Almost sounds like another game show, doesn't it
Countdown recap for Wednesday 3 February 2010.
C1: Champion Mark Abbitt (1 win, 82 points.) From Faversham, Kent. He is a laboratory technician and is a big F1 buff, and his ambition is to see every F1 circuit around the world, and as we discovered yesterday, Silverstone is the only one he has been to so far.
C2: Challenger Jay Lopian. An Apterite from Manchester. He's a final-year accountancy degree student at Westminster University. When he was 6, he got into the final 10 for auditions to be the Milkybar Kid. Whilst in Switzerland, he went skiing in a mankini.
DC: Susie Dent and Kaye Adams.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: M E S I N E U S K
R02: A I N L S O T P E
R03: T O A U M T E H D
R04: R L R A O E T V A
R05: 25, 7, 8, 7, 1, 10. Target: 144.
TTT: BAKEDCAT - "Rewind in time to an old girlfriend"
R06: O I A D B L C O X
R07: T E I E A N L R P
R08: T M B Q U E R I T
R09: C W N E I A F C E
R10: 100, 1, 3, 8, 10, 4. Target: 119.
TTT: INOTNICE - "I not nice, but I very addictive"
R11: S A Y N F E O A R
R12: E A O G R L D M E
R13: Y E N O J O E I S
R14: 75, 25, 7, 1, 9, 3. Target: 265.
R15: F I N E T O N I C (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: M E S I N E U S K
C1: semens
C2: unseems
DC: MINUSES (7)
OT: KINESES (7) NEMESIS (7) SIEMENS (7)
Score: 0–0 (max 7)
Oh dear, for the first time since Jeff Burgin's 2nd game, the score after round 1 remains 0-0.
SIEMENS is the SI unit of electrical conductance.
Round 2: A I N L S O T P E
C1: PLANTS (6)
C2: PLAINEST (8)
DC: SEALPOINT (18)
Score: 0–8 (max 25)
Jay takes the first points of the show, but both contestants miss DC's darrenic 9.
Round 3: T O A U M T E H D
C1: MOUTHED (7)
C2: MOUTHED (7)
DC: MUTATED (7)
OT: OUTDATE (7)
Score: 7–15 (max 32)
Round 4: R L R A O E T V A
C1: volter
C2: TRAVEL (6)
DC: REALTOR (7) AREOLAR (7)
OT: AERATOR (7) LEVATOR (7) RELATOR (7)
Score: 7–21 (max 39)
If only Mark had switched the ER to a RE and put it at the front, then he would have a valid word. As it is, Jay's score is now triple that of Mark's.
Round 5: 25, 7, 8, 7, 1, 10. Target: 144.
C1: -
C2: 144. (25 - (8 - 7)) x (7 - 1) (10)
Score: 7–31 (max 49)
Jay seems to hitting top gear, while Mark seems to be finding it hard to get out of first.
Kaye tells of her upcoming exploits including her new book and new radio show. Then she tells of her story about her children saying rude words and how they tell the age of people.
Teatime teaser: BAKEDCAT -> BACKDATE
Round 6: O I A D B L C O X
C1: diablo
C2: BLOOD (5)
DC: DIABOLO (7)
OT: CABILDO (7)
Score: 7–36 (max 56)
More bad luck for Mark as if he added the other O, he would have had a fab 7, as it is, he gets nothing for that devilish word.
A CABILDO is a Spanish word for a chapter house of a cathedral.
Round 7: T E I E A N L R P
C1: PAINTER (7)
C2: LATRINE (7)
DC: TRAPLINE (8) TRIPLANE (8) TREENAIL (8) PERINEAL (8)
OT: APERIENT (8) INTERLAP (8) PEARLITE (8) PETALINE (8)
Score: 14–43 (max 64)
Mark manages to double his points tally, but both players miss the octet of 8's.
PEARLITE is a metallurgical term for a microscopic lamellar structure found in iron or steel, composed of alternating layers of ferrite and cementite.
Round 8: T M B Q U E R I T
C1: QUITTER (7)
C2: QUITTER (7)
DC: BRIQUET (7)
OT: TERBIUM (7) TRIBUTE (7)
Score: 21–50 (max 71)
TERBIUM (Tb in the Periodic Table) is a rare-earth, metallic element present in certain minerals and yielding colorless salts.
Round 9: C W N E I A F C E
C1: FIANCE (6)
C2: FIANCE (6)
DC: FIANCEE (7)
OT: FAIENCE (7)
Score: 27–56 (max 78)
Clearly neither of the competitors have been married, as they both decide to go male, when going female would've been the better option.
A FAIENCE is a piece of glazed earthenware or pottery, especially a fine variety with highly coloured designs.
Following from both Jeff & Rachel's successes, it's now Kaye's turn to have a go at Susie's Call My Bluff.
She had to work out which definition of WOOFITS was correct.
a) If a dog has it, it has a case of canine hiccups.
b) The patterns found on a woven garment, in which the threads that cross from side to side (the woofs) are at right angles to those going up and down (known as the warp).
c) When you feel blue and out of sorts anyhow.
Unfortunately, Kaye can't make it 3 out of 3, as she incorrectly guesses a) as the answer. The answer was c).
Round 10: 100, 1, 3, 8, 10, 4. Target: 119.
C1: 119. 100 + 10 + 8 + 1 (10)
C2: 119. 100 + 10 + 8 + 1 (10)
Score: 37–66 (max 88)
Teatime teaser: INOTNICE -> NICOTINE
Round 11: S A Y N F E O A R
C1: SONAR (5)
C2: FORAYS (6)
OT: ARENAS (6) FAYRES (6) FOYERS (6) REASON (6) SENORA (6) SENARY (6) YEARNS (6)
Score: 37–72 (max 94)
Round 12: E A O G R L D M E
C1: ORDEAL (6)
C2: ROAMED (6)
DC: REGALED (7) EARLDOM (7) GLEAMED (7)
OT: AEROGEL (7) EMERALD (7) REMODEL (7)
Score: 43–78 (max 101)
AEROGEL is a gel formed by the dispersion of air in a solidified matrix.
Round 13: Y E N O J O E I S
C1: ENJOYS (6)
C2: ENJOYS (6)
Score: 49–84 (max 107)
Both players enjoy their darrenic 6, but Jay will probably have enjoyed it more as that 6 gives him the game.
Round 14: 75, 25, 7, 1, 9, 3. Target: 265.
C1: 271.
C2: 263. ((75 + 25) x (3 - 1)) + (9 x 7) (7)
RR: 265. (3 x 75) + 25 + (7 + 9 - 1) (10)
Score: 49–91 (max 117)
Round 15: F I N E T O N I C
C2 buzzes on 6 seconds to say INFECTION which is correct.
Score: 49–101 (max 127)
Interestingly, the conundrum has the same letters as the 2nd TTT, obviously apart from the extra F, but we get a completely different anagram. Oh well, just a small complaint.
But, Jay will have no complaints about his performance today. He brushed aside his opponent and got a century in the process. Can he continue tomorrow or will he just be a fading piece of kryptonite
Join me tomorrow to see who will become United Kingdom Countdown Champion - 4th February 2010.
Statistics Corner
Mark:
Total score - 49
Raw score - 65
Total % of max - 39
Raw % of max - 51
Total average score per round - 3.3
Raw average score per round - 4.3
Number of maxes - 4
Jay:
Total score - 101
Raw score - 101
Total % of max - 80
Raw % of max - 80
Total average score per round - 6.7
Raw average score per round - 6.7
Number of maxes - 7
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62
