Recap Friday 17 July 2009. Series 61. Prelim 20

[Allan Harmer]

Countdown recap for Friday 17 July 2009.

C1: Champion Andrew Hulme (6 wins, 684 points.)
Andrew is one of our favourite apterists, who is currently at Warwick University, reading Economics. He likes snooker, cricket, Paris and the Beatles.
C2: Challenger Vicky Smith.
Vicky runs a coffee shop (despite not liking tea or coffee) and both her parents have won CD teapots. However, she will have to be better than both of them put together to beat Andrew, who is going great guns and averaging 115 per game.
Vicky supports an orphanage in India and has visited it for a week. She once told Vinny Jones to keep quiet in a hotel when she was a courier on a coach - and fortunately lived to tell the tale. She is certainly braver than me!

DC: Susie Dent and Ian Hyland.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: B P V A I O T P N
R02: J N R U E L T I E
R03: G D N A E O A S D
R04: N G T E I U R H S
R05: 5, 9, 6, 4, 5, 25. Target: 391.
TTT: CAPCOUNT - "Does he live in an interplanetary craft?"
R06: N B C E U O R D R
R07: T N M I O I N H D
R08: Y C P E A O F D T
R09: L P G E A O L Z R
R10: 9, 9, 7, 2, 8, 25. Target: 328.
TTT: APESGOBY - "Youngsters brought to book at a wedding"
R11: T S N E A I C R O
R12: T S W A E I S D F
R13: Q R X O A I K S O
R14: 9, 5, 5, 1, 6, 75. Target: 383.
R15: C O G E N T I M P (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: B P V A I O T P N

C1: PATIO (5)
C2: OBTAIN (6)
DC: APPOINT (7)
Score: 0–6 (max 7)

Round 2: J N R U E L T I E

C1: RETINUE (7)
C2: UNITE (5)
DC: JETLINER (8)
Score: 7–6 (max 15)

Round 3: G D N A E O A S D

C1: GONADS (6)
C2: GONADS (6)
DC: AGENDAS (7)
OT: GODSEND (7)
Score: 13–12 (max 22)

Round 4: N G T E I U R H S

C1: HUNGRIEST (18)
C2: RUSHING (7)
DC: HURTING (7)
Score: 31–12 (max 40)
After a slowish start Andrew gets a great 9 from a good set of letters and puts Vicky well on the back foot!
Round 5: 5, 9, 6, 4, 5, 25. Target: 391.

C1: 391. 5+5+6x25=400-9 (10)
C2: 391. 5+5+6x25=400-9 (10)
Score: 41–22 (max 50)

Ian tells us about his previous TV appearances in a self-mocking style.

Teatime teaser: CAPCOUNT -> OCCUPANT

Round 6: N B C E U O R D R

C1: BOUNCER (7)
C2: BOUNCER (7)
DC: REBOUND (7) BOUNDER (7)
OT: BORDURE (7) BOUNCED (7) BUNCOED (7) UNROBED (7) ROUNDER (7)
Score: 48–29 (max 57)

Round 7: T N M I O I N H D

C1: MINION (6)
C2: TIMID (5)
DC: HOMINID (7)
Score: 54–29 (max 64)
A nice spot from Andrew and this should be a good enough lead to secure his 7th win.

Round 8: Y C P E A O F D T

C1: COATED (6)
C2: OPTED (5)
DC: TOECAP (6)
OT: CAPOTE (6) FACETY (6) TEAPOY (6)
Score: 60–29 (max 70)

Round 9: L P G E A O L Z R

C1: PERGOLA (7)
C2: pollage
DC: GALLOPER (8)
Score: 67–29 (max 78)
Vicky tries a dodgy 7 as a desperate last throw of the dice and falls further behind.

Susie tell us some interesting facts about the origins of the words Geezer, Bloke and Fellow.

Round 10: 9, 9, 7, 2, 8, 25. Target: 328.

C1: 328. Mistake in working.
C2: 326. 8+7-2=13x25=325+(9/9) (7)
RR: 328. 25+7+9=41x8 (10)
Score: 67–36 (max 88)
A surprising lapse from Andrew who got a similar solution by dividing by 8 earlier in the week but he missed this one. However, the only difference it is likely to make will be on his aggregate score and his closeness to Kirk's record breaking series score.

Teatime teaser: APESGOBY -> PAGEBOYS

Round 11: T S N E A I C R O

C1: REACTIONS (18)
C2: CREATIONS (18)
DC: NARCOTISE (18)
OT: ACTIONERS (18)
Score: 85–54 (max 106)
This was a dream set of letters, which came up in my game with Charlie (where he got NARCOTISE and I got REACTIONS) and sets Andrew up for a big hundred.

Round 12: T S W A E I S D F

C1: WAISTED (7)
C2: FASTED (6)
OT: FIESTAS (7)
Score: 92–54 (max 113)

Round 13: Q R X O A I K S O

C1: ARIOSO (6)
C2: ROOKS (5)
OT: IROKOS (6) KAIROS (6)
Score: 98–54 (max 119)
ARIOSO is a musical style used mainly in opera.

Round 14: 9, 5, 5, 1, 6, 75. Target: 383.

C1: 383. 75x5+(9-1) (10)
C2: 383. 75x5+(9-1) (10)
Score: 108–64 (max 129)
That's anther good ton...
Round 15: C O G E N T I M P

C1 buzzes on 2 seconds to say COMPETING which is correct.
Score: 118–64 (max 139)
... and regular as clockwork, Andrew buzzes in just over a second to rack up another big hundred plus score.

Vicky was a likeable person and a decent opponent. who would have won a teapot against most regular contestants, but she could not live with Andrew playing lin this form.

I fully expect Andrew to win his Octochamp status on Monday. I hope the letters and numbers are kind to him and he does not live to regret that dodgy 6 small numbers selection the other day, though I suspect he will be perfectly happy to remain unbeaten.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61

[James Robinson]

Excellent recap, Allan. Very well done!