Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Wednesday 17 November 2010.
C1: Champion Niall Young (1 win, 98 points.) From Sleaford, Lincolnshire. He works as a county cricket development manager. He claims that he's not bad at cricket, but should be better.
C2: Challenger Mary Green. From Belfast, Northern Ireland. She enjoys playing Scrabble and crosswords and is a fan of Everton, as well as Jeremy Paxman.
Her favourite place in the world is Louisiana, mainly because her sister lives there, but there is also a good casino. 
DC: Susie Dent and Dave Spikey.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: D S N U I O G R E
R02: M O S E A X M I D
R03: A T J T O E F P H
R04: N U S T O I R N B
R05: 50, 3, 10, 5, 9, 4. Target: 102.
TTT: MELDEDYE - "Sang a selection of songs about vegetables"
R06: S A F O R E L A C
R07: T G R O E A L W C
R08: V I S Q O T A I N
R09: C O P Y E U M R S
R10: 25, 8, 1, 4, 1, 9. Target: 103.
TTT: STUNBELT - "There's no point to this, said James"
R11: W R D T O E A V G
R12: R I D N E I M L O
R13: U E S T G A R Z N
R14: 100, 50, 1, 7, 2, 2. Target: 873.
R15: D U F F O R I C E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: D S N U I O G R E
C1: GROUNDS (7)
C2: GROUNDS (7)
DC: DINGERS (7) dongers dungers SURGEON (7)
OT: GUERDONS (8) SOIGNEUR (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)
Good GROUNDS to start with for our contestants, but both 8's are missed in the studio.
A GUERDON, as Ryan will probably be able to tell you, is a reward, recompense, or requital.
Round 2: M O S E A X M I D
C1: mosied
C2: maxies
DC: MAXIS (5) OXIDES (6) OXIDASE (7)
OT: ADMIXES (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 15)
Oh dear, a double disallowed here, means it's since 7-a-side after 2.
Round 3: A T J T O E F P H
C1: HOPE (4)
C2: toepath
DC: FETA (4) FETTA (5) TEAPOT (6)
Score: 11–7 (max 21)
Mary tries to substitute the W in TOWPATH with an E. Erm,..... somehow words don't quite work like that.
DC go darrenic with today's star prize. Round 4: N U S T O I R N B
C1: BOUTS (5)
C2: BUNIONS (7)
DC: BURTONS (7)
OT: INTRONS (7) NITROUS (7) TURIONS (7) NONSUIT (7)
Score: 11–14 (max 28)
But Mary gets back in nicely with a good 7 that DC even miss
An INTRON is a noncoding segment in a length of DNA that interrupts a gene-coding sequence or nontranslated sequence, the corresponding segment being removed from the RNA copy before transcription.
NITROUS is an adjective meaning pertaining to compounds obtained from niter, usually containing less oxygen than the corresponding nitric compounds.
A TURION is a small shoot, as of asparagus or certain aquatic plants, from which a new plant can develop.
A NONSUIT is a judgment given against a plaintiff who neglects to prosecute, or who fails to show a legal cause of action or to bring sufficient evidence.
Round 5: 50, 3, 10, 5, 9, 4. Target: 102.
C1: 102. ((10 / 5) x 50) + 9 - 4 - 3 (10)
C2: -
Score: 21–14 (max 38)
Oh dear, Mary blanks out and Niall capitalises to retake the lead.
Dave talks about his first joke he was told at school, and an incident involving him swallowing a plaster while swimming.
Teatime teaser: MELDEDYE -> MEDLEYED
Round 6: S A F O R E L A C
C1: FORCES (6)
C2: LOAFERS (7)
DC: ALFRESCO (8)
Score: 21–21 (max 46)
But this challenger isn't giving up that easily, and gets a 7 to return the scores to level-pegging.
Round 7: T G R O E A L W C
C1: ORACLE (6)
C2: locater
DC: CROTALE (7)
OT: GELCOAT (7) GLOATER (7) LEGATOR (7)
Score: 27–21 (max 53)
Quite a few 7's available. DC get one, Niall doesn't, but he gets the points, as Mary falls into the locater/LOCATOR trap. (I also wonder if Niall's brain went slightly down in the last round, as he could've had ORACLES, yet he got ORACLE this time round.
)Round 8: V I S Q O T A I N
C1: VISTA (5)
C2: VISION (6)
DC: STAIN (5)
OT: ISATIN (6)
Score: 27–27 (max 59)
This game is going back and forth. Mary's perfect VISION brings the scores level again.
ISATIN is a yellowish-red or orange, crystalline, water-soluble solid, C8H5NO2, used chiefly in the synthesis of vat dyes.
Round 9: C O P Y E U M R S
C1: SCRUMPY (7)
C2: RECOUPS (7)
DC: SUPREMO (7)
OT: COMPERS (7)
Score: 34–34 (max 66)
Susie's Origin Of Words tells of the origin of "Uncle Sam", the symbol of America.
Round 10: 25, 8, 1, 4, 1, 9. Target: 103.
C1: 103. (25 x 4) + 9 - 8 + 1 + 1 (10)
C2: 102.
Score: 44–34 (max 76)
Oh dear again. Mary and numbers don't seem to mix well. Even worse, Mary revealed she actually misdeclared and DID have 103.
Teatime teaser: STUNBELT -> BLUNTEST
Round 11: W R D T O E A V G
C1: DOWAGER (7)
C2: WORDAGE (7)
DC: WATERDOG (8)
Score: 51–41 (max 84)
Another DC darren here, but the gap is still only 10 points, meaning there are going to be some tight rounds ahead.
Round 12: R I D N E I M L O
C1: MINDER (6)
C2: MODERN (6)
DC: MIDLINE (7) DOMINIE (7)
OT: MIDIRON (7) MINORED (7)
Score: 57–47 (max 91)
Still tight, as DC get half the 7's, while the contestants make do with 6.
A MIDIRON (or No.5/6/7 Iron in UK and weirdly, No.2 Iron in US
) is a golf club with an iron head the face of which has more slope than a driving iron but less slope than a mid-mashie.Round 13: U E S T G A R Z N
C1: STRANGE (7)
C2: ruster
DC: GARNETS (7) NATURES (7)
OT: SUNGAZER (8)
Score: 64–47 (max 99)
While Mary uses a phantom R, Niall goes further forward with his 7.
SUNGAZER relates to SUNGAZING, the practice of staring directly at the sun at sunset or sunrise, especially in the belief that doing so allows one to survive without eating food.
Round 14: 100, 50, 1, 7, 2, 2. Target: 873.
C1: 881. ((100 - 2) x (7 + 2)) - 1 (5)
C2: -
JS: 873. (100 - 2 - 1) x (7 + 2) (10)
Score: 69–47 (max 109)
Like yesterday, a slight alteration to Niall's method would've got him 10 points. As it is, his 5 put him through to tomorrow's show.
Round 15: D U F F O R I C E
C1 buzzes on 23 seconds to say COIFFURED which is correct.
Final Score: 79–47 (max 119)
Niall didn't seem sure about his answer, but he got it spot on, and puts on more gloss to his victory, but the game was very tight, and if Mary had got that 2nd numbers, the outcome might have changed dramatically.
As it is, he's through to his 3rd show. How far will he go
I'll be back later with a bonus recap.
So, ta for now.
Statistics Corner
Niall:
Total score - 79
Raw score - 95
Total % of max - 66
Raw % of max - 80
Total average score per round - 5.3
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 4
Mary:
Total score - 47
Raw score - 54
Total % of max - 39
Raw % of max - 45
Total average score per round - 3.1
Raw average score per round - 3.6
Number of maxes - 3
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=63
