Friday 15 April 2011 (Series 64, Prelim 65)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Friday 15 April 2011 (Series 64, Prelim 65).

C1: Champion Graham Hill (6 wins, 508 points.)
C2: Challenger Mary Adie.
DC: Susie Dent and Ken Bruce.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Another week of Series 64 has passed, a series in which it seems to be becoming increasingly common to see ‘normal’ people doing well, as apterites are seemingly being held back until a later date to give the less, ahem, keen people a chance. It certainly seems to be leading to some tight and unpredictable matches; will we have another one today as six-time winner Graham Hill takes on the challenge of Mary Adie from Glasgow? ( I wonder if she’s a distant relative of Kate?) As ever, scroll down to find out!

R01: S P R N E A I C J
R02: T G P R O U A B E
R03: S W X D E I O R E
R04: L N R H I O E S I
R05: 25, 100, 75, 50, 7, 8. Target: 128.
TTT: SOAPLADY - "Spend lots of money on excess baggage, perhaps."
R06: F T M L U A E S A
R07: K G V I E I R M U
R08: D G R M I E O D O
R09: S T F L E A A T D
R10: 50, 6, 9, 3, 5, 2. Target: 447.
TTT: DOLLRACE - "Seized by the scruff of the neck, perhaps."
R11: T S N A O S B E E
R12: T R W N M U E O T
R13: R N P C E A E N R
R14: 50, 6, 2, 1, 5, 7. Target: 816.
R15: F O R D C O M E T (conundrum)

This week’s trips to Countdownland were sponsored by Jointace.

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It’s 99 years since the Titanic sank after striking an iceberg, so Jeff asks Rachel what she knows about it. Her response: “It was a boat; it was a film; what else is there?” A lot of people died, for a start, but let’s not go down that avenue right now. On a more trivial level, apparently there were 2,200 passengers on board and only 15,000 bottles of beer, which doesn’t make for many per person. Apparently, the producer of Countdown would have run out after a day; I couldn’t possibly comment...

Round 1: S P R N E A I C J

C1: PRINCES (7)
C2: PINCERS (7)
DC: PRANCES (7) SCRAPIE (7) CAPRINE (7)
OT: ARSENIC (7) CARNIES (7) INSCAPE (7) SPACIER (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

If both contestants had offered PRINCES, I would have made some comment about Spin Doctors, but only one of them did, so I won’t.

Round 2: T G P R O U A B E

C1: PORTAGE (7)
C2: PROBATE (7)
DC: OUTRAGE (7) BORGATE (7)
OT: POTAGER (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 14)

BORGATE comes up for the second time this week, as does Countdown regular POTAGER, although no one mentions it on this occasion.

Round 3: S W X D E I O R E

C1: SWEDE (5)
C2: OXIDES (6)
DC: WEIRDOS (7) ROWDIES (7)
OT: DOWRIES (7)
Score: 14–20 (max 21)

Interesting that the three longest words are all anagrams of each other. Well, I thought so.

Round 4: L N R H I O E S I

C1: HOLIER (6)
C2: loiners
DC: SIRLOIN (7) LIONISER (8)
Mary falls into the ‘loiner trap’ (which probably involves getting stuck in Liverpool), which allows Graham to make it all-square again. DC do well with LIONISER. Those who saw LINISHER^ should note it’s no longer valid (although the verb to LINISH still is).

Score: 20–20 (max 29)

Round 5: 25, 100, 75, 50, 7, 8. Target: 128.

C1: 126. 100+25+8-7 (7)
C2: 126. 100+25+8-7 (7)
RR: 128. (25-7-(100/50))x8 (10)
Score: 27–27 (max 39)

An easy one if you spot the factor of eight; if you don’t (and neither of the contestants apparently did), you were probably stuck on 126.

Ken’s last spot of the week centres on the subject of bagpipes. At least he didn’t play them...

Teatime teaser: SOAPLADY -> PAYLOADS

Round 6: F T M L U A E S A

C1: FLAMES (6)
C2: AMULETS (7)
DC: MALATES (7)
OT: MALTASE (7) MULETAS (7) TAMALES (7)
Score: 27–34 (max 46)

A selection bursting with Countdown favourites. If you’re a chemist, you might have seen SULFATE, but the jury is still out on whether Susie would allow it!

Round 7: K G V I E I R M U

C1: GIVER (5)
C2: GIVER (5)
DC: GRIME (5)
OT: ERUVIM (6)
Score: 32–39 (max 52)

ERUVIM (also ERUVS; singular ERUV) are areas enclosed by a wire boundary that extend the domain of Jewish households which enables people to do things normally forbidden in public on the Sabbath. A new one on me, I confess.

Round 8: D G R M I E O D O

C1: MOODIER (7)
C2: GROOMED (7)
DC: GROOMED (7) MOODIER (7) DODGIER (7) DEMIGOD (7)
OT: DOOMIER (7) MOIDORE (7)
Score: 39–46 (max 59)

A MOIDORE is a Portuguese gold coin, current in England in the 18th Century, which was worth about 27 shillings.

Round 9: S T F L E A A T D

C1: FASTED (6)
C2: SLATTED (7)
DC: FLATTED (7)
OT: DAFTEST (7)
Score: 39–53 (max 66)

To FLAT is to lower a note by a semitone; to flatten something; or to share a flat with someone (if you’re from the Antipodes).

OoW: Susie explains the origins of the term ‘pin money’.

Round 10: 50, 6, 9, 3, 5, 2. Target: 447.

C1: 447. (50x9)-3 (10)
C2: 447. (50x9)-3 (10)
Score: 49–63 (max 76)

Teatime teaser: DOLLRACE -> COLLARED

Round 11: T S N A O S B E E

C1: BEATEN (6)
C2: STONES (6)
DC: ABSENTS (7)
OT: BONESETS (8)
Score: 55–69 (max 84)

DC do well to come up with ABSENTS, but BONESETS (which are North American plants of the daisy family or comfrey plants) is even better. Apparently, the name ‘boneset’ comes from the fact that they used to grind up the root of the comfrey plant to make a plaster cast to set broken bones.

Round 12: T R W N M U E O T

C1: MOUNTER (7)
C2: MUTTER (6)
DC: REMOUNT (7) TORMENT (7)
OT: OUTWENT (7)
Score: 62–69 (max 91)

I love the word OUTWENT. It may be the past tense of OUTGO, but it just sounds so weird.

Round 13: R N P C E A E N R

C1: PRANCER (7)
C2: PRANCER (7)
DC: PRANCER (7)
OT: CAPERER (7) PENANCE (7)
Score: 69–76 (max 98)

Both contestants offer PRANCER for seven. As in one of Santa’s reindeer, one suspects. And although Mary had pulled out a gap of 14 points for a while, it’s now down to just seven with two rounds remaining. Can Graham retain his place in the champion’s chair?

Round 14: 50, 6, 2, 1, 5, 7. Target: 816.

C1: 805.
C2: 800.
RR: 816. (50+1)x((2x5)+6) (10)
Score: 69–76 (max 108)

A double miss means it’s all down to the conundrum. As Bridget Jones would say, v. exciting!

Round 15: F O R D C O M E T

C2 buzzes on 1.5 seconds to say COMFORTED which is correct.
Final Score: 69–86 (max 118)

The Ford Comet (which actually did exist in the States) sounds like the sort of car your grandfather used to drive, but it’s soon transformed into COMFORTED by Mary and she knocks Graham off his perch. I’d say he has a fair chance of coming back for the finals, as they aren’t that far off now (they begin on May 26th), but Jeff doesn’t say so, and we’ll have to wait and see. Monday sees Carol Smillie making her debut in Dictionary Corner (unless you count her appearance in the Corrie special that was shown in December), when we will also see whether Mary can double her number of wins. And I’ll see you next weekend for an ‘egg-stra’ special Good Friday recap. Sorry about that, couldn’t resist!

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

[Kevin Thurlow]

"A selection bursting with Countdown favourites. If you’re a chemist, you might have seen SULFATE, but the jury is still out on whether Susie would allow it!"

Well it is the international spelling so it should be allowed! I would never have seen it anyway.

You could have lots or arguments if estrogen and fetus came up as well...

[Rhys Benjamin]

Good Friday? I'll make it even better

[Mike Brown]

You could have lots or arguments if estrogen and fetus came up as well...

Great to hear from you, Kevin!

You certainly could... I suppose the difference here is that the dictionary does indicate that SULFATE should be OK when used in chemistry (but only if you read the section under SULFUR, so I fear Susie may not allow it), whereas ESTROGEN is definitely given as a U.S. only spelling (whether it's OK with chemists or not!) so wouldn't be acceptable. FETUS would definitely be OK, as it's now considered the more correct English spelling, even though it's generally spelt FOETUS by most people in non-technical usage.

[Mike Brown]

Good Friday? I'll make it even better

How??