Recap for Monday 13 July 2009

[Charlie Reams]

Countdown recap for Monday 13 July 2009. I haven't done this for a while so please be gentle.

C1: Champion Andrew Hulme: 2 wins, 249 points so far including a "debut" of 133. Andrew appeared on the show when he was much younger and was unlucky to be defeated on a crucial conundrum. Now a student of Economics at Warwick University, he's been given another shot at the cherry in the barrel. If you think this is unfair, why not write into the show and complain? I'm sure they'll be pleased to hear from you. Andrew is a member of this forum, a top apterite, and generally a nice chap, so I think it's fair to say we're all rooting for him.
C2: Challenger Gordon Armour, a man who celebrated his fiftieth birthday by jumping off a 600 foot building. Will Andrew bring him down to Earth with a bump?
DC: Susie Dent and Ian Hyland, the News of the World's TV critic.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: T S T A U E N G O
R02: E O N D R A P T J
R03: D T S E E U D R D
R04: E T R S U A W R T
R05: 25, 7, 10, 4, 8, 3. Target: 886.
TTT: CLIPSNAG - "Holding tightly while putting on a broach."
R06: O E N P B I G T V
R07: M L N E O E L D M
R08: F T P I E I H C G
R09: L N S A O I E R T
R10: 75, 3, 2, 4, 7, 3. Target: 247.
TTT: YESEIGHT - "It helps you see this eight."
R11: R N C O A U Z Q B
R12: O E P D O Y T K S
R13: C X R E A E N S R
R14: 25, 8, 8, 1, 6, 10. Target: 989.
R15: G I N G E R T U T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: T S T A U E N G O

C1: ONSTAGE (7)
C2: TANGOS (6)
DC: TANGOES (7) SOUTANE (7)
OT: GAUNTEST (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)

Round 2: E O N D R A P N J

C1: PADRONE (7)
C2: PONDER (6)
DC: PARDON (6)
Score: 14–0 (max 15)

Round 3: D T S E E U D R D

C1: STUDDED (7)
C2: DESERT (6)
DC: REDDEST (7) UDDERS (6)
OT: TEDDERS (7) UDDERED (7)
Score: 21–0 (max 22)
To ted is to turn over and spread out (grass, hay, or straw) for bedding; tedders are people who undertake this scintillating activity.

Round 4: E T R S U A W R T

C1: swatter - only as FLY SWATTER, unluckily
C2: WATERS (6)
DC: STATURE (7)
OT: RATTERS (7) RESTART (7) STARTER (7) TRUSTER (7) TURRETS (7)
Score: 21–6 (max 29)
It took a disallowed word from Andrew, but Gordon is finally off the mark!

Round 5: 25, 7, 10, 4, 8, 3. Target: 886.

C1: 887. (4x25+10)x8+7 (7)
C2: -
RR: 886 (late). (25+3)x8x4-10 (10)
Score: 28–6 (max 39)

Teatime teaser: CLIPSNAG -> CLASPING

Round 6: O E N P B I G T V

C1: VETOING (7)
C2: BIGOT (5)
Score: 35–6 (max 46)
Andrew digs out the darren.

Round 7: M L N E O E L D M

C1: MELON (5)
C2: MELON (5)
DC: LEMON (5) (from Jeff), Ian adds MODEL (5) and Susie has DEMON (5)
OT: DOLMEN (6)
Score: 40–11 (max 52)

Round 8: F T P I E I H C G

C1: PITCH (5)
C2: PITCH (5)
DC: THIEF (5)
OT: FETICH (6) FITCHE (6)
Score: 45–16 (max 58)
Andrew is playing well here but struggling with a low max and some tough rounds. He'll need to pick up the pace if he's to make it 3 centuries out of 3.

Round 9: L N S A O I E R T

C1: RELATIONS (18)
C2: SAILOR (6)
DC: ORIENTALS (18) TENSORIAL (18)
Score: 63–16 (max 76)
Just what the doctor ordered! A straightforward nine gives Andrew a much-needed 18 points and further stretches his lead in a game which never looked in doubt. I presume Andrew knew all 3 nines and decided to keep it simple, which is an interesting constrast to the usual opinion amongst top players these days.

Susie's Origin of Words focuses on the French courtly origins of the word "real", including "real tennis" and "real estate".

Round 10: 75, 3, 2, 4, 7, 3. Target: 247.

C1: 247. 3x75+(4+7)x2 (10)
C2: 246.
Score: 73–16 (max 86)
Another numbers blob from Gordon, while Andrew now has an excellent shot at the century.

Teatime teaser: YESEIGHT -> EYESIGHT

Round 11: R N C O A U Z Q B

C1: COBRA (5)
C2: ACORN (5)
DC: CARBON (6)
OT: CORNUA (6)
Score: 78–21 (max 92)

Round 12: O E P D O Y T K S

C1: STOOPED (7)
C2: DOTES (5)
DC: SPOOKED (7)
OT: DESKTOP (7) STOOKED (7)
Score: 85–21 (max 99)
But not "typoed", as I recently discovered with some amount of irony.

Round 13: C X R E A E N S R

C1: CARERS (6)
C2: nearers - declared very confidently, but NEARER is only an adjective, not a noun.
DC: Jeff has CAREERS (7) and Ian suggests "creaser" which is not valid. Susie suggests CAREENS (7) instead, a US term for careers (as in cornering) or also to turn a ship on its side to clean it. Jeff puns "Susie always has the last word," which is as ever totally wasted on the audience.
OT: EARNERS (7)
Score: 91–21 (max 106)
Talking of invalid words, it's worth remembering that "carexes" is also not valid; the correct plural is CARICES.

Round 14: 25, 8, 8, 1, 6, 10. Target: 989.

C1: 989. 25x(6x8-8)-10-1 (10)
C2: -
Score: 101–21 (max 116)
One of those numbers rounds which looks much more intimidating than it really is, with the most direct route proving successful. Gordon has failed to score a single point on the numbers. Meanwhile Andrew takes the century with a round to spare.

Round 15: G I N G E R T U T

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say GUTTERING which is correct.
Score: 111–21 (max 126)

A supreme annihilation from Andrew, with a winning margin of 90 points (the 9th highest of all time) and another century despite the tough rounds. I really can't see anyone stopping him short of octochampdom.


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61

[David O'Donnell]

PRONATED wasn't there, I think the other letter was a N hence surprising miss averted or was this an elaborate wind-up?

[Matt Morrison]

Quality 'cap Charlie. Quick sharp too.

[Kirk Bevins]

PRONATED wasn't there, I think the other letter was a N hence surprising miss averted or was this an elaborate wind-up?

Yeah, it was E O N D R A P N J meaning Andrew got the max.

[Simon Myers]

PRONATED wasn't there, I think the other letter was a N hence surprising miss averted or was this an elaborate wind-up?

Yeah, it was E O N D R A P N J meaning Andrew got the max.

APRONED and OPERAND also available as OT words.

Did anyone else notice the (apart from the RELATIONS round) more awkward than normal selections today? Such as the three Ds and only one 8 available in the other ten rounds. Since this is the first episode without Demi as shuffler it seems that her replacement might have to improve his technique a bit.

[James Robinson]

Does anyone know if 21 is the lowest ever score on 15-round Countdown?

Average of only 1.4 points per round compared to 7.4 is pretty dire, wouldn't you say?

[Eoin Monaghan]

Does anyone know if 21 is the lowest ever score on 15-round Countdown?

Average of only 1.4 points per round compared to 7.4 is pretty dire, wouldn't you say?

No, it is 13 by Hazel Wheeler vs David O'Donnel in series 58 James.

[Charlie Reams]

Does anyone know if 21 is the lowest ever score on 15-round Countdown?

No, but close.

[Kai Laddiman]

Does anyone know if 21 is the lowest ever score on 15-round Countdown?

No, but close.

Lolz, just seeing Julie Cocker, I have a friend whose mom's name is Julie Crocker.