Tuesday 18th May 2010 (Series 62, Prelim 87)

[Ryan Taylor]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 18 May 2010.

C1: Champion Danny Pledger (2 wins, 177 points.)
C2: Challenger Sam Carpenter.
DC: Susie Dent and Colin Jackson.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: N T R E U O I D L
R02: B S R E A L I T P
R03: S D E O E N D M P
R04: R P S R O U O S A
R05: 100, 6, 4, 8, 10, 9. Target: 199.
TTT: LAWSHIFT - "These men are not completely stupid, just about fifty percent."
R06: T S N T E I E B J
R07: N R V A U G F E A
R08: D N P O L E O R E
R09: I O L T R I E K C
R10: 25, 75, 100, 50, 2, 6. Target: 277.
TTT: SANDBUSH - "According to some, these men are completely stupid."
R11: T F D O I Y S A I
R12: H Q T C O A E N A
R13: S X N E U S R E I
R14: 50, 75, 25, 100, 6, 10. Target: 675.
R15: L U S T F I R E S (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Riley watch: It is British Tomato Week this week and as such Rachel is dressed in a lovely, shiney red dress today. No, not this one!

Danny Pledger: With a convincing win yesterday Danny must be feeling pretty good about himself and I'm predicting an even more confident and even more assured performance today, but only time will tell. Danny is our roller coaster loving champion stating today that Oblivion at Alton Towers is his favourite ride so far. I must admit the first time I went on I screamed like a girl. Enough about me.

Sam Carpenter: Standing in Danny's path to glory is black-rimmed spectacle-wearing Sam Carpenter immediately an amiable contestant. Sam is from Basildon in Essex and unlike Ms. Riley, he supports Southend United.

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: N T R E U O I D L

C1: INTRUDE (7)
C2: ROUTED (6)
DC: OUTLINED (8) UNDERLIT (8) ROUTINED (8)
OT: OUTLINER (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)

The champ is away first and takes a steady lead despite missing the eights. Colin: "couple of eights". Colin either can't count or has a strange meaning of the word couple.

Round 2: B S R E A L I T P

C1: REALIST (7)
C2: plated
DC: LIBRATES (8) PILASTER (8) EPIBLAST (8)
OT: TABLIERS (8) PARTIBLE (8)
Score: 14–0 (max 16)

As with round 1 a 7 is enough to beat Sam's 6 despite 8's being available. EPIBLAST is a type of tissue (kind of like Kleenex).

Round 3: S D E O E N D M P

C1: DEPENDS (7)
C2: DEMONS (6)
DC: SPONDEE (7)
OT: DEPOSED (7) DESPOND (7)
Score: 21–0 (max 23)

Another 7 to beat Sam's six makes a devastating 21 points to 0 scoreline at this early stage. Can Sam do anything about it?

Round 4: R P S R O U O S A

C1: porrous
C2: POROUS (6)
DC: UPROARS (7)
OT: SOURSOP (7)
Score: 21–6 (max 30)

The answer is "yes" and to everybody's delight he gets on the scoreboard with a very nice 6. Great spots of UPROARS and the unheard of (by me) SOURSOP are available for 7. As most things in Countdown that I've never heard of a SOURSOP turns out to be a tree (I gather it is also the word used for the fleshy fruit that the N. American tree bears too).

Round 5: 100, 6, 4, 8, 10, 9. Target: 199.

C1: 199. (6+4)*10+100-9+8 (10)
C2: 200.
Score: 31–6 (max 40)

A simple enough numbers game eludes Sam and I think the occasion is getting the better of him.

Colin tells us about fate, recounting the time that he was given the number "1802" at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Since Colin was born on the 18th of February (18/02) he thought it was fate and he would be destined for great things this Olympics. Unfortunately he came fifth and his best performance remains his silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Teatime teaser: LAWSHIFT -> HALFWITS

Round 6: T S N T E I E B J

C1: BITTEN (6)
C2: BITTEN (6)
DC: JETTIES (7)
OT: NETTIES (7)
Score: 37–12 (max 47)

Honours even does nothing to the gap but at least pulls Sam into the double digits.

Round 7: N R V A U G F E A

C1: GRAVEN (6)
C2: VAGUER (6)
OT: FARANG (6) RAVAGE (6)
Score: 43–18 (max 53)

Sam offers 6 for the 6th time in 6 letter rounds. It gets him 6 more points though so he isn't complaining, and since it was the max, neither am I! Interestingly a FARANG is the Thai word for a foreigner of European ancestry.

Round 8: D N P O L E O R E

C1: PONDER (6)
C2: repooled
DC: POLDER (6)
Jeff and Rachel (and everyone else watching no doubt): DEPLORE (7)
Score: 49–18 (max 59)

One of those rounds where DEPLORE seemed to jump out but not to the contestants or DC. Jeff and Rachel are on the ball though and both of them got the darren. Great stuff! Noticeably, Sam has offered a 6 again, oh no wait, my mistake, it's an 8! Mind=blown. Oh, it's disallowed though. Tough luck.

Round 9: I O L T R I E K C

C1: ROCKET (6)
C2: TRICKLE (7)
DC: TICKLER (7)
OT: ELICITOR (8) TICKLIER (8)
Score: 49–25 (max 67)

That's more like it Sam. He trumps Danny with a great 7 to take his score to a number that is not a multiple of 6! Two 8's on hand with one of them seeming extremely unlikely to me (and DC it would seem).

Origin of Words:We learn the origin of the phrase "blow hot and cold". An allusion to a fable by Aesop in which a satyr meets a traveller blowing on his fingers to warm them. Invited home by the satyr, the traveller blows on his porridge to cool it. The satyr turns him out, wishing to have nothing to do with someone who can blow hot and cold from the same mouth.

Round 10: 25, 75, 100, 50, 2, 6. Target: 277.

C1: 277. 100*2+75+(50/25) (10)
C2: 272.
Score: 59–25 (max 77)

Sam's risk is unrewarded. In fact, it's a kick in the teeth as Danny delivers a heavy blow by nailing the 10 points. Nicely done Sir!

Teatime teaser: SANDBUSH -> HUSBANDS

Round 11: T F D O I Y S A I

C1: DAISY (5)
C2: IDIOTS (6)
DC: STIFADO (7)
Score: 59–31 (max 84)

But Sam is still determined and, you guessed it, he scores with a 6! STIFADO is a typical cuisine of Greece which can include tomatoes! Hooray for British Tomato Week.

Round 12: H Q T C O A E N A

C1: CHANT (5)
C2: CHANT (5)
DC: OCEAN (5)
OT: CATENA (6) CHAETA (6) OCTANE (6) TECHNO (6)
Score: 64–36 (max 90)

Some nice sixes present but fives do nicely for everyone concerned. Sam is drawing dead, an 8 or more in the next round will keep the game alive.

Round 13: S X N E U S R E I

C1: SEXIER (6)
C2: ENSURES (7)
DC: ENURESIS (8)
OT: UNSEXIER (8)
Score: 64–43 (max 98)

And two 8's are available but it is DC who spot one of them. Terrific spot. Sam wins with his 7 but Danny ENSURES he is back again tomorrow. ENURESIS is where you can't control your flow of urine.

Round 14: 50, 75, 25, 100, 6, 10. Target: 675.

C1: 675. 6*100+75 (10)
C2: 675. 6*100+75 (10)
Score: 74–53 (max 108)

Sam "takes the risk" of 4 large, although there is no risk now since Danny has the magical 21 point gap. CECIL (is it still called CECIL?) spurts out a stupidly easy target so everyone just sits there twiddling their thumbs.

Round 15: L U S T F I R E S

No one buzzes. The answer was FRUITLESS.
Score: 74–53 (max 118)

Lovely lady gets her mug for solving the conundrum whilst Jeff commiserates Sam. Despite Danny being beaten in a few rounds he looked comfortable throughout in this game. Sam just never really got going, I'm sure he was capable of more but for some reason it just never quite happened. Unlucky Sam, but you have the memories at least. A quick chat with Danny reveals that his daughter Saffron, aged 2, watches Countdown and recites the letters as they are picked. Saffron Pledger - definitely a future Countdown contestant there! There is just time enough for Jeff to crack a joke about Rachel's job being vulnerable (should we read into this more? No.) and a delayed handshake from todays contestants as the lights dim down on another Countdown edition. 'Ketchup' ©Jeff Stelling (you know, the whole tomato week thing) with James tomorrow who will recap Danny's fourth show.

Adios!

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62

[Marc Meakin]

What kept you.

[Michael Wallace]

Riley watch: It is British Tomato Week this week and as such Rachel is dressed in a lovely, shiney red dress today. No, not this one!

Those comments are amazing.

[Ryan Taylor]

What kept you.

I had to have a wee.

[Ryan Taylor]

Riley watch: It is British Tomato Week this week and as such Rachel is dressed in a lovely, shiney red dress today. No, not this one!

Those comments are amazing.

Aren't they just? I aren't telling you my youtube username though. OK I'm xxBigWilly01xx

[Jon Corby]

Riley watch: It is British Tomato Week this week and as such Rachel is dressed in a lovely, shiney red dress today. No, not this one!

Those comments are amazing.

They sum up what everyone is thinking. Well, except you maybe.

[Michael Wallace]

Riley watch: It is British Tomato Week this week and as such Rachel is dressed in a lovely, shiney red dress today. No, not this one!

Those comments are amazing.

Aren't they just? I aren't telling you my youtube username though. OK I'm xxBigWilly01xx

You keep reading thinking "these will get boring in a minute", but no. Also, since when were tigers known for being 'tight'?

[Michael Wallace]

Riley watch: It is British Tomato Week this week and as such Rachel is dressed in a lovely, shiney red dress today. No, not this one!

Those comments are amazing.

They sum up what everyone is thinking. Well, except you maybe.

Reported 4 homophonia.

[Ryan Taylor]

Riley watch: It is British Tomato Week this week and as such Rachel is dressed in a lovely, shiney red dress today. No, not this one!

Those comments are amazing.

They sum up what everyone is thinking. Well, except you maybe.

A-lol! What's great is there are always new comments posted, endless laughter!

[Jon Corby]

Also, since when were tigers known for being 'tight'?

This cunt never gets his rounds in

[Marc Meakin]

Riley watch: It is British Tomato Week this week and as such Rachel is dressed in a lovely, shiney red dress today. No, not this one!

Those comments are amazing.

They sum up what everyone is thinking. Well, except you maybe.

If the writers of these comments were a true representation of the countdown audience then maybe the next sponsor should be Kleenex.

[Ryan Taylor]

If the writers of these comments were a true representation of the countdown audience then maybe the next sponsor should be Kleenex.

Yeah.

[Ben Hunter]

Those comments are amazing.

They sum up what everyone is thinking. Well, except you maybe.

A-lol! What's great is there are always new comments posted, endless laughter!

I always check those comments. The ones on the Carol Vorderman videos used to be amazing too. The best one I ever read, on a Rachel Riley vid, was something like "I'd love to watch her have a piss while I eat chips out of her nickers".

EDIT: I found it, it was actually "i want to dip my balls in her piss while eating chips out of her nickers" and it was by me :S for some reason I remember someone else posting that. A bit like the guy who battered that pupil's head in with a dumbell.

[Ryan Taylor]

I always check those comments. The ones on the Carol Vorderman videos used to be amazing too. The best one I ever read, on a Rachel Riley vid, was something like "I'd love to watch her have a piss while I eat chips out of her nickers".

EDIT: I found it, it was actually "i want to dip my balls in her piss while eating chips out of her nickers" and it was by me :S for some reason I remember someone else posting that. A bit like the guy who battered that pupil's head in with a dumbell.

LMFAO Ben!! And yeah, Peter Harvey, what a guy!

[James Robinson]

CECIL (is it still called CECIL?) spurts out a stupidly easy target so everyone just sits there twiddling there thumbs.

Their seems to be a mistake, Ryan. Oops, I've done it too!

[Ryan Taylor]

CECIL (is it still called CECIL?) spurts out a stupidly easy target so everyone just sits there twiddling there thumbs.

Their seems to be a mistake, Ryan. Oops, I've done it too!

Changed. For yew.

[Ryan Taylor]

.

[Gavin Chipper]

I always check those comments. The ones on the Carol Vorderman videos used to be amazing too. The best one I ever read, on a Rachel Riley vid, was something like "I'd love to watch her have a piss while I eat chips out of her nickers".

EDIT: I found it, it was actually "i want to dip my balls in her piss while eating chips out of her nickers" and it was by me :S for some reason I remember someone else posting that. A bit like the guy who battered that pupil's head in with a dumbell.

LMFAO Ben!! And yeah, Peter Harvey, what a guy!

Seconded. Good post.