But, until that moment comes, we have the top 4 seeds in action in the Series 61 semis. The No.2 & 3 seeds, Chris Davies & Innis Carson face off tomorrow, but today we have the No.1 & 4 seeds, Andrew Hulme & Ryan Taylor.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 16 December 2009.
C1: Number 4 Seed Ryan Taylor (9 wins, 883 points.) From Coniston, East Yorkshire. Won yesterday's quarter-final against Number 5 Seed Brian Selway 91-71.
C2: Number 1 Seed Andrew Hulme (9 wins, 1,016 points.) From Stamford, Lincolnshire, but is a student at Warwick University. Won his quarter-final 86-42 against Jacqueline Baker last Thursday.
DC: Susie Dent and Rory McGrath.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: E D U N D E P A T
R02: M B H O E U N T O
R03: A S R I E C W R C
R04: L T S O A I A K E
R05: 75, 4, 10, 7, 7, 2. Target: 839.
TTT: MIXLAGER - "The picture takes the place of the word"
R06: L L P O E A X O E
R07: A T O E R N Q E P
R08: S N D U I O E T S
R09: G O M A E S M Z D
R10: 75, 9, 2, 5, 2, 6. Target: 337.
TTT: RAYMINDS - "Ray does mind, if he's a victim of this"
R11: B A T G U A I E L
R12: Y T F O E U D S R
R13: O F G A E O P L S
R14: 3, 1, 9, 7, 6, 1. Target: 942.
R15: S E M I H U N T T (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Enjoy the show.
Round 1: E D U N D E P A T
C1: PUDENDA (7)
C2: UPENDED (7)
OT: DAUNTED (7) UNDATED (7) DEPUTED (7) DETUNED (7) UPDATED (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)
A nice flat start to this semi-final.
Round 2: M B H O E U N T O
C1: umbone
C2: BOOTH (5)
DC: ENTOMB (6)
OT: BOUTON (6) MOUTON (6) OUBOET (6)
Score: 7–12 (max 13)
A BOUTON is a knoblike enlargement
at the end of an axon, where it forms a synapse with other neurons.Round 3: A S R I E C W R C
C1: CARRIES (7)
C2: CARRIES (7)
DC: AIRCREWS (8)
OT: AIRSCREW (8)
Score: 14–19 (max 21)
An AIRSCREW is a British term for an airline propeller, and nothing to do with Mile High Club, well, not yet anyway....
Round 4: L T S O A I A K E
C1: SOLATIA (7)
C2: SOLATIA (7)
OT: ISOLATE (7) OAKIEST (7) TALKIES (7)
Score: 21–26 (max 28)
Round 5: 75, 4, 10, 7, 7, 2. Target: 839.
C1: 839. ((7 + 4) x 75) + (2 x 7) (10)
C2: 839. ((7 + 4) x 75) + (2 x 7) (10)
Score: 31–36 (max 38)
Rory tells of his frustration at him being confused with the other Rory, the impressionist Rory Bremner.
Teatime teaser: MIXLAGER -> LEXIGRAM
Round 6: L L P O E A X O E
C1: POLLEX (6)
C2: POLEAXE (7)
Score: 31–43 (max 45)
Ryan gets POLEAXEd by Andrew's darrenic 7.
Round 7: A T O E R N Q E P
C1: PRONATE (7)
C2: PRONATE (7)
DC: OPERANT (7) OPERATE (7)
OT: PROTEAN (7)
Score: 38–50 (max 52)
Another flat round keeps Andrew's score at Max-2
Round 8: S N D U I O E T S
C1: soundiest
C2: SOUNDEST (8)
DC: OUTSIDES (8)
Score: 38–58 (max 60)
Ryan's dubiously dodgy 9 is just that. Andrew & DC between them get the only 8's.
Round 9: G O M A E S M Z D
C1: GAMES (5)
C2: DOSAGE (6)
DC: OMEGAS (6)
OT: DAGOES (6) DOGMAS (6) MODEMS (6) SMEGMA (6)
Score: 38–64 (max 66)
I was going to do the definition of SMEGMA, but there's enough smutty stuff in here to last a lifetime, so I'll leave it to here - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/smegma
Susie's Origin Of Words tells of the origins of the womb-related words "Caesarean Section", "hysterectomy" and "matrix".
James' Interesting Fact: Even though Caesarean Section is said to have been derived from Julius Caesar, he was not born by Caesarean Section.
Round 10: 75, 9, 2, 5, 2, 6. Target: 337.
C1: 337. ((75 - 6) x 5) - (9 - (2 / 2)) (10)
C2: 337. ((75 - 6) x 5) - (9 - (2 / 2)) (10)
Score: 48–74 (max 76)
A numbers game in which Ryan declares that he hadn't written it down, whereas Andrew had mostly written it down.
Teatime teaser: RAYMINDS -> MISANDRY
Round 11: B A T G U A I E L
C1: -
C2: LABIATE (7)
OT: TABLEAU (7)
Score: 48–81 (max 83)
Round 12: Y T F O E U D S R
C1: FOSTER (6)
C2: DEFROST (7)
DC: FROSTED (7)
OT: DESTROY (7) DETOURS (7) DOUREST (7) ROUSTED (7) RESTUDY (7)
Score: 48–88 (max 90)
As well as booking his place in the final, that is Andrew's 9th conescutive max today.
Round 13: O F G A E O P L S
C1: gloops
C2: gloops
DC: GALOPS (6)
OT: ASLOPE (6) GOSPEL (6) PLAGES (6) POGOES (6)
Score: 48–88 (max 96)
It unfortunately ends after both declare the non-existent GLOOPS.
Round 14: 3, 1, 9, 7, 6, 1. Target: 942.
C1: -
C2: 944. ((6 - 1) x 7 x 3 x 9) - 1 (7)
RR: 942. (((6 - 1) x 7 x 9) - 1) x 3 (10) (After Conundrum)
Score: 48–95 (max 106)
Andrew deploys 6 small in preparation for it being possibly used in the final. He gets a round of applause for getting 2 away.
Round 15: S E M I H U N T T
No one buzzes. The answer was TUNESMITH.
Score: 48–95 (max 116)
Some character who looks like Dinos Sfyris in a tramp guise solves the conundrum, but nothing can spoil Andrew's day. He reaches the final, becoming the 5th consecutive No.1 seed to reach the final. Ryan played well for the first half of the game, although he was gradually worn down. He actually only scored 10 points in the last 8 rounds.
Just too many risky words, but he still did fantastically to reach the semis.Join me tomorrow for the second semi-final to see who will play Andrew in Friday's Grand Final.
Will it be Number 2 Seed Chris Davies, hoping to make it the first No.1 vs. No.2 Seed final since John Brackstone & John Mayhew in Richard Whiteley's last show in 2005
Or will it be Innis Carson, hoping to make the 3rd consecutive No.1 vs. No.3 seed final
All this and more will be revealed tomorrow...
Join me then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Ryan:
Total score - 48
Raw score - 65
Total % of max - 41
Raw % of max - 56
Total average score per round - 3.2
Raw average score per round - 4.3
Number of maxes - 5
Andrew:
Total score - 95
Raw score - 95
Total % of max - 82
Raw % of max - 82
Total average score per round - 6.3
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 10
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=61
