But for now, time to enjoy the latest offering from Raspilled HQ.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 26 February 2014.
C1: Champion Andy Naylor (5 wins, 482 points.) An account manager from Hendon.
C2: Challenger Jonathan Lee. A retail manager from Portsmouth. He enjoys singing and songwriting, and once sung his own version of "Illumination" by Savage Garden at a friend's wedding in Norway.
DC: Susie Dent and Janet Street-Porter.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: I E O T R M H N I
R02: G A S R U F O V E
R03: 25, 5, 1, 2, 4, 5. Target: 251.
TTT: LIFTHANG - "Lift it up and hang it from the ceiling"
R04: D O S T U L A H E
R05: R M Z U I A O L V
R06: 50, 5, 1, 5, 4, 9. Target: 459.
R07: E A O T P G S N E
R08: R I B T A S E P D
R09: 25, 50, 2, 1, 9, 6. Target: 321.
TTT: LENDRAGS - "Len drags his horse to the vets, it's very ill"
R10: G O L T E N J I A
R11: S N R D T O I O U
R12: B I P E R F O E M
R13: S A C I M E S O N
R14: 75, 4, 2, 9, 1, 3. Target: 326.
R15: T O O Q U A I N T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: I E O T R M H N I
C1: THERMION (8)
C2: MINTIER (7)
DC: INHERIT (7)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
Andy does seem to know some great words for a non-Apterite, PALINODES yesterday and THERMION today. Should he get to the finals, he'll be one to avoid..............
Round 2: G A S R U F O V E
C1: FORAGES (7)
C2: FAVOURS (7)
DC: SEVRUGA (7)
OT: EGOSURF (7) FORGAVE (7)
Score: 15–7 (max 15)
A few more 7's here, although Andy wrongly guesses that Jonathan has the same as him, while DC gorge on some SEVRUGA.
To EGOSURF is to search the Internet to find references to one's name or one's personal information.
Round 3: 25, 5, 1, 2, 4, 5. Target: 251.
C1: 251. (2 x 5 x 25) + 1 (10)
C2: 251. ((5 + 5) x 25) + 1 (10)
Score: 25–17 (max 25)
Nice and simple numbers game here. NEXT
Teatime teaser: LIFTHANG -> FANLIGHT
Round 4: D O S T U L A H E
C1: LOATHED (7)
C2: outlashed
DC: SHOUTED (7) LOUDEST (7)
OT: AULDEST (7) HUSTLED (7) LOATHES (7) SALUTED (7) SHOALED (7) SOUTHED (7) TOUSLED (7)
Score: 32–17 (max 32)
WOAH
Has Jonathan pulled out a miracle 9 here 
Unfortunately not, as outlashed isn't in, much to the relief of Andy I'm sure............ 
To TOUSLE is to handle roughly.
Round 5: R M Z U I A O L V
C1: VALOUR (6)
C2: VALOUR (6)
DC: MOLAR (5) VIOLA (5) valium
OT: LOUVAR (6) MAULVI (6) MORULA (6) MOULVI (6) OVULAR (6)
Score: 38–23 (max 38)
Not much here apart from some VALOUR from both our contestants, while Janet seems desperate for some valium
A LOUVAR is a red-finned, deep-sea, tropical fish, Luvarus imperialis, having the vent at the base of the pectoral fin.
In India, a MAULVI or MOULVI is an expert in Islamic law, used especially as a term of respectful address among Muslims.
In embryology, a MORULA is the mass of cells resulting from the cleavage of the ovum before the formation of a blastula.
Round 6: 50, 5, 1, 5, 4, 9. Target: 459.
C1: 459. (50 + 1) x 9 (10)
C2: 459. (9 x 50) + 4 + 5 (10)
Score: 48–33 (max 48)
Easy numbers game #2. NEXT
Janet talks about breaking the habit and go on Twitter, mainly to see all the feedback she got from her stint on Celebrity Masterchef.
Round 7: E A O T P G S N E
C1: POSTAGE (7)
C2: POTAGES (7)
OT: PEONAGES (8)
Score: 55–40 (max 56)
Jonathan is definitely uncertain with his POTAGES, but luckily Countdown's mass noun food rule comes to his aid in this one, while Andy's max game comes to an end, with everyone missing PEONAGES for a darrenic 8................
A PEONAGE is the practice of holding persons in servitude or partial slavery, as to work off a debt or to serve a penal sentence.
Round 8: R I B T A S E P D
C1: TRIBADES (8)
C2: BRAISED (7)
DC: BAPTISED (8)
OT: TRAIPSED (8)
Score: 63–40 (max 64)
Another favourite from days gone by appears and Andy is now in complete control as we just pass halfway..............
Round 9: 25, 50, 2, 1, 9, 6. Target: 321.
C1: 321. Mistake in working.
C2: -
RR: 321. ((50 - 1) x 6) + 25 + 2 (10)
Score: 63–40 (max 74)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Andy seems confident with his answer, but he ends up one away, but slightly more frustrating is the fact that Jonathan didn't bother declaring a target after Andy said 321, when he clearly had something. Will he be kicking himself later.....................
Teatime teaser: LENDRAGS -> GLANDERS
Round 10: G O L T E N J I A
C1: LEGATION (8)
C2: ELATION (7)
DC: GELATION (8) JINGLE (6) GENITAL (7)
Score: 71–40 (max 82)
Ack, that is cruel on Jonathan, he was clearly frantically searching for an 8, and it was almost right in front of him too, and sort of in an act of kindness, Andy switches his answer at the last second.
Round 11: S N R D T O I O U
C1: TOROIDS (7)
C2: INDOORS (7)
DC: RIOTOUS (7) TORSION (7)
OT: TOURNOIS (8)
Score: 78–47 (max 90)
Add TOROIDS to the interesting Andy list, but not TOURNOIS, as displayed by Conor in the 30BC last year.
TOURNOIS is an adjective relating to coins being minted in Tours, France.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the male terms, "beefcake", "muscleman" and "strongman".
Round 12: B I P E R F O E M
C1: EMPIRE (6)
C2: EMPIRE (6)
OT: BEFORE (6) BEMIRE (6) BIREME (6) BOERIE (6) EPIMER (6) MOPIER (6)
Score: 84–53 (max 96)
Plenty of 6's here, but no more. Andy is nearing win #6.
A BIREME is a galley having two banks or tiers of oars.
An EPIMER is either of a pair of isomeric aldose compounds, especially of certain sugars, that differ from each other in the positions of the H and OH at the second atom from the end of the carbon chain, as d-glucose and d-mannose.
Round 13: S A C I M E S O N
C1: MASONS (6)
C2: CINEMAS (7)
DC: INCOMES (7) CASINOS (7)
OT: AMNESICS (8)
Score: 84–60 (max 104)
Hmmmm, this end of game amnesia seems to be a recurring theme for Andy here, but luckily the game is out of Jonathan's reach now.
Round 14: 75, 4, 2, 9, 1, 3. Target: 326.
C1: 326. (75 x 4) + (3 x 9) - 1 (10)
C2: 326. Mistake in working.
Score: 94–60 (max 114)
Well, Jonathan's numbers may have taken a battering from the last round, and Andy capitalises to put himself in striking range of another century..............
Round 15: T O O Q U A I N T
C1 buzzes on 2.75 seconds to say QUOTATION which is correct.
Final Score: 104–60 (max 124)
And he's got it too
Jonathan was a very good opponent, but at the crucial points, Andy was there with the killer blows to put him onto his 6th win.
But, the 7th show seems to be the thorn in everyone's side this series, but the worst case scenario for Andy will be that he should still be #1 seed, as he only needs 12 points to become the new #1 seed, win or lose tomorrow.
But, you'll not be reading my recap tomorrow, as I'm busy, so I've brought Jack Worsley out of retirement, and he'll be providing it for you instead.
I'll be back next Wednesday when Andy will have gone, and someone else will be occupying the chairs.
So, till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Andy:
Total score - 104
Raw score - 110
Total % of max - 84
Raw % of max - 89
Total average score per round - 6.9
Raw average score per round - 7.3
Number of maxes - 11
Jonathan:
Total score - 60
Raw score - 81
Total % of max - 48
Raw % of max - 65
Total average score per round - 4.0
Raw average score per round - 5.4
Number of maxes - 5
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70