Friday 6th Feb. Preliminary Round 5 (Series 60)

[Allan Harmer]

Countdown recap for Friday 6 February 2009.

This match is between the lovely 3 times Champion Lisa Thomson from Scotland (who has been very a welcome addition to the CD forum this week) and the appropriately named Mike Spellar, a Carpet Factory Manager from Axminster in Devon.

C1: Champion Lisa Thomson (3 wins, 242 points)
C2: Challenger Mike Spellar.
DC: Susie Dent and John Inverdale.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: H N Q Z R I E O W
R02: E A D C C R R I T
R03: L N S T X D A A I
R04: M G P O E Y R I L
R05: 100, 5, 1, 9, 5, 10. Target: 624.
TTT: PAINTSIS - "They look sharp using the right key"
R06: R P A O S R G A E
R07: D S D L J O E A N
R08: D P N I E N S O G
R09: V T T K N E I E B
R10: 10, 6, 8, 6, 75, 25. Target: 804.
TTT: BIFFLISA - "They're very good at taking away I might add"
R11: N R S P C E A U S
R12: T F L L A E U M F
R13: T S R M N A I A I
R14: 50, 8, 10, 1, 7, 6. Target: 340.
R15: T E D B A C K E R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: H N Q Z R I E O W

C1: HEROIN (6)
C2: WHINER (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

Round 2: E A D C C R R I T

C1: CARRIED (7)
C2: CRATER (6)
DC: TARRIED, (7) ERRATIC, (7) ACCREDIT (8)
Score: 13–6 (max 14)

Round 3: L N S T X D A A I

C1: STAND (5)
C2: STAIN (5)
DC: SANDAL, (6) DALASI (6)
OT: ASLANT (6) DIANAS (6) NAIADS (6) DISTAL (6) INSTAL (6) ISLAND (6) LANAIS (6) LIANAS (6) SALINA (6) STADIA (6) TANIAS (6)
Score: 18–11 (max 20)

Round 4: M G P O E Y R I L

C1: PRELIM (6)
C2: LIMPER (6)
DC: POLYMER (7)
OT: IMPLORE (7)
Score: 24–17 (max 27)

Round 5: 100, 5, 1, 9, 5, 10. Target: 624.

C1: 624. 1+5=6x100=600+10+9+5 (10)
C2: 624. Mistake in working.
Score: 34–17 (max 37)

John Inverdale, whom I rate as an 'A List' Dictionary Corner guest, completes his list of 10 ten deadliest creatures.
Number 2 is (unsurprisingly) a snake, the inland taipan from Australia, which has enough venom to kill 250,000 mice - and quite a few people I would imagine. Lucky that it is shy and elusive! Wouldn't make a very good CD forumite would it!
Number 1 is (surprisingly) the innocuous sounding mosquito, which carries many deadly diseases which are fatal to humans, including: MALARIA, ENCEPHALITIS, WEST NILE FEVER, DENGUE FEVER and YELLOW FEVER.

Teatime teaser: PAINTSIS -> PIANISTS

Round 6: R P A O S R G A E

C1: grasps
C2: GROPES (6)
DC: GRASPER (7)
OT: AGAROSE (7) SPARGER (7) GROPERS (7) PARERGA (7)
Score: 34–23 (max 44)

Round 7: D S D L J O E A N

C1: sandled
C2: jolted
DC: NODDLES (7)
OT: DANDLES (7)
Score: 34–23 (max 51)

Round 8: D P N I E N S O G

C1: DEPOSING (8)
C2: DEPOSING (8)
OT: OPENINGS (8) SPENDING (8)
Score: 42–31 (max 59)

Round 9: V T T K N E I E B

C1: KNIT (4)
C2: -
DC: BITTEN (6) KITTEN (6)
Score: 46–31 (max 65)

Susie tells us about some German words of the year.

Round 10: 10, 6, 8, 6, 75, 25. Target: 804.

C1: 804. 75+25=100X8=800+10-6 (10)
C2: 804. 75+25=100X8=800+10-6 (10)
Score: 56–41 (max 75)

Teatime teaser: BIFFLISA -> BAILIFFS

Round 11: N R S P C E A U S

C1: SPACERS (7)
C2: SPACERS (7)
OT: SCAUPERS (8) SUNSPACE (8)
Score: 63–48 (max 83)

Round 12: T F L L A E U M F

C1: FLAME (5)
C2: FATEFUL (7)
Score: 63–55 (max 90)

Lisa has been in control for all of the game since round 2 but a few errors and this good spot from Mike mean that there is all to play for in the last three rounds. Game on!

Round 13: T S R M N A I A I

C1: MANTRAS (7)
C2: MANTRAS (7)
DC: TAMARINS (8)
OT: INTARSIA (8)
Score: 70–62 (max 98)

Round 14: 50, 8, 10, 1, 7, 6. Target: 340.

C1: 340. 7-6=1+1 =2 X8=16. 50-16=34X10 (10)
C2: 340. 7X50=350-10 (10)
Score: 80–72 (max 108)

Round 15: T E D B A C K E R

C2 buzzes on 6 seconds to say BRACKETED which is correct.
Score: 80–82 (max 118)

It goes down to the wire and Mike makes a great comeback to pip Lisa on the post.

Lisa has brightened the screen for us this week and will be missed. She puts me a bit in in mind of cuddly Lorraine Kelly.
Well done to Mike for hanging in and coming through strongly at the end to show a good positive approach.

John Inverdale finishes the show by telling us his favourite sporting event is the Cheltenham National Hunt racing Festival and he would love to have a part ownership in a Gold Cup winner at the Festival, which is coming up in the second week of March. It is also one of my highlights of the year, as I am also a keen racing fan.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=60

[Jason Larsen]

Friday! Here we go!

We know this man! But, I didn't know he was appearing so early in the series!

John's Words of Wisdom: I would never have thought that the mosquito was the most deadly animal in the world! I get bitten by mosquitoes all the time when I'm out on a hot day! They love my blood! By the way, I was just thinking about the fact that I will need to buy bug spray if and when I go out on such a day soon -- that's how much they love my blood!
Teatime Teaser #1: It was obvious, again.
Round 6: I thought GRASPS would be an acceptable word, as in, "He grasps the concept of Countdown easily," but I guess not. Tough luck, Lisa.
Round 7: SANDALED has an A in it. Tough luck again, Lisa. And Mike, I thought jolted would be an acceptable word, as in, "We all were jolted when Carol Vorderman left Countdown," but I guess not. Tough luck, Mike.
Teatime Teaser #2: Good man, Jeff, for telling Lisa not to take offense to it! She seemed like a real sweetheart, though!
Conundrum: Good job, Mike! You came back at the last possible moment! If you're reading this, Mike, congratulations on being Jeff Stelling's very first male Countdown champion!

[Kirk Bevins]

Round 6: I thought GRASPS would be an acceptable word, as in, "He grasps the concept of Countdown easily," but I guess not. Tough luck, Lisa.
Round 7: SANDALED has an A in it. Tough luck again, Lisa. And Mike, I thought jolted would be an acceptable word, as in, "We all were jolted when Carol

Jason,

Round 6 there was only one S which is why GRASPS was disallowed. It is a perfectly valid word otherwise.
Round 7 there was no T which is why JOLTED was disallowed. It is also a perfectly valid word otherwise.

[Jason Larsen]

Thank you, Kirk!