Countdown recap for Monday 12 April 2010.
C1: Champion Peter Zyss (6 win, 465 points.) His ambitions were to win one edition of the show and to get a 9-letter word. Well, he's won 6 editions, but that 9 has eluded him, so far. He enjoys walking in the Peak District, as well as playing Frisbee, cycling and playing Scrabble.
C2: Challenger Ned Walker. From Reigate, Surrey, although he is currently studying Computing Science at Newcastle University. He was one of the organisers of the university's Freshers' Week last year, which included a silent disco in front of the Student Union. He spent his gap year in New Zealand, describing it as the best place on Earth. His ambition is to become a writer.
DC: Susie Dent and Dave Spikey.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: Y R D U E I T N G
R02: M A L R H U O D E
R03: S P T A U U A S R
R04: N R V I E I S R E
R05: 75, 50, 3, 5, 10, 4. Target: 780.
TTT: ICYFORTE - "It's all about cruelty and force"
R06: T S P O A E L N U
R07: W D T E A E R T N
R08: P N H W I A O N I
R09: A E I T F S V P U
R10: 50, 8, 3, 8, 10, 7. Target: 257.
TTT: BELTGATE - "It's perfectly possible to find the answer"
R11: B D S O A I D S E
R12: N F G O I E Z S G
R13: K G T A I A D L X
R14: 25, 9, 8, 9, 1, 5. Target: 481.
R15: C H E W L A T E R (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: Y R D U E I T N G
C1: INTRUDE (7)
C2: GRUNTED (7)
OT: TRUDGEN (7) UNTRIED (7) RETYING (7) TINDERY (7) TRUEING (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
A nice flat start to the week's proceedings, despite Jeff thinking that Ned said the incorrect GRANTED, rather than GRUNTED.
TRUDGEN is a swimming stroke in which a double overarm motion and a scissors kick are used.
TINDERY is something resembling tinder; highly inflammable or inflammatory.
Round 2: M A L R H U O D E
C1: humored
C2: LOUDER (6)
DC: HUMORAL (7) ARMHOLE (7) EARLDOM (7) ROULADE (7)
OT: HUMERAL (7) MODULAR (7) MORULAE (7) MOULDER (7) REMOULD (7)
Score: 7–13 (max 14)
Carrying on from last week, Peter offers up an American spelling
, giving Ned the early advantage.HUMERAL is something of or pertaining to the shoulder.
MORULAE (the plural of MORULA) are the mass of cells resulting from the cleavage of the ovum before the formation of a blastula.
Round 3: S P T A U U A S R
C1: STRAPS (6)
C2: STRAPS (6)
DC: USURPS (6) PASTAS (6)
OT: SATRAPS (7)
Score: 13–19 (max 21)
Round 4: N R V I E I S R E
C1: INVERSE (7)
C2: NERVIER (7)
DC: VEIN (4)
OT: RIVERINE (8) RIVIERES (8) VERNIERS (8) VINERIES (8)
Score: 20–26 (max 29)
RIVERINE is something of or pertaining to a river.
A RIVIERE is a necklace of diamonds or other gems, especially in more than one string.
Round 5: 75, 50, 3, 5, 10, 4. Target: 780.
C1: 780. (75 + 3) x 10 (10)
C2: 780. (75 + 3) x 10 (10)
Score: 30–36 (max 39)
Dave tells of his ability to listen in on conversations during his "Best Medicine Tour". He also talks of his first stand-up gig at Scarborough.
Teatime teaser: ICYFORTE -> FEROCITY
Round 6: T S P O A E L N U
C1: POLENTAS (8)
C2: POSTAL (6)
DC: APOLUNE (7)
OT: APOLUNES (8) LAPSTONE (8)
Score: 38–36 (max 47)
Interestingly, the OED says that APOLUNE is a mass noun, so APOLUNES looks like a big no-no.
Luckily, Peter said POLENTAS, so we don't have worry about any point scoring irregularities, etc.Round 7: W D T E A E R T N
C1: WATERED (7)
C2: TREATED (7)
RR: NATTERED (8)
OT: ATTENDER (8)
Score: 45–43 (max 55)
Rachel manages to beat everyone in the studio with her brilliant 8.
Round 8: P N H W I A O N I
C1: ANION (5)
C2: PAIN (4)
DC: PANINI (6)
OT: PANINO (6) PINION (6)
Score: 50–43 (max 61)
Round 9: A E I T F S V P U
C1: VISTA (5)
C2: pastive
DC: FAUVIST (7)
Score: 55–43 (max 68)
Peter's lead goes into double figures as Ned's dubious 7 is just that.
Susie's Origin Of Words takes an interesting twist this week, as she asks Jeff which language invented the words "easel", "dope", "walrus", "golf", "yacht", "ogle" and "aloof". The answer was Dutch, which Dave suggested that you would've got from the word "dope".
Round 10: 50, 8, 3, 8, 10, 7. Target: 257.
C1: 257. ((8 - 3) x 50) + 7 (10)
C2: 257. ((8 - 3) x 50) + 7 (10)
Score: 65–53 (max 78)
Teatime teaser: BELTGATE -> GETTABLE
Round 11: B D S O A I D S E
C1: BADDIES (7)
C2: BADDIES (7)
DC: SODAS (5)
OT: ADIOSES (7) BIASSED (7)
Score: 72–60 (max 85)
Round 12: N F G O I E Z S G
C1: FEIGNS (6)
C2: GOINGS (6)
DC: FOGIES (6)
OT: GINZOS (6) GONIFS (6) SOIGNE (6)
Score: 78–66 (max 91)
A GONIF (or a GANEF) is slang for a thief.
SOIGNE means carefully or elegantly done, operated, or designed.
Round 13: K G T A I A D L X
C1: TIDAL (5)
C2: TIDAL (5)
DC: TAIGA (5)
OT: AXIAL (5) GAITA (5) KADAI (5) KIAAT (5) TALIK (5) TILAK (5)
Score: 83–71 (max 96)
Geez
That rubbish collection of letters in which most of the available 5's would make any nerd proud. 
KADAI is a family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia.
A KIAAT is a deciduous South African tree having large odd-pinnate leaves and profuse fragrant orange-yellow flowers; yields a red juice and heavy strong durable wood.
A TILAK is a distinctive spot of colored powder or paste worn on the forehead by Hindu men and women as a religious symbol.
Round 14: 25, 9, 8, 9, 1, 5. Target: 481.
C1: -
C2: 480. ((9 + 9 + 1) x 25) + 5 (7)
RR: 481. (((8 x 9) + 25 + 1) x 5) - 9 (10)
Score: 83–78 (max 106)
All of a sudden, after Peter's blank and Ned's 1 away, this game will now be decided by a crucial conundrum.
Round 15: C H E W L A T E R
No one buzzes. The answer was CARTWHEEL.
Score: 83–78 (max 116)
Another tricky conundrum there sees Peter squeeze through and get the chance to become only the 2nd octochamp of the series in tomorrow's show.
Will he do it
Find out with Dinos.Till next Wednesday, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Peter:
Total score - 83
Raw score - 83
Total % of max - 72
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 5.5
Raw average score per round - 5.5
Number of maxes - 7
Ned:
Total score - 78
Raw score - 88
Total % of max - 67
Raw % of max - 76
Total average score per round - 5.2
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 6
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62