We've got a bit of a backlog of Tuesday recaps to do from the last 3 months because Callum Bundy was too busy serial killing to get his done. So cast your mind back to last Tuesday, when Antoinette Ryan was pillaging her way through the last few prelims of the series, taking no mercy on her opponents as she stormed to century scores time and time again. Remember? Yep? Ready? Ok, let's go.
C1: Champion Antoinette Ryan (4 wins, 434 points.) From Nenagh in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland.
C2: Challenger Bob Currie. From Stockport, he spent 30 years with the Greater Manchester police, retiring with the rank of Inspector. He's wearing a fetching salmon-pink cardigan.
DC: Susie Dent and Len Goodman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: P T H R U I A E N
R02: S M I G R U T A E
R03: 3, 2, 1, 9, 3, 10. Target: 590.
TTT: HARMONIC - "His hobby is all about being harmonic"
R04: N D A R G I L E D
R05: P T L S A E O G I
R06: 25, 10, 7, 5, 2, 4. Target: 193.
R07: N F T L U E A R O
R08: S K E D T A H O R
R09: 75, 100, 7, 9, 1, 6. Target: 420.
TTT: LINKSTAG - "You can link this to tracking down the stag"
R10: T B I J W E L U E
R11: M T R N O E I R O
R12: Q Y A L D U C O E
R13: S P C D N I A O E
R14: 25, 4, 5, 7, 10, 2. Target: 413.
R15: I T R I M B O D Y (conundrum)
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Round 1: P T H R U I A E N
Antoinette: PERIANTH (8)
Bob: PAINTER (7)
DC: HAIRNET (7)
OT: HAURIENT (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
Antoinette takes the lead instantly with a classic PAINTER stem. Susie, when she's recovered from her amazement, tells us it's a botanical term meaning "the outer part of a flower", including the petals. See: when it doubt, it really does involve a plant.
Len tells us that his grandad used to use the expression "cold enough for two hairnets". Quite frankly this is a bit of a weird saying, because I'm pretty sure even two hairnets wouldn't keep you warm in the slightest.
Round 2: S M I G R U T A E
Antoinette: MIGRATES (8)
Bob: MIGRATES (8)
DC: MAGISTER (8)
OT: MURIATES (8) STERIGMA (8)
Score: 16–8 (max 16)
And Bob's off the mark, matching Antoinette's spot of MIGRATES. A MAGISTER is a title that can be given to scholars, while STERIGMA is "a spore-bearing projection from a cell" in fungi. I have no idea what this means.
Round 3: 3, 2, 1, 9, 3, 10. Target: 590.
Antoinette: 598. (3+3)*(9 + 1)*10 - 2 (5)
Bob: -
RR: 590. (9*3 + 1)*2 + 3)*10 (10)
Score: 21–8 (max 26)
I think we all know what my reaction to 6 small is, but if not, here's a quick approximation:
Antoinette can't get 590, but is close enough to get 5 points for her troubles, while Rachel goes one step better and gets it spot on.
Teatime teaser: HARMONIC -> CHOIRMAN
Round 4: N D A R G I L E D
Antoinette: LADDERING (18)
Bob: DREADING (8)
Score: 39–8 (max 44)
Antoinette spots the darrenic 9!
Round 5: P T L S A E O G I
Antoinette: PILOTAGE (8)
Bob: APOSTLE (7)
DC: PILOTAGES (18)
Score: 47–8 (max 62)
Another darrenic 9!
Antoinette understandably sticks with the singular 8, because -AGE endings are frustratingly inconsistent with pluralisation. It still beats her opponent, and she's 39 points ahead within just 5 rounds of the game.
Round 6: 25, 10, 7, 5, 2, 4. Target: 193.
Antoinette: 193. 4*2*25 - 7 (10)
Bob: 193. 4*2*25 - 7 (10)
Score: 57–18 (max 72)
Round 7: N F T L U E A R O
Antoinette: FLAUNTER (8)
Bob: FLAUNTER (8)
DC: FLOATER (7)
Score: 65–26 (max 80)
A nice flamboyant darren is spotted by both.
Round 8: S K E D T A H O R
Antoinette: DARKEST (7)
Bob: TRASHED (7)
DC: ROASTED (7) SHORTED (7) SHARKED (7)
OT: KATHODES (8)
Score: 72–33 (max 88)
Lots of 7s, but both DC and the contestants miss the darren, which is either "The negatively charged electrode by which electrons enter an electrical device", or "The positively charged electrode of an electrical device, such as a primary cell, that supplies current". (Sorry about all the pictures, this game is darrentastic.)
Round 9: 75, 100, 7, 9, 1, 6. Target: 420.
Antoinette: 420. (9 + 1)*7*6 (10)
Bob: 423.
Score: 82–33 (max 98)
A sweet 6 small style solve from a 2 large selection allows Antoinette to extend her lead even further.
Teatime teaser: LINKSTAG -> STALKING
Round 10: T B I J W E L U E
Antoinette: BUILT (5)
Bob: JEWEL (5)
DC: JUBILEE (7)
Score: 87–38 (max 105)
A hideous round surprisingly yields a 7, which, yep, you've guessed it...
Round 11: M T R N O E I R O
Antoinette: MONITOR (7)
Bob: MOONIER (7)
DC: MOTION (6)
OT: EMOTION (7) IONOMER (7) ROOMIER (7) ROOTIER (7)
Score: 94–45 (max 112)
Round 12: Q Y A L D U C O E
Antoinette: COALED (6)
Bob: CLOUDY (6)
DC: COEQUAL (7)
OT: LACQUEY (7)
Score: 100–51 (max 119)
Two lovely 7s that use the Q here. DC's spot of COEQUAL apparently used to be hyphenated but now, happily for us geeks, it is not. LACQUEY is an archaic spelling of LACKEY. Antoinette's onto the coveted 100 mark to seal her 5th consecutive ton score.
Round 13: S P C D N I A O E
Antoinette: CANOPIES (8)
Bob: PONIES (6)
OT: CAPONISED (18)
Score: 108–51 (max 137)
Another?!
Round 14: 25, 4, 5, 7, 10, 2. Target: 413.
Antoinette: 413. (10+7)*25 - (5 - 2)*4 (10)
Bob: 412.
Score: 118–51 (max 147)
It's been a looooong afternoon for poor Bob.
Round 15: I T R I M B O D Y
Antoinette buzzes on 29 seconds to say BROMIDITY which is incorrect.
Bob does not buzz.
The answer was MORBIDITY.
Final Score: 118–51 (max 157)
A tough -ITY conundrum goes unsolved by the contestants, but Antoinette's still sealed her 5th win in impressive style with yet another century, taking her a game closer to making the series finals. Could we have our 2nd 800+ scoring female octochamp of the series, and only the 4th of all time? Look back to the rest of last week's recaps to find out.
That's all from me...
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71