Wednesday the 22nd July, 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 23)

[Chris Philpot]

Countdown Recap - Wednesday the 22nd July, 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 23)

Champion (C1): Paul Varlaam (1 win, 72 points) from Wandsworth, who volunteers in a Salvation Army shop. Yesterday he proved good enough to secure his teapot, but was his performance simply a false Varlaam?
Challenger (C2): Carol Warren, a pastel portrait painter from Somerset. I'm sure she'd trade in all of her artiness to do well on Countdown - after all, a picture is worth a thousand words!
DC: Susie Dent and smile-aholic Anton du Beke
RR: Rachel Riley, dressed regally in blue
OT: Other words, solutions and answers stolen from Lexplorer

R01: D T E Y N A O D K
R02: L P G U I O R S A
R03: D T O E O R W M A
R04: Z S F R E I O M T
R05: 75, 5, 2, 8, 7, 4. Target: 624
TTT: LEFTVISA - "A celebration of the harvest, perhaps?"
R06: L S H L U E I T A
R07: X S E M F I E L C
R08: T A I S R A S Q B
R09: S P E T A N H E N
R10: 75, 50, 5, 3, 4, 4. Target: 409
TTT: FOLDTOIL - "It means lots of brightness from just one match."
R11: R G I N T E S R A
R12: C J E A C N D I R
R13: T G O N E L R A T
R14: 75, 50, 25, 100, 3, 5. Target: 948
R15: B R U S H F I R E (conundrum)

Scroll down to see how Paul and Carol fared under the studio lights...

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Enjoy the game!

Round 1: D T E Y N A O D K

C1: DONATED (7)
C2: DONATED (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

Round 2: L P G U I O R S A

C1: GALOPS (6)
C2: SAILOR (6)
DC: GIRASOL and PARLOUS (7)
OT: GALOPS was a great risk by Paul - it's a style of dance popular in the 19th Century. However, everyone (except the Bevatron on c4c) is beaten by PLIOSAUR (8) - a shame, as personally I was bloody chuffed to spot GIAOURS!
Score: 13–13 (max 15)

Round 3: D T O E O R W M A

C1: WOOMERA (7)
C2: MOTORED (7)
DC: WOODRAT (7)
OT: Paul's on a roll - another cracking risk in WOOMERA, which is an Aborigine wooden stick used to hurl spear. However, all of the studio can be speared with MODERATO (8) as spotted by Chris Kirby.
Score: 20–20 (max 23)

Round 4: Z S F R E I O M T

C1: FOREST (6)
C2: TIMERS (6)
DC: MESTIZO (7)
OT: Only some more sevens - EROTISM, FIRMEST, FOMITES, FORTIES, MOISTER and MORTISE (7)
Score: 26–26 (max 30)

Round 5: 75, 5, 2, 8, 7, 4. Target: 624

C1: 629 = 75 × 8 + 7 × 5 - 4 - 2 (7)
C2: 618
RR: 624 = (75 + 5 - 2) × 8 (10)
Score: 33–26 (max 40)

Teatime teaser: LEFTVISA --> FESTIVAL

Round 6: L S H L U E I T A

C1: HALEST (6)
C2: SLATE (5)
DC: HALITE and TALLIES (7)
OT: LATEISH, SITELLA, TAILLES, TALLISH and THALLUS (7) are also available. Notably, one word that is not in the dictionary is HALEST - it was allowed by Susie under the 'single syllable adjective rule, but c4c seems to disagree - and who am I to argue?
Score: 39–26 (max 47)

Round 7: X S E M F I E L C

C1: CLIMES (6)
C2: CLIMES (6)
OT: EXCELS, EXCISE, EXILES, ILEXES, FELSIC, FLEXES and best of all MESELF (6) - presumably Pam Ayres has recently become a lexicographer!
Score: 45–32 (max 53)

Round 8: T A I S R A S Q B

C1: STAIRS (6)
C2: RATS (4)
DC: TIARAS for (6) but better still BARISTAS (8) - as seen in your local coffee shop!
OT: DC can only be equalled in their brilliance with BARTSIAS (8)
Score: 51–32 (max 61)

Round 9: S P E T A N H E N

C1: panthenes
C2: PESETA (6)
DC: HEPTANES (8)
Score: 51–38 (max 69)

Round 10: 75, 50, 5, 3, 4, 4. Target: 409

C1: 408 = 50 × (4 + 4) + 5 + 3 (7)
C2: 408 = 50 × (3 + 5) + 4 + 4 (7)
RR: 409 = 75 × 5 + 50 - 4 × 4 (10)
Score: 58–45 (max 79)

Teatime teaser: FOLDTOIL --> FLOODLIT

Round 11: R G I N T E S R A

C1: INGRATES (8)
C2: ARRESTING (18)
Score: 58–63 (max 97)

Round 12: C J E A C N D I R

C1: CINDER (6)
C2: CRANED (6)
DC: RANCID (6)
OT: A veritable cornucopia of sixes including CARDIE, INJERA and most notably of all DANCER (6), especially for Anton!
Score: 64–69 (max 103)

Round 13: T G O N E L R A T

C1: ORNATE (6)
C2: RATTLE (6)
DC: NEGATOR for (7) but TOLERANT (8) is the Darrenic eight.
Score: 70–75 (max 111)

Round 14: 75, 50, 25, 100, 3, 5. Target: 948

C1: 950 = (5 + 3) × 100 + 75 + 50 + 25 (7)
C2: 950 = (5 + 3) × 100 + 75 + 50 + 25 (7)
RR: 947, but she doesn't say how. (7)
OT: The best you can get is indeed 947 = (25 + 75 + 100) × 5 - 50 - 3 (7)
Score: 77–82 (max 118)

Round 15: B R U S H F I R E

C1 buzzes on 8.5 seconds to say REFURBISH - which is spot on.
Score: 87–82 (max 128)

Philpot's final thought:

Well Paul once again gets across the line by way of a crucial conundrum, but <edit>some might say</edit> controversially so - whilst Carol fell at the final hurdle on the show, it is <edit>a topic of discussion as to</edit> whether HALEST should have been allowed under the 'single syllable adjective' rule. Had Susie dismissed it, Carol would have run out the victor by 87 points to 81. Let the c4c banter commence!

This recap was written by professional grumpy pants Chris Philpot. Other summaries for this series are available from any good bookshop, or alternatively at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61

[Charlie Reams]

it is highly debatable whether HALEST should have been allowed under the 'single syllable adjective' rule.

It really isn't.

[Phil Reynolds]

it is highly debatable whether HALEST should have been allowed under the 'single syllable adjective' rule.

Why is it debatable? The rule is well known and perfectly clear.

[Phil Reynolds]

Damn you, Charlie Reams.

[Charlie Reams]

Damn you, Charlie Reams.

Me; you.

[Chris Philpot]

Well it sounded controversial reading through the spoilers thread. Obviously it wasn't, and I retract my comments on the matter.

[Phil Reynolds]

Well it sounded controversial reading through the spoilers thread.

The "controversy" (if you can call it that; "topic of mild interest" is probably nearer the mark) was about the fact that it's not in CountMax/Lexplorer/JimDic, not whether it should have been allowed on the show.

[Derek Hazell]

Well it sounded controversial reading through the spoilers thread.

The "controversy" (if you can call it that; "topic of mild interest" is probably nearer the mark) was about the fact that it's not in CountMax/Lexplorer/JimDic, not whether it should have been allowed on the show.

Yes, "controversy" would be someone getting AROUSED seeing Chris Philpot and GRIPSKNOB in the same picture.

[Kai Laddiman]

Not on topic or anything, but I noticed that at crosswordtools the main picture is Chris P on televised apterous

[Kirk Bevins]

Rachel Riley got 94 in that last numbers game?

Also you have put the first numbers on twice.

I was well chuffed to get a max game today - yay

[Chris Philpot]

OK, I've now fixed a few niggly issues with this review.

Not on topic or anything, but I noticed that at crosswordtools the main picture is Chris P on televised apterous

It is indeed, well spotted! William Tunstall-Pedoe asked me for a copy of the screengrab a good few years ago, as he felt it did a nice job of summing up the game.

[Kai Laddiman]

Wow, this is one of the very rare occasions of the loser's raw score being higher than the winner's. 96 - 95 says Carol played great.

[Julie T]

Wow, this is one of the very rare occasions of the loser's raw score being higher than the winner's. 96 - 95 says Carol played great.

Defintely! (still watching on 4OD catch up, so only watched this episode today).
Carol played brilliantly, and was unlucky to lose.

I've just done a search, and her hubby, Tony Warren (who should be rightly proud of her ), hasn't posted here since May.
Still, I was surprised, especially as it was mentioned on the show, that no-one's said in the recap or spoilers thread (unless I've missed it) that Carol is the wife of the runner-up of series 55. Returning to the ITV studios where 'Coronation Street' is made, the creation of his namesake.

Commiserations to Carol and Tony, but she played a great game, especially getting a 9 under pressure.