Wednesday 23rd April 2014 (Series 70, Prelim 72)

Graeme Cole · Post by **Graeme Cole** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:47 pm

Countdown recap for Wednesday 23 April 2014.

James is on important espionage duties at the Countdown studio today to find out more about series 71's use of Oxford Dictionaries Online, so I'm doing his recap today.

C1: Champion Julie Devine (1 win, 71 points) is a medical secretary from Liverpool and a collector of dolls' houses.
C2: Challenger Ben Clark from Maidstone is a Geography and Business student at Nottingham University. He harbours an ambition to emigrate to New Zealand.
DC: Susie Dent and Arlene Phillips.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: B U T I D P E N O
R02: R S Z E A E A D N
R03: 100, 75, 7, 9, 7, 3. Target: 187.
TTT: HUNTGIGS - "People on hunts probably use this to help them."
R04: E M S O R L N I R
R05: T E O Q O N S R E
R06: 25, 7, 9, 4, 8, 6. Target: 739.
R07: S M A G O W R E A
R08: K D H I U G C A O
R09: 75, 25, 8, 5, 5, 8. Target: 926.
TTT: DIMITEMS - "You'll be fishing for an early bath with this sort of tackle."
R10: I Y N R E A D L O
R11: E A R S N E D B I
R12: M F A O I V T U P
R13: J G O E P S U N A
R14: 75, 8, 7, 4, 9, 1. Target: 757.
R15: T O U R I S I C Y (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: B U T I D P E N O

Julie: bountied
Ben: POUTED (6)
DC: TEPID (5) POINTED (7)
OT: POUTINE (7)
Score: 0–6 (max 7)

There are stranger-sounding -IED words in the dictionary (like COMPANIED, for example), but Julie's BOUNTIED^ is given the red flag by Susie. It's not valid in ODO either. Incidentally, JR's research today has uncovered that Countdown have indeed made the switch to ODO for series 71 onwards. Exciting times...

Round 2: R S Z E A E A D N

Julie: SNARED (6)
Ben: SANDER (6)
DC: ERASED (6) ENDEARS (7)
Score: 6–12 (max 14)

Julie is off the mark now with an anagram of Ben's word.

Round 3: 100, 75, 7, 9, 7, 3. Target: 187.

Julie: 187. 100+75+9+3 (10)
Ben: 187. 100+75+9+3 (10)
Score: 16–22 (max 24)

And neither contestant is troubled by this low-ball numbers game.

Teatime teaser: HUNTGIGS -> GUNSIGHT

Round 4: E M S O R L N I R

Julie: SMILER (6)
Ben: LORRIES (7)
DC: MERLINS (7) LORIMERS (8)
OT: LORINERS (8)
Score: 16–29 (max 32)

Ben extends his lead with LORRIES, and Susie finds the Countdown favourite LORIMERS (or LORINERS), which are makers of small iron implements such as spurs and stirrups.

Round 5: T E O Q O N S R E

Julie: restone
Ben: STONER (6)
DC: TONERS (6)
OT: OESTRONE (8)
Score: 16–35 (max 40)

Julie risks a seven in an attempt to make up some ground, but RESTONE^ isn't a thing. Everyone misses the eight OESTRONE.

Round 6: 25, 7, 9, 4, 8, 6. Target: 739.

Julie: -
Ben: 746. Mistake in working.
RR: 739. 4*7*25+8*6-9 (10)
Score: 16–35 (max 50)

Ben declares 746, and gets as far as 25*4*7+8*6 before realising that 8 times 6 isn't 46. Rachel explains that he's reached 748 and that subtracting the remaining 9 would reach the target.

Round 7: S M A G O W R E A

Julie: MOWERS (6)
Ben: SWARM (5)
DC: WAGERS (6) OMEGAS (6)
OT: SAGAMORE (8)
Score: 22–35 (max 58)

Julie closes the gap. Six is the best in the studio, but SAGAMORE (an American Indian chief) was lurking there for eight.

Round 8: K D H I U G C A O

Julie: DUCK (4)
Ben: HAIKU (5)
DC: COUGH (5) GAUCHO (6)
OT: KOCHIA (6)
Score: 22–40 (max 64)

Ben gets five more points.
Though that's not a bad effort,
Susie found a six.

Round 9: 75, 25, 8, 5, 5, 8. Target: 926.

Julie: -
Ben: -
RR: 925.
OT: 925. 25*8*5-75 (7)
Score: 22–40 (max 71)

Normally when Rachel says "this could be tricky", she presses the button and CECIL comes up with something like 103. This time it's impossible to solve exactly, and the contestants aren't even within ten.

Teatime teaser: DIMITEMS -> MISTIMED

Round 10: I Y N R E A D L O

Julie: RAILED (6)
Ben: ORDAIN (6)
DC: READY (5) READILY (7) ORDINAL (7)
OT: AILERON (7) ANEROID (7) DARIOLE (7) RANDILY (7)
Score: 28–46 (max 78)

A few sevens go begging in this round, and this might have been Julie's chance at a comeback. Nevertheless, six apiece and Ben is still far in the lead.

Round 11: E A R S N E D B I

Julie: BRAINED (7)
Ben: BRANDIES (8)
DC: BEARDIES (8) INBREEDS (8)
OT: ARSENIDE (8) NEARSIDE (8)
Score: 28–54 (max 86)

Ben isn't sure about BRANDIES, but there's nothing wrong with it. Susie and Arlene come up with a few other eights, and Ben looks the solid favourite now.

Round 12: M F A O I V T U P

Julie: PIVOT (5)
Ben: PIVOT (5)
DC: OPIUM (5) OPTIMA (6)
Score: 33–59 (max 92)

Only one six here, OPTIMA. Susie spots it and explains it's a little-used plural of OPTIMUM.

Round 13: J G O E P S U N A

Julie: JAPES (5)
Ben: SPONGE (6)
DC: PUNAS (5)
OT: GENOAS (6) GUANOS (6) PAEONS (6) PENGOS (6) PONGAS (6) PUNGAS (6) UNPEGS (6)
Score: 33–65 (max 98)

Ben's SPONGE leaves Julie requiring snookers. Susie comes up with the interesting word PUNAS. A PUNA is a high treeless plateau in the Peruvian Andes.

Round 14: 75, 8, 7, 4, 9, 1. Target: 757.

Julie: 757. (9+1)*75+7 (10)
Ben: 757. (9+1)*75+7 (10)
Score: 43–75 (max 108)

Next.

Round 15: T O U R I S I C Y

Ben buzzes on 2 seconds to say CURIOSITY which is correct.
Final Score: 43–85 (max 118)

And we have a new champion in Ben Clark, who will be defending his place in the champion's chair tomorrow when James will be back from his reconnaissance mission to Salford.

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=70