Monday 19th Apri 2010 (Series 62, Prelim 66)

Howard Somerset · Post by **Howard Somerset** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:59 am

Countdown recap for Monday 19 April 2010.

C1: Champion Claudia Tyson (4 wins, 319 points.)
C2: Challenger Carol Rudland.
DC: Susie Dent and Ken Bruce.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

Claudia, a civilian practice nurse from Amphill, near Toddington Services on the M1, is back for a second week, having amassed four wins.
Coming up against her in her fifth game is Carol, an accounts assistant from Edinburgh. Carol, together with her husband Norrie, who was a contestant back in February, is a member of the Edinburgh Countdown Club, and those with good memories may remember Carol as the lady from the audience who solved the conundrum in Craig's third game.
Fourteen years after first appearing, in series 8, and for the first time since Jeff and Rachel took over, Ken Bruce makes a welcome return to dictionary corner.
Rachel has a rather husky voice today, and vehemently denied that this was caused by her excitement at the Manchester United v Liverpool match which had taken place on the day before the recording.

R01: V U N S D O A H U
R02: R J P E I O D V S
R03: P E I K G L E H C
R04: M R Z O I A L S O
R05: 100, 75, 2, 5, 3, 9. Target: 374.
TTT: SCARYSET - "Immotional in a theatrical sort of way."
R06: S D N I A E R D R
R07: N D O E I G T L F
R08: B Y B O E O N N T
R09: N E A T R E T S P
R10: 100, 6, 10, 6, 3, 10. Target: 535.
TTT: SUESMITH - "To all the Sue Smiths out there, peas be with you."
R11: R A U S W Q E A M
R12: L R X O E U C T C
R13: D P T O A R T E M
R14: 25, 10, 9, 10, 1, 4. Target: 434.
R15: S O A P R E S I N (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

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

C1: HOUNDS (6)
C2: HOUNDS (6)
OT: UNSHOD (6)
Score: 6–6 (max 6)

Round 2: R J P E I O D V S

C1: SPIDER (6)
C2: DOPIER (6)
DC: PROVIDES (8) DISPROVE (8)
Score: 12–12 (max 14)

Fortunately for each contestant, her opponent also missed a relatively easy 8, and so it's still level after two rounds.

Round 3: P E I K G L E H C

C1: HECKLE (6)
C2: HECKKE (6)
DC: PICKLE (6) KELPIE (6)
OT: PELIKE (6) LICHEE (6)
Score: 18–18 (max 20)

Back to the Greek words of last week, a pelike is a container for holding wine, used by the ancient Greeks.

Round 4: M R Z O I A L S O

C1: SAILOR (6)
C2: MORALS (6)
DC: ORALISM (7)
Score: 24–24 (max 27)

Oralism is a method of communication used by deaf people, and is based on lip-reading.
Nothing to choose between the contestants so far. And they've yet to declare anything other than six in any round.

Round 5: 100, 75, 2, 5, 3, 9. Target: 374.

C1: 374. 5 x 75 - (3 - 2) (10)
C2: 374. 5 x 75 - (3 - 2) (10)
Score: 34–34 (max 37)

After an easy numbers round, it's still level, but, as Rachel points out, we've broken the habit of scoring six per round.

Ken Bruce told us all about his many failed attempts at sporting prowess.

Teatime teaser: SCARYSET -> ACTRESSY

Round 6: S D N I A E R D R

C1: DRAINERS (8)
C2: SANDIER (7)
DC: SARDINED (8)
OT: SERRANID (8)
Score: 42–34 (max 45)

A serranid is a fish, and sardined is an example of making a verb out of a noun, a practice which Susie suggests has the very appropriate name VERBING - probably rather toungue in cheek, as VERB is not defined as a verb in the ODE2r, and hence VERBING would not be accepted in Countdown.
Anyway, this is the first time that we can see a gap between the two contestants, with Claudia taking an 8 point lead.

Round 7: N D O E I G T L F

C1: FELTING (7)
C2: FOLDING (7)
DC: LOFTING (7) TINGLED (7)
OT: FINGLED (7) GLINTED (7) LENTIGO (7) LENTOID (7) TENFOLD (7)
Score: 49–41 (max 52)

Round 8: B Y B O E O N N T

C1: BONNET (6)
C2: BONNET (6)
DC: BONBON (6)
OT: BETONY (6)
Score: 55–47 (max 58)

Round 9: N E A T R E T S P

C1: PATTERNS (8)
C2: PATTERNS (8)
DC: ENTREATS (8)
OT: TRANSEPT (8)
Score: 63–55 (max 66)

More Greek legends from Susie today, starting with Amazons, a race of famale warriors, who cut off their right breasts, as they got in the way when they were using such weapons as bows. I shall never buy another book on-line without thinking of women's breasts - no change there, then.

Round 10: 100, 6, 10, 6, 3, 10. Target: 535.

C1: 537.
C2: 535. (100 - 10) x 6 - 10 / (6 / 3) (10)
Score: 63–65 (max 76)

And now Carol fights back. Only the second round in which the contestants have been separated, and now it's Carol with a very narrow two point advantage.

Teatime teaser: SUESMITH -> MUSHIEST

Round 11: R A U S W Q E A M

C1: SQUARE (6)
C2: SQUARE (6)
DC: MARQUES (7) MARQUESA (8)
Score: 69–71 (max 84)

Round 12: L R X O E U C T C

C1: clouter
C2: exultor
DC: COULTER (7)
OT: CLOTURE (7)
Score: 69–71 (max 91)

Mistakes from both contestants here. Carol, who declared second, would have gone with a safer six, but was concerned about the possibility of losing her narrow lead. Will she come to regret that gamble?

Round 13: D P T O A R T E M

C1: TRAMPED (7)
C2: TAMPER (6)
DC: TETRAPOD (8)
Score: 76–71 (max 99)

And now, with just two rounds remaining, Claudia retakes the lead.

Round 14: 25, 10, 9, 10, 1, 4. Target: 434.

C1: 434. (10 + 10 - (4 - 1)) x 25 + 9 (10)
C2: 434. (10 + 10 - (4 - 1)) x 25 + 9 (10)
Score: 86–81 (max 109)

Another relatively simple numbers round, and it's a crucial conundrum.

Round 15: S O A P R E S I N

C1 buzzes on 10 seconds to say APRESSION which is incorrect.
C2 does not buzz.
The answer was ASPERSION.
Score: 86–81 (max 119)

Neither contestant gets it, but a contestant from later in the week confidently answers from the audience.
And so it's Claudia who goes on to tomorrow, having won with a margin of less than 10 for the third consecutive time.
And I'm quite sure that Carol would willingly have traded getting that conundrum while sitting in the audience a couple of months ago, for getting today's.
An incredibly close game, both getting 8 maxes, and Carol with a raw score just one more than Claudia's.

Apologies for the delay in the Monday recap. We seem to be falling apart. I'll be interested to see who does next Monday's. I don't think it's me.

Statistics Corner

Claudia:
Total score - 86
Raw score - 93
Total % of max - 72
Raw % of max - 78
Total average score per round - 6
Raw average score per round - 6
Number of maxes - 8

Carol:
Total score - 81
Raw score - 94
Total % of max - 68
Raw % of max - 79
Total average score per round - 5
Raw average score per round - 6
Number of maxes - 8

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=62