Tuesday 29th June 2010 (Series 63, Prelim 7)

[Ryan Taylor]

Thankfully the weather has cooled down a bit so I can write todays recap fully clothed.

Countdown recap for Tuesday 29 June 2010.

C1: Champion Olive Collis (1 win, 77 points.)
C2: Challenger Ben Cooke.
DC: Susie Dent and Tim Vine.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: B N T M E E I R A
R02: N C N E I A G V S
R03: N L K Q E U A L I
R04: D T P U A E R N P
R05: 50, 5, 5, 6, 10, 8. Target: 212.
TTT: LETSIREN - "Let the siren ring, he's very good at hearing"
R06: F B N O E O S T P
R07: F S H T A O E X D
R08: W L T I O A J T E
R09: L R Y C U A E P R
R10: 100, 25, 10, 8, 6, 1. Target: 294.
TTT: ENDBLAME - "If it's broken, don't worry, it can be fixed"
R11: L S M R I O A E G
R12: H R N I E U G S I
R13: M R D T O I U O R
R14: 75, 9, 9, 7, 4, 2, . Target: 225.
R15: D E D D A L E K S (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.

We start talking about gardening which led to Rachel saying she has brown fingers! Mucky bitch.

Olive Collis disposed of the wonderful Annie Hawes in a close game yesterday and so is here gunning for victory number two.

Ben Cooke is today's challenger and he is from Chester but attends the University of York studying economics and finance. His taste in music is excellent: Oasis, Blur, the Smiths, the Kinks and the Beatles. He also plays apterous so come on Ben!!

Tim Vine joins us for a second time for more laughter.

Round 1: B N T M E E I R A

C1: RAIMENT (7)
C2: MEATIER (7)
DC: AMBIENT (7) MINARET (7)
OT: BEAMIER (7) BETAINE (7) EMIRATE (7) MATINEE (7) MERANTI (7) RETINAE (7) TRAINEE (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

Maxes all round here from a nice set of letters.

Round 2: N C N E I A G V S

C1: CAVING (6)
C2: CEASING (7)
DC: ENCASING (8)
Score: 7–14 (max 15)

A simple 7 from Ben is enough to beat Olive's 6 but DC trump them by spotting the darren.

Round 3: N L K Q E U A L I

C1: QUAIL (5)
C2: UNLIKE (6)
DC: QUAKE (5) QUINELLA (8)
Score: 7–20 (max 23)

Disgusting set of letters which Ben does incredibly well to pick out a 6. Until of course DC come up with the stunning QUINELLA.

QUINELLA is a type of bet where you have to pick the first two winners of a race but you don't need to get them in the right order.

Round 4: D T P U A E R N P

C1: TRAPPED (7)
C2: UNTAPPED (8)
DC: PRUNE (5) PRUDENT (7)
Score: 7–28 (max 31)

Fantastic play from Ben here! The only 8 available and he is confident with it. Sounded a bit dodgy to me but his knowledge is good. DC are suitably impressed.

Tim Vine: PRUDENT was there.
Susie Dent: Yes PRUDENT for 7.
Tim Vine: Any relation?

Round 5: 50, 5, 5, 6, 10, 8. Target: 212.

C1: 212. 5*50-6*5-8 (10)
C2: 212. (50-8)*5+10/5 (10)
Score: 17–38 (max 41)

After the excellence in round 4 Ben just about gets this numbers game to keep his 21 point lead. A whiff of dodginess about it. Cue mass debate.

DC Guest Time: Tim talks about cars. END OF ANECDOTE!

Teatime teaser: LETSIREN -> LISTENER

Round 6: F B N O E O S T P

C1: SPOON (5)
C2: OBOES (5)
DC: FESTOON (7) NOOP
Score: 22–43 (max 48)

A tricky round here with only really FESTOON to go at. Both manage 5's whilst Tim has "Noooope". Although I thought that NOOP was actually the term for the loose bit of skin on the elbow. I could be wrong.

Round 7: F S H T A O E X D

C1: SHAFTED (7)
C2: SHAFTED (7)
Score: 29–50 (max 55)

Nothing but the 7 here which they both get. Something quite amusing about hearing Olive say SHAFTED. Good spots.

Round 8: W L T I O A J T E

C1: TITLE (5)
C2: WATTLE (6)
DC: TOILET (6)
OT: WITTOL (6)
Score: 29–56 (max 61)

Ben is doing brilliant. He extends his lead to a crushing 27 points and is only 5 off the max.

Tim: "wee came up with TOILET"

The lovely sounding WITTOL is "an archaic term for a cuckold who knows about his wife's infidelity but tolerates it."

Round 9: L R Y C U A E P R

C1: PLAYER (6)
C2: CURLY (5)
DC: PRAYER (6) PEARLY (6)
OT: PRELACY (7)
Score: 35–56 (max 68)

For the first time in the game Ben fails to score in a round as Olive betters him. Susie comments that there must be a 7 and there was.

PRELACY is the office of a prelate which is a clergyman.

Susie's Origin of Words: Susie explores the origin of the word VILLAIN, KNIGHT, and the surnames RILEY and STELLING. Something to do with a cow shed!

Round 10: 100, 25, 10, 8, 6, 1. Target: 294.

C1: 294. (10-8+1)*100-6 (10)
C2: 299.
Score: 45–56 (max 78)

And again, 2 rounds in a row Ben fails to score making his once handsome lead look rather less comforting at the moment.

Teatime teaser: ENDBLAME -> MENDABLE

With the lead at just 11 points now the game is well and truly on as we begin round 11.

Round 11: L S M R I O A E G

C1: MAILERS (7)
C2: GAOLERS (7)
DC: SERAGLIO (8) MORALISE (8) GLAMORISE (18)
Score: 52–63 (max 96)

MORALISE is seemingly obvious from the first 8 letters so I was slightly disappointed when they declared 7's. DC fill us in with a few 8's and the lovely 9 GLAMORISE.

SERAGLIO is the "living quarters reserved for wives and concubines and female relatives in a Muslim household"

Round 12: H R N I E U G S I

C1: RUSHING (7)
C2: RUSHING (7)
DC: GURNS (5) GUSHIER (7) HUNGERS (7) REUSING (7) USHERING (8)
Score: 59–70 (max 104)

Matched again and the 11 point lead remains. Susie reels off some 7's very quickly whilst Ms. Riley finds the 8! w00t. (Tim pulls funny face declaring GURNS)

Round 13: M R D T O I U O R

C1: TORRID (6)
C2: MOOD (4)
DC: TOROID (6)
OT: DROMOI (6)
Score: 65–70 (max 110)

That's it, the magic 11 point lead has gone. Max from Olive puts pressure on Ben at this late stage.

TOROID means doughnut-shaped.

No idea what DROMOI means.

Round 14: 75, 9, 9, 7, 4, 2. Target: 225.

C1: 225. (9/9+2)*75 (10)
C2: 225. (7-4)*75 (10)
Score: 75–80 (max 120)

The multiple of 75 causes no trouble and we are heading for a second crucial conundrum this week.

Round 15: D E D D A L E K S

C2 buzzes on 10 seconds to say SKEDADDLE which is correct.
Score: 75–90 (max 130)

WHAT THE FUCK!! 3 D's and a K?!?! Oh, so that's what it was. A cool scramble if you like Doctor Who which I bet a lot of people do!

Nice one Ben. A fantastic spot under pressure produces a win for Ben and I think over the game he more than deserved it. Olive says her farewell as Ben will take her seat tomorrow. Another enjoyable game, contestants great, banter quality, standard is decent, contests are close. Pleasure to have recapped both Monday's and Tuesday's Countdown this week.

But tomorrow it's *drum roll* the Robinson Recap!

And it's goodnight from me.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63

[Liam Tiernan]

Yes, never saw two people so happy to get SHAFTED. ( beat you to it, Marc)

[Peter Mabey]

DROMOI is the plural of DROMOS - an ancient Greek racecourse. (For Origins of Words fans, that's the source for all those words ending in -drome )

[Matthew Tassier]

His taste in music is excellent: Oasis, Blue, the Smiths, the Kinks and the Beatles.

Think I've spotted the deliberate error/odd one out. At least I hope so for Ben's sake. Blur, surely?

[Jon Corby]

His taste in music is excellent: Oasis, Blue, the Smiths, the Kinks and the Beatles.

Think I've spotted the deliberate error/odd one out. At least I hope so for Ben's sake. Blur, surely?

Haha, I saw that and thought Blue looked a little out of place, but it didn't occur that it might be a typo!

[Ryan Taylor]

His taste in music is excellent: Oasis, Blue, the Smiths, the Kinks and the Beatles.

Think I've spotted the deliberate error/odd one out. At least I hope so for Ben's sake. Blur, surely?

Haha, I saw that and thought Blue looked a little out of place, but it didn't occur that it might be a typo!

No he really loves Duncan James.

Edited though. Quite a funny typo to make.