Tuesday 12 May 2009 (Series 60 Prelim 68)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 12 May 2009 (Series 60 Prelim 68).

Better late than never, it’s time for the recap to Jimmy’s second game. Apologies for its lateness, which is largely due to board-treading activities for my local acting group. I hope you can forgive me...

C1: Champion Jimmy Gough (1 win, 115 points.)
C2: Challenger Dave Sorensen (he’s from Edinburgh, although he’s a Geordie by birth.)
DC: Susie Dent and Steve ‘Interesting’ Davis.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S E G I T E M I W
R02: A E A R D R N E D
R03: G O V U S A M E T
R04: U A E S R T H D N
R05: 50, 7, 9, 2, 10, 5. Target: 202.
TTT: BARRYDID - "A convict, just like Eric and Jeff used to be."
R06: R S L A E A C P E
R07: N A S O B O L U E
R08: I O E R P Q T I R
R09: S E D O T O R P A
R10: 8, 5, 1, 2, 6, 4. Target: 599.
TTT: ANNSCLAM - "Belonging to a tribe, almost like Jürgen"
R11: Y E N O S I T A S
R12: I E U J D T B N I
R13: R O N E L A H I T
R14: 100, 50, 5, 8, 4, 4. Target: 963.
R15: I G N O R E R E F (conundrum)

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Round 1: S E G I T E M I W

C1: TIMES (5)
C2: MEETS (5)
DC: ITEMISE (7)
Score: 5–5 (max 7)

A disappointing start, but at least it’s even stevens.

Round 2: A E A R D R N E D

This letters selection was preceded by Dave asking Rachel if she ‘came here often’. “I haven’t had that one before,” quipped Ms Riley.

C1: DEADEN (6)
C2: DANDER (6)
OT: DANDER (6) DARNED (6) DARNER (6) ERRAND (6) DEADER (6) DEARER (6) READER (6) REARED (6) REREAD (6) EARNED (6) ENDEAR (6) NEARED (6) EARNER (6) NEARER (6) REDDEN (6) REDDER (6) RENDER (6)
Score: 11–11 (max 13)

Flat or what?

Round 3: G O V U S A M E T

C1: OUTAGES (7)
C2: GAMEST (6)
DC: OUTAGES (7)
OT: MAUVEST (7) VAGUEST (7)
Score: 18–11 (max 20)

Round 4: U A E S R T H D N

C1: UNTHREADS (18)
C2: HAUNTED (7)
Score: 36–11 (max 38)

Great risk from Jimmy for the nine and some great eights for what it’s worth: UNEARTHS, UNSHARED, TRANSUDE and HAUNTERS.

Round 5: 50, 7, 9, 2, 10, 5. Target: 202.

C1: 202. ((9-5)x50)+2 (10)
C2: 202. ((9-5)x50)+2 (10)
Score: 46–21 (max 48)

A nice numbers game to ease us all in.

Before the break, Steve discusses how snooker players can be distracted by unexpected noises made by the audience at tournaments and Jeff recalls Bill Werbeniuk making an unexpected noise of a different kind while playing. Well, he did drink a lot of beer to steady his nerves.

Teatime teaser: BARRYDID -> YARDBIRD

Round 6: R S L A E A C P E

C1: REPLACES (8)
C2: clasper
DC: REPLACES (8) REPEALS (7)
OT: CASAREEP (8)
Score: 54–21 (max 56)

A CASAREEP (also CASSAREEP) is a thick brown syrup made from cassava that’s used for flavouring pepper pot, which is a kind of West Indian stew.

Round 7: N A S O B O L U E

C1: balones
C2: UNABLE (6)
DC: NEBULAS (7)
OT: BLOUSON (7) BONSELA (7) UNLOOSE (7)
Score: 54–27 (max 63)

Jimmy’s offering of BALONES is unfortunately BALONEY (sorry). A BONSEL(L)A is a tip or bonus given in South Africa.

Round 8: I O E R P Q T I R

C1: ROPIER (6)
C2: ROPIER (6)
DC: RIOTER (6)
OT: PERITI (6) PORTER (6) REPORT (6)
Score: 60–33 (max 69)

Flat, flat, flat. PERITI (singular PERITUS) are theological advisers to the Roman Catholic Church.

Round 9: S E D O T O R P A

C1: DOORSTEP (8)
C2: ADOPTERS (8)
OT: PASTORED (8) READOPTS (8) REPOSADO (8)
Score: 68–41 (max 77)

Jimmy passes the Countdown Doorstep Challenge (when Damian turns up on your doorstep and asks you a teatime teaser, perhaps). REPOSADO is tequila aged in oak. Make mine a double.

OoW: Susie discusses the origins of the word ‘pot’.

Round 10: 8, 5, 1, 2, 6, 4. Target: 599.

C1: 598. Mistake in working.
C2: 600. (5+1)x(6+4)x(8+2) (7)
RR: 599. (((8x2)+4)x5x6)-1 (10)
Score: 68–48 (max 87)

A mistake from Jimmy allows Dave to close the gap to 20 points.

Teatime teaser: ANNSCLAM -> CLANSMAN

Round 11: Y E N O S I T A S

C1: SESTINA (7)
C2: NOSIEST (7)
DC: NASTIES (7) NOSIEST (7)
OT: ATONIES (7) ENTASIS (7) TANSIES (7) TISANES (7) SOSATIE (7)
Score: 75–55 (max 94)

A SESTINA is a kind of poem, SOSATIE is a South African meat dish, TANSIES are flowers, ATONIES are instances of a lack of linguistic accent or muscular tone (surely a mass noun, but there you go), ENTASIS is an architectural term and finally a TISANE is a herb tea favoured by Hercule Poirot.

Round 12: I E U J D T B N I

C1: UNITED (6)
C2: UNITED (6)
DC: UNITED (6)
OT: BUNTED (6) DUNITE (6) UNTIED (6) INDITE (6)
Score: 81–61 (max 100)

Everyone’s united in getting ‘united’. Can’t resist.

Round 13: R O N E L A H I T

C1: LIONHEART (18)
C2: LATRINE (7)
Score: 99–61 (max 118)

Brilliant spot from Jimmy gives him his second niner of the day and puts the game beyond his opponent’s reach. By the end of the numbers game, they’ll be shaking hands...

Round 14: 100, 50, 5, 8, 4, 4. Target: 963.

C1: 962. ((5+4)x100)+50+8+4 (7)
C2: 964. (((5x4)+100)x8)+4 (7)
OT: 963. (((100-4)x8)-5)+(50x4)
Score: 106–68 (max 128)

A difficulty rating of 87% and only one method, according to WTP. Must admit I thought it was probably impossible.

Round 15: I G N O R E R E F

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say OFFERING which is incorrect.
C2 buzzes on 1 and a half seconds to say FOREIGNER which is correct.
Score: 106–78 (max 138)

A second handshake for the combatants and it’s all over for Mr Sorensen, who takes home the lovely new Countdown canvas bag (along with all the usual goodies) for his trouble.

Recap by Ronnie La Hit.

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