Monday 20th October 2008, Series 59 Game 66

[Howard Somerset]

Countdown recap for Monday 20 October 2008.

C1: Champion Charlie Reams (3 wins, 332 points.)
C2: Challenger Kathleen Carroll, a retired legal secretary, from Meopham, near Gravesend, whose ambition is to win the lottery and then fly to the moon.
DC: Susie Dent and Ann Widdecombe.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: L C N Q U O E Z S
R02: R T O N E A N W E
R03: U O E A F B S L I
R04: N R A E L J A S C
R05: 25, 2, 7, 2, 8, 6. Target: 315.
TTT: PLAYTENT - "Very obvious, like a type of leather."
R06: C T O I D A R T U
R07: D P T R I A I N E
R08: Y T D O E R O A S
R09: N L G O E A K T S
R10: 75, 7, 6, 9, 3, 8. Target: 849.
TTT: SUMOHOLD - "Unwanted garbage, found on most streets."
R11: M G D D O E I A V
R12: S P T I A E B M G
R13: F R H S I E U O S
R14: 50, 4, 2, 10, 7, 2. Target: 565.
R15: H A R D A Z P A H (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Having thrilled us all in his first three programmes, can Charlie achieve a fourth victory, and so enjoy the company of a different dictionary corner guest? In just a few minutes, we should know.

Round 1: L C N Q U O E Z S

C1: ZONULES (7)
C2: OUNCES (6)
OT: COUNSEL (7) UNCLOSE (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)

Round 2: R T O N E A N W E

C1: TENONER (7)
C2: WANTER (6)
OT: NEONATE (7) NORTENA (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 14)

A neonate is a newborn mammal. Nortena is a style of folk music.

Round 3: U O E A F B S L I

C1: FIBULAE (7)
C2: FOIBLES (7)
OT: BIOFUELS (Paul) (8)
Score: 21–7 (max 22)

Round 4: N R A E L J A S C

C1: RASCAL (6)
C2: carnels
DC: ARSENAL (7) LANCERS (7)
OT: JACALES (7)
Score: 27–7 (max 29)

Not surprised that Charlie, a Spurs supporter, declined to score with ARSENAL.
A jacal is a thatched wattle-and-daub hut.

Round 5: 25, 2, 7, 2, 8, 6. Target: 315.

C1: 315. 6 x 2 x 25 + 7 + 8 (10)
C2: 315. (7 + 6) x 25 - 8 - 2 (10)
Score: 37–17 (max 39)

Ann Widdecombe then entertained us with what she implied was a story against the current government. What she failed to say was that the punchline could have been equally applicable to most of the governments we've had in my lifetime, those of both main parties.

Teatime teaser: PLAYTENT -> PATENTLY

Round 6: C T O I D A R T U

C1: DACOIT (6)
C2: DACOIT (6)
DC: DICTATOR (8)
Score: 43–23 (max 47)

Round 7: D P T R I A I N E

C1: DIPTERAN (8)
C2: TRAINED (7)
DC: INTREPID (8)
OT: DAINTIER (8) PAINTIER (8)
Score: 51–23 (max 55)

Round 8: Y T D O E R O A S

C1: DESTROY (7)
C2: ROASTED (7)
DC: TORSADE (7)
OT: DASTOOR (7) ROOSTED (7) STRAYED (7)
Score: 58–30 (max 62)

Round 9: N L G O E A K T S

C1: TANGELOS (8)
C2: TANGLES (7)
Score: 66–30 (max 70)

Round 10: 75, 7, 6, 9, 3, 8. Target: 849.

C1: 845.
C2: 847. (3 + 8) x 75 + 7 + 6 + 9 (7)
CV: 849. (6 x 8 - 3 + 75) x 7 + 9 (10) (but after time)
Score: 66–37 (max 80)

Teatime teaser: SUMOHOLD -> HOODLUMS

Round 11: M G D D O E I A V

C1: IMAGED (6)
C2: DIADEM (6)
DC: DODGEM (6) DEVOID (6)
OT: AVOIDED (Joseph) (7) DEMIGOD (7)
Score: 72–43 (max 87)

Round 12: S P T I A E B M G

C1: GAMBITS (7)
C2: IMAGES (6)
DC: MEGABITS (Charlie, but not risked) (8) BAPTISM (7)
Score: 79–43 (max 95)

Round 13: F R H S I E U O S

C1: FUSSIER (7)
C2: HOSIERS (7)
DC: FISHERS (7)
OT: ROSEFISH (Paul) (8)
Score: 86–50 (max 103)

Round 14: 50, 4, 2, 10, 7, 2. Target: 565.

C1: 565. (50 + 7) x 10 - (4 + 2/2) (10)
C2: 565. (50 + 4 + 2) x 10 + 7 - 2 (10)
Score: 96–60 (max 113)

Round 15: H A R D A Z P A H

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say HAPHAZARD which is correct.
Score: 106–60 (max 123)

So Charlie continues his run, half way to becoming an octochamp, and rapidly climbing the seed table, now at sitting at 5th place.
Kathleen, meanwhile, is free to follow her ambitions away from the Countdown studios. Maybe Ann Widdecombe would like to accompany her on her trip to the moon, now that her DC run has finished.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=59

[Jennifer Turner]

TTT: SUMOHOLD - "Unwanted garbage, found on most streets."

Is Widdecombe writing the TTT "clues" as well?

[Debbi Flack]

TTT: SUMOHOLD - "Unwanted garbage, found on most streets."

Is Widdecombe writing the TTT "clues" as well?