Thursday 23rd July 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 24)

[Jon Corby]

Countdown recap for Thursday 23 July 2009.

C1: Champion Paul Varlaam (2 wins, 159 points.)
C2: Challenger Vic Aboudara.
DC: Susie Dent and Anton Du Beke.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: P V U A D S O D N
R02: E A O R N B I P O
R03: G I L R E T T I S
R04: R B D N O E I O U
R05: 75, 9, 2, 10, 9, 1. Target: 442.
TTT: ENLARGES - "They pull all the strings in the battlefield"
R06: R C J C E O A N T
R07: N E S N A T P E H
R08: I E U S G N T S O
R09: R S E X R I O M L
R10: 100, 50, 2, 5, 10, 1. Target: 390.
TTT: NICERIBS - "Mark my words, this is how you do it"
R11: F C E R S A E T Z
R12: F M T R A E M W A
R13: D S E L T I L A H
R14: 75, 100, 3, 2, 7, 5. Target: 416.
R15: N I C E G I N N S (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Show number three for Paul Varlaam then, who has had to come from behind in both his previous matches so far to win on crucial conundrums - indeed he overturned a mammoth 30 point deficit on his debut against Yvonne Battelle (trailing 36-6 at the first break), and was pretty lucky to see the back of Carol "wife of Tony" Warren yesterday despite losing to a nine in one round. Paul's from Wandsworth in London, he loves Cyprus, poetry and 80s TV and music, and his ambition is to be a successful actor and play Doctor Who. Stranger things have happened! Well... none come to mind actually.

Today's challenger is Vic Aboudara from Barnet in Hertfordshire, who looks like a bit like somebody but I can't think who at the moment. Vic's the Creative Services Manager for a charity called Jewish Care and has a wife called Sharon and a son called Sam. I wonder how much Jewish charity collection boxes... no, never mind. Vic would love to race motorbikes, and he plays lead guitar in a band called Groove Unlimited.

Anton Du Beke joins Susie in Dictionary Corner, who I should loathe, but he's actually really good (I seem to remember writing this last time around!) - excellent contribution to the game, very cheery and doesn't take himself too seriously. Bravo!

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: P V U A D S O D N

C1: POUNDS (6)
C2: POUNDS (6)
DC: SADDO (5)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

Round 2: E A O R N B I P O

C1: BONIER (6)
C2: opiner
OT: BORONIA (7) PRONAOI (7)
Score: 12–6 (max 13)

BORONIA is an Australian shrub, while PRONAOI is the plural of PRONAOS, a type of vestibule at the front of a classical temple.

Round 3: G I L R E T T I S

C1: GLITTERS (8)
C2: GLITTERS (8)
DC: girliest
OT: SLITTIER (8)
Score: 20–14 (max 21)

NO! GIRLIEST^ is not another 8 Susie & Anton! It's more than one syllable and the comparative and superlative are not specified. Naughty.

Round 4: R B D N O E I O U

C1: BOUNDER (7)
C2: REBOUND (7)
DC: BOUDOIR (7)
OT: UNROBED (7) BOURDON (7) BRIDOON (7) DOOBRIE (7)
Score: 27–21 (max 28)

Round 5: 75, 9, 2, 10, 9, 1. Target: 442.

C1: 441. (9-2-1)*75-9 (7)
C2: 441. (9-2-1)*75-9 (7)
RR: 442. (9*9*10+75-1)/2 (10)
Score: 34–28 (max 38)

(Rachel got this out of time, for whoever asked to be notified of such things)

Teatime teaser: ENLARGES -> GENERALS

Round 6: R C J C E O A N T

C1: CANCER (6)
C2: CANTER (6)
DC: CONCERT (7) JACONET (7)
OT: ACCENTOR (8)
Score: 40–34 (max 46)

Round 7: N E S N A T P E H

C1: PEAHENS (7)
C2: PEAHENS (7)
DC: PENNATE (7)
OT: HEPTANES (8)
Score: 47–41 (max 54)

Duplicated round from yesterday - DC spotted HEPTANES yesterday but surprisingly everyone missed it today!

Round 8: I E U S G N T S O

C1: TINGES (6)
C2: OUTINGS (7)
DC: TONGUES (7) OUSTING (7) SIGNETS (7)
OT: GOUTINESS (18)
Score: 47–48 (max 72)

Round 9: R S E X R I O M L

C1: MORSEL (6)
C2: moires
DC: LORIMERS (8)
Score: 53–48 (max 80)

Ouch - MOIRE is a mass-noun fabric, but we've had pluralisable mass noun fabrics before so how do you choose?

Anyway Susie, Origin Of Words today?

" 'Fiddlesticks' is something Vic might be thinking after that last round..."

Ah, you disallow it if it provides you with a neat see-gyoo into your segment....

Round 10: 100, 50, 2, 5, 10, 1. Target: 390.

C1: 390. (5-1)*2*50-10 (10)
C2: 390. (5-1)*100-10 (10)
Score: 63–58 (max 90)

Teatime teaser: NICERIBS -> INSCRIBE

Round 11: F C E R S A E T Z

C1: REFACES (7)
C2: CATERS (6)
DC: FEASTER (7) ERSATZ (6)
OT: AFREETS (7) CREATES (7)
Score: 70–58 (max 97)

Round 12: F M T R A E M W A

C1: TAMER (5)
C2: TAMER (5)
DC: WATER (5)
OT: FERMATA (7)
Score: 75–63 (max 104)

Round 13: D S E L T I L A H

C1: STALLED (7)
C2: STALLED (7)
DC: DILATES (7) TALLIES (7)
OT: DALLIES (7) SALLIED (7) DETAILS (7) HALIDES (7) LATEISH (7) SHILLED (7) SITELLA (7) TAILLES (7) STILLED (7) TALLIED (7) TALLISH (7)
Score: 82–70 (max 111)

Amusing with all those sevens available that the contestants came up with the same one! Ha ha ha ha ha.

Round 14: 75, 100, 3, 2, 7, 5. Target: 416.

C1: 415. 75*3*2-7*5 (7)
C2: 418.
RR: 416. (75+7)*5+3*2 (10)
Score: 89–70 (max 121)

Paul won't be needing the conundrum today, as Vic sees a real (and his final) opportunity slip away...

Round 15: N I C E G I N N S

No one buzzes. The answer was INCENSING.
Score: 89–70 (max 131)

...and it's the first one he hasn't gone, as some dude in the audience provides the answer. So commiserations to Vic, and congratulations to Paul, who once again had to come from behind to win!

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

[Martin Smith]

Scottish Care would have even more trouble. He must be very creative if the charity is still going though.