Monday 18th May 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 72)

[Howard Somerset]

Countdown recap for Monday 18 May 2009.

C1: Champion Jimmy Gough (5 wins, 546 points.)
C2: Challenger Gerry Buckley.
DC: Susie Dent and Rory McGrath.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

All last week, Apterist and forum member Jimmy was delighting us with his prowess. During his fifth game on Friday he achieved one of his objectives, namely a guaranteed place in the series finals. It now remains to be seen whether he can extend his run to three more victories so that he can enter the finals as an octochamp.
Hoping to restrict Jimmy to just five wins is Gerry, a sports journalist from Mullingar, in County Westmeath, Ireland. He is already the author of three books on Irish sports.
Joining Susie in Dictionary Corner this week is newcomer Rory McGrath, best known as one of the regulars of Do They Think It's All Over. Rory has a degree in linguistics, which should make him ideal as a guest.

R01: Q O J E M I N A Z
R02: T N L N O I E M S
R03: S U R I C O T E L
R04: V P T H I E A T R
R05: 100, 5, 1, 2, 8, 1. Target: 915.
TTT: EATSPARK - "Dad joins in and helps himself."
R06: D L R S E O U R W
R07: F I N O S A T E D
R08: L H M S A E E O B
R09: D A G E S A T U R
R10: 100, 25, 1, 8, 2, 10. Target: 987.
TTT: SADMOODY - "We'll all be sad and moody when this comes."
R11: P E N I R U G I E
R12: C D N P A O U E X
R13: L I D E N A R S N
R14: 50, 4, 2, 10, 5, 10. Target: 688.
R15: S T E A L R A N T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: Q O J E M I N A Z

C1: MINE (4)
C2: JOIN (4)
DC: AMINE (5) AMINO (5)
OT: ANOMIE (6)
Score: 4–4 (max 6)

A poor set of letters, with MAIZE probably being the only common word to beat the contestants. However, we've now got three of the killer letters out of the way.

Anomie is the lack of social or ethical standards.

Round 2: T N L N O I E M S

C1: MONIES (6)
C2: INTONES (7)
DC: INSOLENT (8)
OT: MENTIONS (8)
Score: 4–11 (max 14)

An early lead for Gerry. Is Jimmy going to have to settle for five wins, and hope that he can retain that fifth seeding place?

Round 3: S U R I C O T E L

C1: OUTLIERS (8)
C2: RECOILS (7)
DC: CLOISTER (8) COULTERS (8)
OT: CORTILES (8) COSTLIER (8) CLOTURES (8) CURLIEST (8) UTRICLES (8) OUTCRIES (8)
Score: 12–11 (max 22)

No. Jimmy comes storming back with one of many available eights, to take a narrow lead...

Round 4: V P T H I E A T R

C1: PRIVATE (7)
C2: PATTER (6)
OT: PARTITE (7)
Score: 19–11 (max 29)

... which he now extends.

Round 5: 100, 5, 1, 2, 8, 1. Target: 915.

C1: 915. (8 + 1) x 100 + (2 + 1) x 5 (10)
C2: 915. (8 + 1) x 100 + (2 + 1) x 5 (10)
Score: 29–21 (max 39)

On his first day as a guest, Rory talks about the way foreign words and phrases are creeping into every day talk in English, and how the French trying in vain to resist a similar introduction of such words as "le weekend". Jeff then joins in and the two of them discuss how they dislike Americanisms like "Team GB" being introuduced.

Teatime teaser: EATSPARK -> PARTAKES

Round 6: D L R S E O U R W

C1: LOUDER (6)
C2: DOURER (6)
DC: REWORDS (7)
OT: SLURRED (7)
Score: 35–27 (max 46)

Round 7: F I N O S A T E D

C1: SEDATION (8)
C2: STAINED (7)
Score: 43–27 (max 54)

Nice Darren from Jimmy puts him comfortably in control...

Round 8: L H M S A E E O B

C1: BLAMES (6)
C2: SHAMBLE (7)
OT: HALESOME (8)
Score: 43–34 (max 62)

... only for his lead to be pegged back a little.

Halesome is a Scottish variant of wholesome.

Round 9: D A G E S A T U R

C1: GRADATES (8)
C2: STAGED (6)
DC: GRADUATES (18)
Score: 51–34 (max 80)

Very surprising that Jimmy misses the nine when it seems the more obvious word than the eight that he declares.

In her Origins of Words section, Susie tell the derivation of the names of a number of breeds of dog.

Round 10: 100, 25, 1, 8, 2, 10. Target: 987.

C1: 987. (100 + 1) x 10 - 25 + 2 (10)
C2: 987. Mistake in working.
Score: 61–34 (max 90)

Into the second break, and Gerry has a lot of ground to make up.

Teatime teaser: SADMOODY -> DOOMSDAY

Round 11: P E N I (gasp from the audience) R (relief all around, even voiced by Jeff) U G I E

C1: reeping
C2: PEERING (7)
DC: PUREEING (8)
Score: 61–41 (max 98)

Round 12: C D N P A O U E X

C1: EXPOUND (7)
C2: EXPOUND (7)
DC: POUNCED (7)
Score: 68–48 (max 105)

Round 13: L I D E N A R S N

C1: ISLANDER (8)
C2: LINEAR (6)
DC: INLANDERS (18)
Score: 76–48 (max 123)

Even missing today's second niner, Jimmy is now assured of victory.

Round 14: 50, 4, 2, 10, 5, 10. Target: 688.

C1: 688. (10 + 4) x 50 - 10 - 2 (10)
C2: 688. (10 + 4) x 50 - 10 - 2 (10)
Score: 86–58 (max 133)

Round 15: S T E A L R A N T

C1 buzzes on 3 seconds, only to admit that he hasn't got it after all.
C2 does not buzz.
The answer was TRANSLATE.
Score: 86–58 (max 143)

So that's win number six for Jimmy. Just two more wins, with an average score of 75 of more, will put him in second place on the leader board.

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

[Allan Harmer]

Super recap Howard - My Sky Plus Box was playing up today and it didn't record so this really gave a great description of what I miissed.

Cheers!

[Phil Reynolds]

Many thanks Howard - just a couple of things you might want to fix:

• In Round 1, DC mentioned AMINE as well as AMINO.
• In Round 12, both contestants had EXPOUND; POUNCED was given as an equaller by DC.

[Dinos Sfyris]

I was privy to a sneak peek of today's raw recap before it was released, but was still fun to read it again

[Howard Somerset]

Many thanks Howard - just a couple of things you might want to fix:

• In Round 1, DC mentioned AMINE as well as AMINO.

Many thanks, Phil. I was aware that DC appeared to say two words, but despite replaying, I didn't make out what one of them was. I hoped someone would put me straight, and you didn't let me down.

• In Round 12, both contestants had EXPOUND; POUNCED was given as an equaller by DC.

In this round, my notes were ambiguous. Rather than delay, probably until this morning, I posted as it was with the intention of checking today. You've now saved me the job of rewinding that tape.

Both problems now fixed.