So, here we go.Countdown recap for Wednesday 9 December 2009.
C1: Champion Jan Parker (3 wins, 271 points.) Her ambition was to get through one show of Countdown, and clearly she has! She is a professional singer and has been for 27 years. Her other passions are writing, drawing and graphic designing.
C2: Challenger Gayle Knight. From Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire. She is an arts project manager. Her passions include amateur dramatics and her 2 fish, Hermione and Ronny Ronny Roo Roo (I think!). Interestingly, her application form included a picture of her as Princess Fiona from the Shrek series.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr. Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: B R E S L O I R B
R02: J E R O T L E P L
R03: P C F E A A N S T
R04: M I S O C R U K E
R05: 75, 7, 3, 7, 2, 8. Target: 857.
TTT: HIDSIGNS - "Lively parties that take place below the knee"
R06: S A T R I T U R E
R07: T N I A D Y W I O
R08: D O G E D F A D S
R09: D N E U R S I S A
R10: 75, 5, 6, 8, 3, 7. Target: 342.
TTT: MINTNOTE - "When there's a hitch, the fly always goes here"
R11: G T N E A E L L G
R12: M A P C E Q O M T
R13: H N W E O E P Z I
R14: 25, 8, 4, 1, 1, 9. Target: 421.
R15: B R A B I N G E R (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: B R E S L O I R B
C1: BOILERS (7)
C2: BOILERS (7)
DC: BROILERS (8) SLOBBIER (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)
Both contestants decide not to risk BROILERS, which costs them both an extra point.
Round 2: J E R O T L E P L
C1: TELLER (6)
C2: TELLER (6)
OT: ELOPER (6) JOLLER (6) PELLET (6) PETREL (6) PETROL (6) POLLEE (6) RETELL (6)
Score: 13–13 (max 14)
Round 3: P C F E A A N S T
C1: PECANS (6)
C2: CANAPES (7)
DC: CAPSTAN (7)
OT: CAFTANS (7) CATNAPS (7) CATENAS (7) PANTECS (7) PEASANT (7)
Score: 13–20 (max 21)
Gayle gets into the lead with one of my favourite 7's that I declared on the show.
Round 4: M I S O C R U K E
C1: MUCKERS (7)
C2: MOCKERS (7)
DC: MUCKIER (7)
OT: IRKSOME (7) SMOKIER (7) MOCKIES (7) MOUSIER (7) MURICES (7) MUSKIER (7) SUCKIER (7)
Score: 20–27 (max 28)
MURICES (plural of MUREX) is a shell that is used as a trumpet in representations of Tritons in art.
Round 5: 75, 7, 3, 7, 2, 8. Target: 857.
C1: 857. ((75 + 8 + 2) x (7 + 3)) + 7 (10)
C2: 856.
Score: 30–27 (max 38)
Another excellent numbers from Jan gives her the lead for the first time today.
Dr. Phil talks about National Men's Health Day, of which it is today. Also included is the complementary plug of Dr. Phil's brilliant book, Sex, Sleep Or Scrabble?
Teatime teaser: HIDSIGNS -> SHINDIGS
Round 6: S A T R I T U R E
C1: RATTIER (7)
C2: RATTERS (7)
DC: ARTISTE (7) STATURE (7)
OT: TRAITEURS (18)
Score: 37–34 (max 56)
A TRAITEUR is a keeper of an eating house.
Round 7: T N I A D Y W I O
C1: TOADY (5)
C2: wanton
DC: WINDY (5) IDIOT (5)
OT: DAINTY (6)
Score: 42–34 (max 62)
Jan extends her lead thanks to Gayle's phantom 2nd "N".
Round 8: D O G E D F A D S
C1: DODGED (6)
C2: DODGED (6)
DC: DOSAGE (6)
OT: DAGOES (6) DODGES (6) GADDED (6) GOADED (6) SODDED (6)
Score: 48–40 (max 68)
Round 9: D N E U R S I S A
C1: SNARED (6)
C2: SANDIER (7)
DC: ARIDNESS (8) SARDINES (8)
OT: DANSEURS (8) DENARIUS (8) RADIUSES (8) SENARIUS (8) SUNDRIES (8)
Score: 48–47 (max 76)
Gayle closes the gap to 1, but both contestants miss from a variety of 8's.
Susie's Origin Of Words carries on the place name theme with natural and manmade features. Sherbourne, Swindon, Goodwood, Bexley, Hatfield, Leeds, Glasgow, Aberystwyth, Dublin, Ardmore, Belfast, and Jeff's Hartlepool are featured.
Round 10: 75, 5, 6, 8, 3, 7. Target: 342.
C1: -
C2: 345. Mistake in working.
RR: 342. ((75 - 6) x 5) - 3 (10)
Score: 48–47 (max 86)
Both contestants bomb on the relatively easy numbers game.
Teatime teaser: MINTNOTE -> OINTMENT
Round 11: G T N E A E L L G
C1: TANGLE (6)
C2: TANGLE (6)
DC: ELEGANT (7)
Score: 54–53 (max 93)
DC get the ELEGANT darren.
Round 12: M A P C E Q O M T
C1: COMET (5)
C2: COMET (5)
DC: TOECAP (6) POMACE (6) CAPOTE (6)
Score: 59–58 (max 99)
DC get all 3 darrenic 6's.
Round 13: H N W E O E P Z I
C1: OPINE (5)
C2: PHONE (5)
DC: ZOWIE (5)
JS: NEPHEW (6)
Score: 64–63 (max 105)
Jeff finds the "relatively easy" darrenic 6.
Round 14: 25, 8, 4, 1, 1, 9. Target: 421.
C1: 421. ((9 + 8) x 25) - 4 (10)
C2: 421. Mistake in working.
Score: 74–63 (max 115)
Gayle bombs again on the numbers to give Jan the game.
Round 15: B R A B I N G E R
No one buzzes. The answer was BARBERING.
Score: 74–63 (max 125)
Jan wins to reach halfway, but we won’t be seeing her for another 4 and a half weeks, because tomorrow, we begin the quarter-finals of the show,
Join me tomorrow for the first quarter-final, Number 1 seed Andrew Hulme vs. Number 8 seed Jacqueline Baker.
The excitement is so unbearable.
Till tomorrow, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Jan:
Total score - 74
Raw score - 86
Total % of max - 59
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 4.9
Raw average score per round - 5.7
Number of maxes - 5
Gayle:
Total score - 63
Raw score - 70
Total % of max - 50
Raw % of max - 56
Total average score per round - 4.2
Raw average score per round - 4.7
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61