Tuesday 22nd March 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 38)

[Tim Down]

It's my recap debut. Please be nice.

Countdown recap for Tuesday 22 March 2016.

C1: Champion Conrad Teixeira (6 wins, 600 points.) An apterite and pharmaceutical salesman from Manchester.
C2: Challenger Paul Bloom, an estate agent from Radlett. Loves football, theatre and talks to Nick about American Football team London Monarchs.
DC: Susie Dent and Mark Foster.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T N S R O E U C M
R02: G P Q A I M O H D
R03: 75, 3, 9, 2, 6, 1. Target: 144.
TTT: HEVOICES - "He voices his belief that everyone should remain united."
R04: N J F A N O A B E
R05: R M P S R I O E S
R06: 100, 1, 10, 10, 6, 2. Target: 952.
R07: N Z L T A I O A U
R08: D I A S G L E O D
R09: 75, 10, 6, 8, 4, 4. Target: 515.
TTT: RAKEBUSH - "They're not heavy metal, but they'll protect you from Slayer."
R10: C L I T E A S D I
R11: F N T V T A E U R
R12: B D E A S K O P R
R13: N G P S I E U R I
R14: 1, 4, 4, 9, 3, 6. Target: 607.
R15: T O M S C U B E D (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T N S R O E U C M

Conrad: COUNTERS (8)
Paul: COUNTERS (8)
DC: CUSTOMER (8) CONSUMER (8) REMOUNTS (8)
OT: CENTRUMS (8) CONSTRUE (8) MOUNTERS (8) MUCRONES (8) RECOUNTS (8) TROUNCES (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8)

A MUCRO (plural MUCRONES or MUCROS) is a short sharp point at the end of a part or organ, but both contestants have no need of such obscurity with their equally lengthy COUNTERS.

Round 2: G P Q A I M O H D

Conrad: APHID (5)
Paul: PAID (4)
OT: PIGDOM (6)
Score: 13–8 (max 14)

Slim pickings here. Conrad's APHID gives him the lead.

Round 3: 75, 3, 9, 2, 6, 1. Target: 144.

Conrad: 144. (75 − 3) × 2 (10)
Paul: 144. 75 × 2 − 6 (10)
Score: 23–18 (max 24)

An easy numbers game solved ably by both players.

Teatime teaser: HEVOICES -> COHESIVE

Round 4: N J F A N O A B E

Conrad: BEANO (5)
Paul: anoeba
DC: JOANNA (6)
OT: ABONNE (6) NANOBE (6)
Score: 28–18 (max 30)

Paul's unlikely 6 is unsurprisingly invalid and Conrad goes further ahead.

An ABONNÉ or ABONNE is a person who subscribes to a periodical; a season-ticket holder at the theatre. NANOBE is another term for nanobacterium.

Round 5: R M P S R I O E S

Conrad: imposers
Paul: PRISMS (6)
DC: PROMISERS (18)
OT: PRIMROSES (18)
Score: 28–24 (max 48)

Conrad umms and ahhs his way to a wrong decision over his dodgy 8, although IMPOSERS sounded a reasonable guess to me, so Paul prevails with his PRISMS. DC has a gettable 9.

Round 6: 100, 1, 10, 10, 6, 2. Target: 952.

Conrad: 952. 100 × 10 − (10 − 2) × 6 (10)
Paul: -
Score: 38–24 (max 58)

Paul draws a blank while Conrad pulls out a nice solution, further increasing his lead.

Mark tries to claim credit for Chris Hoy's and Becky Adlington's gold medals in the 2008 Olympics on the tenuous basis of having carried the GB flag in the opening ceremony.

Round 7: N Z L T A I O A U

Conrad: UNTIL (5)
Paul: LOAN (4)
DC: LUTINO(6) ATONAL (6)
OT: ALATION (7)
Score: 43–24 (max 65)

Conrad widens his lead with UNTIL. DC has Countdown favourite LUTINO. No-one spots the unique max (I can't bring myself to say "darren") ALATION, which is the form and arrangement of wings.

Round 8: D I A S G L E O D

Conrad: goalside
Paul: LADDIES (7)
DC: DISLODGE (8) GLADDIES (8)
OT: ADELGIDS (8)
Score: 43–31 (max 73)

Sunday league footballers throughout the country will be devastated to learn that GOALSIDE is not in the dictionary but can console themselves with the knowledge that ADELGIDS are insects of the family Adelgidae, which comprises sap-feeding hemipteran insects resembling aphids. Paul pegs Conrad back a bit as a result.

Round 9: 75, 10, 6, 8, 4, 4. Target: 515.

Conrad: 514.
Paul: 515. (8 − 4 ÷ 4) × 75 − 10 (10)
Score: 43–41 (max 83)

A slightly surprising miss from Conrad allows Paul to get back within 2 points.

Teatime teaser: RAKEBUSH -> HAUBERKS

Round 10: C L I T E A S D I

Conrad: CASTLED (7)
Paul: CASTLED (7)
DC: IDEALIST (8) CITADELS (8) DIALECTS (8) LAICISED (8)
OT: DEISTICAL (18)
Score: 50–48 (max 101)

Both contestants get CASTLED. DC has a big bag of 8s but miss the 9.

Round 11: F N T V T A E U R

Conrad: TAUNTER (7)
Paul: TRUANT (6)
DC: VAUNTER (7)
Score: 57–48 (max 108)

Conrad pulls ahead a little with his TAUNTER.

Susie talks about spotted dicks and sausages.

Round 12: B D E A S K O P R

Conrad: SPARKED (7)
Paul: SPARKED (7)
OT: DEBARKS (7) PARODES (7) PEASKOD (7) PRESOAK (7)
Score: 64–55 (max 115)

Lots of 7s but nothing better. Both players get a max with SPARKED.

Round 13: N G P S I E U R I

Conrad: UPRISING (8)
Paul: PRISING (7)
DC: PERUSING (8)
OT: SUPERING (8)
Score: 72–55 (max 123)

Conrad pulls away with a good spot at a good time.

Round 14: 1, 4, 4, 9, 3, 6. Target: 607.

Conrad: 612. Mistake in working.
Paul: 598. Mistake in working.
RR: 606/608. (7) (Working not specified)
OT: 606. ((9 × 4 − 1) × 3 − 4) × 6 (7)
Score: 72–55 (max 130)

Both players' solutions crumble under close inspection. Paul's failure to score means the game is Conrad's.

Round 15: T O M S C U B E D

Conrad buzzes on 4 seconds to say COMBUSTED which is correct.
Final Score: 82–55 (max 140)

Another conundrum solve for Conrad, who declares this performance as his worst yet. I think he's right but it was still good enough and he's only one game away from octochampdom.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=74

[James Robinson]

I think that's a brilliant debut recap, Tim. Do you fancy the Tuesday job full time??

[Johnny Canuck]

Just to confirm with everyone, I'm fine if someone else wants to take over my recapping job. Though I will have a lot of free time for the next two weeks, it's only those two weeks. Moreover, my last CanuckRecap took 2 hours to write, mainly due to my wanting to put some kind of gimmick in the commentary for each round and I feel like they're going to get old and lame soon if they aren't already. So go ahead Tim, and sorry about not continuing with them earlier.

[Tim Down]

I'm happy to take it on for a while. To be honest, I don't know how much longer my Countdown obsession will last; now the series finals are recorded and that focus has abruptly been taken away, I'm finding it difficult to let go but at some point I imagine other things will start to become more important again. In the meantime, I'm happy to write a few recaps on whatever basis you like, provided it's no more than one per week.

James, I haven't submitted the recap to cdb because it looks like I need my name added to the list of recappers. Do I email Charlie about that?

[Tim Down]

James, want me to do 29th March next?

[James Robinson]

James, want me to do 29th March next?

Yes, please. Do every Tuesday recap, or as many as you can, Tim.