two wins would get you into any finals. Ever. In anything.

Joseph Krol signing off.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=29