Thursday, 11th December 2008 (Series 59, Semi Final 2)

[Jon Corby]

Countdown recap for Thursday 11 December 2008.

C1: Champion Junaid Mubeen (9 wins, 914 points.)
C2: Champion Martin Bishop (9 wins, 921 points.)
DC: Susie Dent and Jo Brand.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T C S L E O E I O
R02: S D T A I A L P O
R03: H R D N O E A T R
R04: S G J I E A C G O
R05: 25, 5, 4, 7, 6, 3. Target: 769.
TTT: GROOMMAN - "A single weight initially"
R06: S T T A E I Y K E
R07: M R Q N U I A E O
R08: N M D E A I N H A
R09: N R P D E I U O E
R10: 7, 2, 5, 1, 5, 10. Target: 258.
TTT: EINHAPPY - "The answer's a revelation"
R11: P S D T A E E R C
R12: L F G A E I N W A
R13: X M N S E U I A O
R14: 25, 7, 3, 1, 5, 3. Target: 923.
R15: I I N D I C A T E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
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SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Tough one to call today with a fantastic semi-final in prospect. The cumulative scores over their previous nine games are almost identical, and while Martin should be slight favourite according to the seedings, Junaid looks to have put a decent amount of work in since his heats and seems to be hitting form at just the right time as evidenced in his convincing demolition of Neil "Slurms" MacKenzie on Monday.

Des starts the show by seemingly putting his foot straight in it - "Junaid.... always has his family here... and I think I can spot a couple more...". The whole way in which he says it and then tails off suggests that what he actually meant was "I spotted some other Asian looking people in the audience, and I've therefore made the massive assumption that they're related to Junaid". Neato.

Round 1: T C S L E O E I O

C1: COOLEST (7)
C2: COOLEST (7)
DC: OCELOTS (7)
OT: CITOLES (7) COOLIES (7) COOTIES (7) ESTOILE (7) OSTIOLE (7) STOOLIE (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

A citole is a lute-like stringed instrument while coolies are unskilled labourers in India, China and some other Asian countries (I was almost convinced it was going to be Aussie slang for cold beers for some reason). Cooties are lice, an estoile is a star in heraldry with wavy points, an ostiole is a small pore through which spores are discharged, and a stoolie is slang for a stool pigeon (a police informer or decoy)

Round 2: S D T A I A L P O

C1: SPATIAL (7)
C2: ADOPTS (6)
OT: APSIDAL (7) PLASTID (7) SOLATIA (7) TOPSAIL (7)
Score: 14–7 (max 14)

Apsidal is the adjective from apsis (either of two points on the orbit of a planet or satellite that are nearest to or furthest from the body round which it moves). Plastid is any of a class of small organelles in the cytoplasm of plant cells, containing pigment or food. Solatia is the plural of solatium, being something given as compensation/consolation.

Round 3: H R D N O E A T R

C1: THRONED (7)
C2: HARDEN (6)
DC: THORNED (7)
OT: ADORNER (7) ANOTHER (7) HOARDER (7) HORRENT (7) NORTHER (7)
Score: 21–7 (max 21)

Junaid takes a commanding, if a little surprising, lead early on.

Round 4: S G J I E A C G O

C1: CAGES (5)
C2: CAGES (5)
OT: AGOGICS (7)
Score: 26–12 (max 28)

Round 5: 25, 5, 4, 7, 6, 3. Target: 769.

C1: 769. (7*4+3)*25-6 (10)
C2: 770.
Score: 36–12 (max 38)

An uncharacteristic slip on a fairly routine numbers game has left Martin staring into the abyss going into the first advert break. I can't remember if anyone exerted any serious pressure on him during his octochamp run, but does he have the mettle to dig deep and come back from this...?

Teatime teaser: GROOMMAN -> MONOGRAM

Round 6: S T T A E I Y K E

C1: steaky
C2: ESTATE (6)
DC: SATIETY (7)
Score: 36–18 (max 45)

Martin will be pleased to takey the points in the first round following the breaky. Could the comeback be on?

Round 7: M R Q N U I A E O

C1: ROMAINE (7)
C2: moanier
OT: ENAMOUR (7) NEUROMA (7) MORAINE (7)
Score: 43–18 (max 52)

Round 8: N M D E A I N H A

C1: MANNED (6)
C2: MEDIAN (6)
DC: HEADMAN (7)
Score: 49–24 (max 59)

Round 9: N R P D E I U O E

C1: POUNDER (7)
C2: POUNDER (7)
DC: PIONEER (7)
OT: UNROPED (7) REPINED (7) RIPENED (7)
Score: 56–31 (max 66)

Round 10: 7, 2, 5, 1, 5, 10. Target: 258.

C1: 258. 5*5*10+7+1 (10)
C2: 258. 5*5*10+7+1 (10)
Score: 66–41 (max 76)

Teatime teaser: EINHAPPY -> EPIPHANY

Round 11: P S D T A E E R C

C1: precasted
C2: PREDATES (8)
DC: CARPETED (8)
OT: ASPECTED (8) PEDERAST (8) TRAPESED (8) SCEPTRED (8)
Score: 66–49 (max 84)

Yet another disallowed word (I don't think the past tense of any -cast word ever takes the -ed suffix) brings Martin almost back within striking distance... exciting stuff!

Round 12: L F G A E I N W A

C1: LEAFING (7)
C2: LEAFING (7)
DC: FINAGLE (7)
OT: FLAWING (7) WEALING (7)
Score: 73–56 (max 91)

Round 13: X M N S E U I A O

C1: MINXES (6)
C2: somaine
OT: ANXIOUS (7)
Score: 79–56 (max 97)

A desperate effort (maybe he didn't have a six though, so fair enough) has actually put the game beyond Martin's reach now.

Round 14: 25, 7, 3, 1, 5, 3. Target: 923.

C1: 924. (25*5+3+3+1)*7 (7)
C2: 919.
Score: 86–56 (max 104)

Round 15: I I N D I C A T E

C1 buzzes on 13 seconds to say DIETICIAN which is correct.
Score: 96–56 (max 114)

Congratulations to Junaid - a fairly solid performance (bar a couple of disallowed words) may well see him heading into tomorrow's final against Charlie as the slight favourite.... Martin definitely seemed to unravel once he found himself getting behind, as I think he missed stuff I would have expected him to get when he's more relaxed in the more accustomed position of leading.

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

[Jon Corby]

Sorry my connection's a bit flaky at the moment so I just wanted to get it submitted before I lost it all.

I'll flesh this out a bit later.

[Charlie Reams]

Round 6: S T T A E I Y K E

C1: steaky
C2: ESTATE (6)
DC: SATIETY (7)
Score: 36–18 (max 45)

I think Mike's effort here deserves what Scrabblers call "The Cupboardy Award", for best disallowed word. Without giving too much away, I think it's fair to say that the Cupboardy Award for Champion of Champions will be a one-horse race...

[Kai Laddiman]

Round 6: S T T A E I Y K E

C1: steaky
C2: ESTATE (6)
DC: SATIETY (7)
Score: 36–18 (max 45)

I think Mike's effort here deserves what Scrabblers call "The Cupboardy Award", for best disallowed word. Without giving too much away, I think it's fair to say that the Cupboardy Award for Champion of Champions will be a one-horse race...

What about CUDDLER?

[Tony Atkins]

91+7=98 so max is actually 115.

Is there a recap on the final? Maybe Charlie has hidden it because he's a bad loser....