Tuesday 24th March 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 33)

[Dinos Sfyris]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 24 March 2009.

C1: Champion Cate Henderson (1 win.) from Portland, a retired probation officer who wants to drive across the USA.
C2: Challenger Sadhana Mehendale, not to be confused with Countdown legend and youngest ever octochamp Allan Saldhana but we can hope she's just as good. She's a retired finance officer and accomplished writer, married to Krishna. Also quite quirkily her 16 letter name consists of just 8 different letters which amused me for about 4 secs so I thought I'd mention that.
DC: Susie Dent and Brian Capron.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: I O A D X T S O N
R02: R F L M J E U E T
R03: A I O T S N N E M
R04: P L Q V S I O O C
R05: 50, 4, 3, 9, 1, 5. Target: 557.
TTT: GEEKDEER - "Michael and Anneka combined with eggs. How dishy."
R06: A E I D W R L C A
R07: O E I T S S D O S
R08: C L T R N E A E O
R09: I U I U S S N P E
R10: 100, 8, 10, 2, 4, 2. Target: 685.
TTT: SIROBAMA - "A culinary delight for those who are worthy"
R11: I A O F N B H R A
R12: T K D M B E A E R
R13: A E A R T Z G E S
R14: 75, 3, 10, 4, 9, 6. Target: 867.
R15: O L D C U T I E S (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: I O A D X T S O N

C1: STAND (5)
C2: STOOD (5)
DC: OXIDANTS (8)
Score: 5–5 (max 8)

OXIDANTS are oxidising agents in chemistry. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't spot it

Round 2: R F L M J E U E T

C1: REFUEL (6)
C2: fluter
DC: REFUTE (6)
OT: FERULE (6) MELTER (6) REFLET (6)
Score: 11–5 (max 14)

Round 3: A I O T S N N E M

C1: NATIONS (7)
C2: MENTIONS (8)
OT: NOMINATES (18) which is an anagram of US State MINNESOTA. Good pub quiz question there. Probably one of those instances of DC not mentioning it to make the audience feel good about spotting it themselves. Of course they saw it. Its simple. Just thought I'd shit on your parade if you thought you were clever for getting it.
Score: 11–13 (max 32)

Round 4: P L Q V S I O O C

C1: SPOIL (5)
C2: POOLS (5)
DC: POLIO (5) SCOOP (5) LOOPS (5)
OT: CLIPS (5) CLOPS (5) COILS (5) COOLS (5) LOCOS (5) COOPS (5) SLOOP (5) SPOOL (5) OLIOS (5) OVOLI (5) PISCO (5) POLIS (5) VIOLS (5)
Score: 16–18 (max 37)

Round 5: 50, 4, 3, 9, 1, 5. Target: 557.

C1: 559. (9+3-1)x50+4+5 (7)
C2: 555. (4x3-1)x50+5 (7)
RR: 557. (50+5)x(9+1)+4+3 (10)
Score: 23–25 (max 47)

Teatime teaser: GEEKDEER -> KEDGEREE I'd never heard of it but hereit is

Round 6: A E I D W R L C A

C1: CRAWLED (7)
C2: RADICAL (7)
DC: CALDERA (7)
OT: RADICLE (7)
Score: 30–32 (max 54)

Round 7: O E I T S S D O S

C1: DESISTS (7)
C2: DESISTS (7)
DC: DESISTS (7)
OT: OSTEOID (7)
Score: 37–39 (max 61)

OSTEOID is the organic portion of the matrix of bone tissue, so there.

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

C1: CENTRAL (7)
C2: ETERNAL (7)
DC: TOLERANCE (18)
OT: COETERNAL (18)
Score: 44–46 (max 79)

2 quite high probability 9s already. I bet Kirk would have loved this game

Round 9: I U I U S S N P E

C1: SUPINE (6)
C2: SPINES (6)
DC: SUPINES (7)
Score: 50–52 (max 86)

Round 10: 100, 8, 10, 2, 4, 2. Target: 685.

C1: 682. (2+4)x100+8x10+2 (7)
C2: -
RR: 686. Probably (8-2/2)x100-10-4 (7)
Score: 57–52 (max 93)

Sadhana's safe tactic of 1 large backfires as she loses her lead on an impossible numbers game.

Teatime teaser: SIROBAMA -> AMBROSIA

Round 11: I A O F N B H R A

C1: BRAIN (5)
C2: HORN (4) (Thanks Jim)
DC: FARINA (6)
Score: 62–52 (max 99)

Following the geographical theme from round 3, BAHRAIN is there for 7

Round 12: T K D M B E A E R

C1: EMBARKED (8)
C2: BERATED (7)
OT: BEDMAKER (8) MARKETED (8)
Score: 70–52 (max 107)

A nice 8 from Cate, but she still won't crack a smile. Probably the result of a life working with criminals or something.

Round 13: A E A R T Z G E S

C1: GRATES (6)
C2: rearest
DC: STARGAZE (8)
Score: 76–52 (max 115)

Stargaze can be found here

Round 14: 75, 3, 10, 4, 9, 6. Target: 867.

C1: 864. (6+10-4)x(75-3) (7)
C2: 875.
RR: 867. (75x4-10)x3-(9-6) (10)
Score: 83–52 (max 125)

Round 15: O L D C U T I E S

C1 buzzes on 5 seconds to say CLOUDIEST which is correct.
Score: 93–52 (max 135)

So Sadhana didn't quite live up to the reputation of her almost namesake. In fact it was pretty much a big epic fail after round 9 as she didn't score for the rest of the game. Cate advances onto game number 3 tomorrow.

Recap brought to you by Hans Blix

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=60

[Gavin Chipper]

With REAREST, obviously it wasn't in the selection but Susie said that she didn't think it would be allowed (or words to that effect) although REAR is listed as an adjective in its NODE entry (and presumably in the thing they use now). And it is only one syllable so REAREST should be allowed.

Also, it could well be that in round six the contestant actually went for RADICLE (I don't think she was asked to specify) so we'll never know...

[David Gunn]

Dinos, In Round 10 I think that Rachel mentioned "98 by 7" for her 686, so I assumed she did (100-2)x((10+4)/2).

[Gary Male]

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

C1: CENTRAL (7)
C2: ETERNAL (7)
DC: TOLERANCE (18)
OT: COETERNAL (18)
Score: 44–46 (max 79)

2 quite high probability 9s already. I bet Kirk would have loved this game

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?ga ... 4614#r4614

Hmm. I remember telling Kirk that TOLERANCE had an anagram, on getting back to his dorm room we looked it up and he found COETERNAL. Though this was back in the days when he was rubbish.

[Dinos Sfyris]

Also, it could well be that in round six the contestant actually went for RADICLE (I don't think she was asked to specify) so we'll never know...

Same when Cate offered GREATS/GRATES but I couldn't be arsed pointing it out. STEAKS/STAKES is another one. Normally if a case like this pops up I just pick the one I like most.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Any idea where the challenger came from? There is a Krishna Mehendale who plays chess in Surrey...

[Dinos Sfyris]

Any idea where the challenger came from? There is a Krishna Mehendale who plays chess in Surrey...

If they mentioned it I didn't catch it. I was busy amusing myself at the way she said "Wowel" and "...and anadda!" (not being racialist or anything. Just thought it was quite comical) Should repeat Friday morning if it's bugging you.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Thanks - I'll try to remember to watch it... Or I could just contact the chessplayer!

[Allan Harmer]

Great recap Dinos - You had me laughing over my brekky!

[Kirk Bevins]

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?ga ... 4614#r4614

Hmm. I remember telling Kirk that TOLERANCE had an anagram, on getting back to his dorm room we looked it up and he found COETERNAL. Though this was back in the days when he was rubbish.

I'm still rubbish as I a) had forgotten TOLERANCE had an anagram and even if you'd told me it had I'd forgotten it was COETERNAL and b) I missed it again. I had RELOCATE. My memory is going.

[Derek Hazell]

Any idea where the challenger came from? There is a Krishna Mehendale who plays chess in Surrey...

She was indeed from (Sutton in) Surrey...