Friday 11 March 2011 (Series 64, Prelim 45)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Friday 11 March 2011 (Series 64, Prelim 45).

C1: Champion Andy McGurn (3 wins, 268 points.)
C2: Challenger Michael Hastings.
DC: Susie Dent and John Parrott.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

It’s the last Countdown of the week and it’s time once more to see who the week’s sponsor was, what bad jokes Jeff will tell and whether the reigning champion can retain their seat. Today, it’s the turn of three-time winner Andy McGurn to defend his title against the incoming challenge from Michael Sheffield from Hastings – or is that the other way around? Either way, it’s time to get down to details...

R01: F T W E A U P C E
R02: T L A F E L N I O
R03: D V N E I O R A E
R04: S D O E Z S U R R
R05: 75, 25, 9, 8, 3, 4. Target: 352.
TTT: FAIREPIC - "He'll try and make peace with the American dummy"
R06: W P O A T M O E D
R07: T X T E O E S M P
R08: T R L A D E O R N
R09: M N S U I E N G N
R10: 25, 75, 8, 10, 3, 2. Target: 964.
TTT: IRONCOPS - "Just like The Police, this has got a Sting."
R11: H M S U O O C S I
R12: V G E I S G E J T
R13: B K R A E U S I E
R14: 100, 25, 8, 10, 8, 6. Target: 965.
R15: A B B O T H O L D (conundrum)

This week’s Countdown was sponsored by Jointace, another product from those lovely people at Vitabiotics.

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Next week’s break for the Cheltenham Festival (of which more later) is the subject of Jeff’s opening remarks and includes a joke from Sheila from Seaford. Apparently she doesn’t have a surname.

Round 1: F T W E A U P C E

C1: TEACUP (6)
C2: FAUCET (6)
DC: TEACUP (6) FAUCET (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

Only two max words there and DC (and the contestants between them) spotted them both.

Round 2: T L A F E L N I O

C1: INFLATE (7)
C2: ELATION (7)
DC: FLATLINE (8)
OT: FELLATIO (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 14)

Did the contestants spot FELLATIO but were asked to offer a 7? What did seem apparent was that someone had offered it, because Jeff’s closing remarks for the round referred to the “couple of eights available”. ITWSBT. Incidentally, if we were using Chambers (perish the thought!) you could have had FELLATION^ for a nine.

Round 3: D V N E I O R A E

C1: REINVADE (8)
C2: AVOIDER (7)
DC: REINVADE (8) ANEROID (7)
Score: 21–13 (max 22)

A good gamble from Andy and a nice agent noun offering from Michael. Susie also mentions that Countdown favourite ANEROID.

Round 4: S D O E Z S U R R

C1: dousers
C2: sured
DC: ROUSERS (7)
Score: 21–13 (max 29)

A double-blob from the contestants, although Andy’s DOUSERS^ sounds just as plausible as ROUSERS to me, but there you go... the Oxford Corpus obviously knows otherwise!

Round 5: 75, 25, 9, 8, 3, 4. Target: 352.

C1: 352. (75x4)+(3x9)+25 (10)
C2: 347.
Score: 31–13 (max 39)

John uses his last stint of the week to tell us about the ‘Legends’ snooker tour that is currently doing the rounds. If you remember the great players of the 80’s, it sounds like it’s worth checking whether it’s coming to your area. It isn’t coming to mine.

Teatime teaser: FAIREPIC -> PACIFIER

A nice double cryptic clue there from Mr Eadie.

Round 6: W P O A T M O E D

C1: MOOTED (6)
C2: MOATED (6)
DC: MOOTED (6) POMADE (6) MEADOW (6)
OT: TAMPED (6)
Score: 37–19 (max 45)

Another somewhat flat round to start the second ‘half’ of the programme.

Round 7: T X T E O E S M P

C1: tempoes
C2: EXPOSE (6)
DC: TEMPEST (7) EXEMPTS (7)
OT: METOPES (7)
Score: 37–25 (max 52)

Andy gambles on an invalid plural of TEMPO; METOPE (albeit this time in the plural) comes up in Round 7 for the second Friday in succession.

Round 8: T R L A D E O R N

C1: DENOTe
C2: ornated
DC: LEOTARD (7) REALTOR (7)
OT: ADORNER (7) DELATOR (7) RELATOR (7) TALONED (7)
Score: 37–25 (max 59)

Andy’s seeing letters that aren’t there, while Michael is seeing whole words. Which is worse? Not sure, but they should both be ashamed about not spotting the Countdown legend that is LEOTARD.

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

C1: SUNNING (7)
C2: MINES (5)
DC: ENSIGN (6) MUSING (6)
OT: ENSUING (7) GUNNIES (7)
Score: 44–25 (max 66)

A good seven from Andy; GUNNIES are sacks made of coarse material, typically jute.

OoW: Susie tells us about the origins of the expression “a miss is as good as a mile”.

Round 10: 25, 75, 8, 10, 3, 2. Target: 964.

C1: 964. ((75+25-3)x10)-(8-2) (10)
C2: 965.
Score: 54–25 (max 76)

More two-from-the-top skill from Andy, while Michael scores a duck on the numbers again.

Teatime teaser: IRONCOPS -> SCORPION

Round 11: H M S U O O C S I

C1: MUSIC (5)
C2: SCUMS (5)
DC: SMOOCH (6) SCHISM (6)
OT: COSMOS (6) SCOOSH (6)
Score: 59–30 (max 82)

SCOOSH (also SKOOSH) is a Scottish word meaning to splash or squirt with liquid; it also means a fizzy drink, such as lemonade.

Round 12: V G E I S G E J T

C1: VESTIGE (7)
C2: SIEGE (5)
DC: VESTIGE (7) EGGIEST (7)
OT: VEGGIES (7)
Score: 66–30 (max 89)

EGGIEST is one of those words that always raises a smile; I can’t think why...

Round 13: B K R A E U S I E

C1: buskier
C2: BEAKERS (7)
DC: BAKERIES (8)
Score: 66–37 (max 97)

A case of “why not?” from Andy as he risks a pretty unlikely comparative; my guess is that he would only have offered six if he’d been asked first, but of course I could well be wrong. Susie offers a great (and very tasty) eight with BAKERIES. Hmm, I feel hungry now!

Round 14: 100, 25, 8, 10, 8, 6. Target: 965.

C1: 967.
C2: 965. (100x10)-25-8-8+6 (10)
Score: 66–47 (max 107)

The tables are turned as Andy finally fails to solve a two-from-the-top puzzle, while Michael (and I!) finally beat him at his own game by getting 10 points. Unfortunately, it’s too late for the twin from Yorkshire – it was already ‘game over’ before the round began.

Round 15: A B B O T H O L D

C1 buzzes on 4.5 seconds to say BLOODBATH which is correct.
Final Score: 76–47 (max 117)

I wouldn’t call this contest a BLOODBATH, but Andy still wins pretty convincingly despite only making it to 76 points. We’ll now have to wait for ten days before battle resumes in Series 64, as next week sees the annual interruption by the horse racing from Cheltenham. The good news is that there is a Countdown Special on Monday (with John Parrott still in DC) featuring a ‘best of three’ between Lee Graham and Nicki Sellars. For anyone that doesn’t know, they originally met during the heats of Series 62, when Lee knocked Nicki out during her seventh game (and coincidentally, John Parrott was guesting), and then again in the semi-finals where Nicki got her revenge by beating Lee to make it to the final against Oliver Garner. It should be a good contest, so don’t forget to tune in at 3.10. And I’ll see you in a fortnight for more recap madness.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64

[James Robinson]

Round 7: T X T E O E S M P

C1: tempoes
C2: EXPOSE (6)
DC: TEMPEST (7) EXEMPTS (7)
OT: METOPES (7)
Score: 37–25 (max 52)

Andy gambles on an invalid plural of TEMPO; METOPE (albeit this time in the plural) comes up in Round 7 for the second Friday in succession.

I double checked it just to make sure I heard correctly, but I believe that JP declared the singular, rather than the plural, even though the plural is OK.

[John Bosley]

So not only is Rachel made to look small and out of touch by not liking horse racing, we are all forced have it on instead of Countdown - unbelievable.

[Mike Brown]

Round 7: T X T E O E S M P

C1: tempoes
C2: EXPOSE (6)
DC: TEMPEST (7) EXEMPTS (7)
OT: METOPES (7)
Score: 37–25 (max 52)

Andy gambles on an invalid plural of TEMPO; METOPE (albeit this time in the plural) comes up in Round 7 for the second Friday in succession.

I double checked it just to make sure I heard correctly, but I believe that JP declared the singular, rather than the plural, even though the plural is OK.

I think you're probably right, James, but decided to credit DC with the seven as I'm pretty certain it would have been a JP error when reading it out. And technically, he offered the plural, cos it's a verb.

[Mike Brown]

So not only is Rachel made to look small and out of touch by not liking horse racing, we are all forced have it on instead of Countdown - unbelievable.

Or arguably in touch, if you're one of those people wo thinks horse racing is out of date and cruel to animals??? (not that I'm saying it is, of course, if any lawyers are reading this.)

[John Bosley]

Not saying it's cruel or whatever but I have a strong objection to the top knobs exercising their power and deciding that a minority sport (or any sport) should take precedence over a regular programme that thousands enjoy.
If you want Cheltenham go to bloody Cheltenham.

[Graeme Cole]

Round 2: T L A F E L N I O

C1: INFLATE (7)
C2: ELATION (7)
DC: FLATLINE (8)
OT: FELLATIO (8)
Score: 13–13 (max 14)

Did the contestants spot FELLATIO but were asked to offer a 7?

If they'd offered FELLATIO (ahem) but someone decided they didn't want to broadcast it, I think it's more likely they'd have been asked to say FLATLINE rather than a seven. Would certainly save a load of arguments if Andy then went on to miss a seeding spot by one point.

[Mike Brown]

If they'd offered FELLATIO (ahem) but someone decided they didn't want to broadcast it, I think it's more likely they'd have been asked to say FLATLINE rather than a seven. Would certainly save a load of arguments if Andy then went on to miss a seeding spot by one point.

I tend to agree with you, Graham, although I seem to recall there was a previous occasion where both contestants agreed to offer a shorter word (can't remember the details at the moment; maybe someone else can?).

[Mike Brown]

Not saying it's cruel or whatever but I have a strong objection to the top knobs exercising their power and deciding that a minority sport (or any sport) should take precedence over a regular programme that thousands enjoy.
If you want Cheltenham go to bloody Cheltenham.

I take it you don't like horse racing then, John? I do take your point, although I suppose one could also argue that Cheltenham is only for a few days a year, whereas us Countdowners get to enjoy our fix over 200 times per annum, which isn't bad going.

[James Hall]

I tend to agree with you, Graham, although I seem to recall there was a previous occasion where both contestants agreed to offer a shorter word (can't remember the details at the moment; maybe someone else can?).

I think it was when the 6-letter word FUCKERS appeared - no idea what the date was though.

[James Robinson]

I think it was when the 6-letter word FUCKERS appeared - no idea what the date was though.

Do you have any plans to appear on the show soon, James

I think you meant FUCKED, nearly a year ago to the day, I believe.

[Mike Brown]

I tend to agree with you, Graham, although I seem to recall there was a previous occasion where both contestants agreed to offer a shorter word (can't remember the details at the moment; maybe someone else can?).

I think it was when the 6-letter word FUCKERS appeared - no idea what the date was though.

Well remembered, James. It was actually FUCKED and searching the wiki reveals it was 23rd March of last year. Both contestants declared fives, but then there wasn't another six available that could be substituted.

[Kai Laddiman]

I tend to agree with you, Graham, although I seem to recall there was a previous occasion where both contestants agreed to offer a shorter word (can't remember the details at the moment; maybe someone else can?).

I think it was when the 6-letter word FUCKERS appeared - no idea what the date was though.

Well remembered, James. It was actually FUCKED and searching the wiki reveals it was 23rd March of last year. Both contestants declared fives, but then there wasn't another six available that could be substituted.

I can confirm that, as it was the day after our specials were filmed.

[James Hall]

Do you have any plans to appear on the show soon, James

Well if you're watching carefully next Monday you might just see me...

[Rhys Benjamin]

^^^^^

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[Rhys Benjamin]

I tend to agree with you, Graham, although I seem to recall there was a previous occasion where both contestants agreed to offer a shorter word (can't remember the details at the moment; maybe someone else can?).

I think it was when the 6-letter word FUCKERS appeared - no idea what the date was though.

Well remembered, James. It was actually FUCKED and searching the wiki reveals it was 23rd March of last year. Both contestants declared fives, but then there wasn't another six available that could be substituted.

Dave Wilkinson talked about this to me at CoLei (I have the quote written down);

"When the E came out, everyone had seen it. Me and Charles had seen it, the audience had seen, Jeff and Rachel had seen, Susie [Dent] has seen it. I could only find fives during the clock, and as it ran out I hoped Jeff went to Charles first. If Charles declared 6, I would take a leaf out of his book and also declare 6. He actually came to me first, so I asked him, "Can you have swear words, Jeff?" and he replied "Not that one." I then said 5, and that bit was edited out."

[Malcolm James]

I thought that in these situations they mocked up a subsitute round at the end of the end to allow both contestants to declare an acceptable 6-letter word.