C1: Champion Ned Pendleton (1 win, 69 points.)
C2: Challenger Colin Cox.
DC: Susie Dent and Debra Stephenson.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
It's the weekend again (although sadly it's nearly over) so it's time for the latest Friday Recap to emerge. On Thursday's show, Ned Pendleton triumphed over Dublin-dweller Mark Jones (although he sounded like he came from the West Country, something which was never explored further by Jeff) in a bit of a ding-dong game. Will he do as well against driving instructor Colin Cox, who hails from Leeds (not that you'd know from the introduction he received - this is becoming more commonplace these days; I wonder if it's part of a new data protection policy or some new EU regulation? I think we should be told). Anyway, Colin is a friend of a friend, so I'm kind of hoping he manages to take home a teapot. Let's find out if he did!!
R01: N E P U C A R T Q
R02: N M D I O E O P L
R03: R I W U O N D T A
R04: R F C E U N T A B
R05: 75, 50, 100, 25, 9, 4. Target: 837.
TTT: ACASHWIN - "It's not about winning cash, it's about drastic cutbacks."
R06: I E H S G P A N G
R07: T O M U I P N R A
R08: T L V T E O S E L
R09: N A D E I J S R T
R10: 75, 2, 1, 8, 6, 9. Target: 727.
TTT: EMBERMAN - "It's not a big movie, it's more a small film."
R11: W O S E A B T I M
R12: X O S F E Y A N R
R13: S I D A E S D L D
R14: 10, 2, 6, 1, 2, 9. Target: 778.
R15: P U S H E D J I G (conundrum)
Last week's Countdown was sponsored by Wellkid, or, as they say in Liverpool, Wellourkid.
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Today's intro revolves around the fact that it's John Travolta's birthday; a fact that is to have grim consequences at the end of the programme. As you will see...
Round 1: N E P U C A R T Q
C1: EQUANT (6)
C2: QUART (5)
DC: PARQUET (7) CAPTURE (7) CENTAUR (7)
OT: UNCRATE (7) PUNCTAE (7) RACQUET (7)
Score: 6–0 (max 7)
Not a max, but a good word from Ned that elicits praise from Susie.
Round 2: N M D I O E O P L
C1: IMPLODE (7)
C2: POOLED (6)
DC: NOODLE (6)
OT: MELODION (8)
Score: 13–0 (max 15)
Come on Colin! Think of the teapot! By the way, there was also a nice seven there with EIDOLON.
Round 3: R I W U O N D T A
C1: AROUND (6)
C2: ROTUNDA (7)
DC: DURATION (8) UNTOWARD (8)
OT: OUTDRAWN (8)
Score: 13–7 (max 23)
Great spot from Colin; maybe there's a game here after all - I certainly hope so. Smug gits who had AUTOWIND can put their smugness away - it's no longer valid.
Round 4: R F C E U N T A B
C1: FURNACE (7)
C2: TRANCE (6)
DC: CENTAUR (7)
OT: UNCRATE (7) FACTURE (7) FURCATE (7) UNBRACE (7)
Score: 20–7 (max 30)
As Debra points out, the mythical half-man, half-horse emerges again; perhaps it wants to be the CENTAUR of attention. Sorree...
Round 5: 75, 50, 100, 25, 9, 4. Target: 837.
C1: 838. (100x9)-50-((75/25)x4) (7)
C2: -
RR: 837. (100-(75/25)-4)x9 (10)
Score: 27–7 (max 40)
It's 'four from the top' time again from Ned and it pays off as he gets to within one of the target.
Debra rounds off her week of appearances with some tales on the perils of being recognised, focusing in particular on one occasion in which she got involved in an impromptu performance of "I'd Do Anything" on a train.
Teatime teaser: ACASHWIN -> CHAINSAW
Round 6: I E H S G P A N G
C1: SHAPING (7)
C2: GASHING (7)
DC: PASHING (7)
OT: GASPING (7) HASPING (7) PHASING (7) HEAPING (7) SIGNAGE (7) SPAEING (7)
Score: 34–14 (max 47)
As is often the case, Susie chooses to pick the word PASHING out from the large selection of sevens available. And why not? SPAEING is Scottish for predicting.
Round 7: T O M U I P N R A
C1: puration
C2: PURITAN (7)
DC: MANITOU (7)
OT: MAINTOP (7) TAMPION (7) TINAMOU (7) OPUNTIA (7) UTOPIAN (7) PANTOUM (7) PROTIUM (7) RAINOUT (7) RAMPION (7)
Score: 34–21 (max 54)
A gamble from Ned that fails to pay off gives Colin the change to regain some ground... (A shame, also, that Minotaur has a capital letter.)
Round 8: T L V T E O S E L
C1: VOTES (5)
C2: VETOES (6)
DC: SETTLE (6)
OT: TELEOST (7)
Score: 34–27 (max 61)
... and a gamble from Colin that does pay off reduces the gap still further.
Round 9: N A D E I J S R T
C1: STRAINED (8)
C2: RANDIEST (8)
DC: STRAINED (8) RANDIEST (8) DETRAINS (8)
Score: 42–35 (max 69)
If you didn't get eight... kick yourself!
OoW: Susie discusses common mistakes made in English, in particular: the pronunciation of Scalextric as Scalectrix (it comes from 'scalex' and 'electric'); calling espresso 'expresso' (although it is a valid word, and the French call an espresso 'un express') (incidentally, I wasn't entirely convinced by Susie's comment that "the Italian for quick is 'espresso', not 'expresso'"; doesn't 'espresso' mean expressed, as in squeezed out?); and thinking that giving someone fulsome praise is a compliment, when it really isn't much of one at all. Interesting stuff, anyhoo.
Round 10: 75, 2, 1, 8, 6, 9. Target: 727.
C1: 727. (75x9)+((8+1)x6)-2 (10)
C2: 727. Mistake in working.
Score: 52–35 (max 79)
Colin unfortunately blobs. Ned is quite good at the numbers game, it has to be said.
Teatime teaser: EMBERMAN -> MEMBRANE
Round 11: W O S E A B T I M
C1: AMBITS (6)
C2: WOMBS (5)
DC: BOATIES (7) ATOMISE (7)
OT: AMOSITE (7) ATOMIES (7) WOMBATS (7)
Score: 58–35 (max 86)
A good risk from Ned and a good adjudication from Susie and co. AMBIT is listed as 'in sing.', but it's not a mass noun, so the plural is fine. It isn't listed in JimDic, though.
Round 12: X O S F E Y A N R
C1: FOXES (5)
C2: FAYRES (6)
DC: ROANS (5)
OT: FORAYS (6) FOYERS (6) ORYXES (6) REASON (6) SAXONY (6) SENARY (6) YEARNS (6)
Score: 58–41 (max 92)
Another good spot from Colin. The fat lady has yet to sing and pass judgment on Colin's teapot. ODE watchers please note: SENORA and other similar words like SENORITA
are no longer allowed, as they've been deemed to require a capital letter. Weird.Round 13: S I D A E S D L D
C1: SADDLED (7)
C2: SADDLED (7)
DC: ADDLED (6) DIDDLES (7) DADDIES (7) LADDIES (7)
OT: SADDLES (7)
Score: 65–48 (max 99)
I'm not only seeing double, but treble, with all those D's around! Meanwhile, back on set, if only Colin can outfox Ned on this last numbers game, he still has a chance...
Round 14: 10, 2, 6, 1, 2, 9. Target: 778.
C1: 772. ((9+2)x(6+1)x10)+2 (5)
C2: 780. Mistake in working.
RR: 779. (7)
OT: 779. ((9+2+2)x6x10)-1 (7)
Score: 70–48 (max 106)
... and for a minute, I thought we were on for a possible sudden death scenario, but it wasn't to be as he blobs again. A shame.
Round 15: P U S H E D J I G
No one buzzes. The answer was JUDGESHIP.
Final Score: 70–48 (max 116)
A tough conundrum, as JS points out. Probably a good job it wasn't crucial, really. It's left to a lady in the audience to get it right, and presumably take home a mug - or has that practice now been stopped?
Well done to Ned and bad luck to my chum's chum for not quite getting his teapot. Still, Colin put up a good fight, and it will be interesting to see how Ned gets on on Monday against his next opponent.
The programme ended with Debra doing another great impression of Anne Robinson on the Weakest Link and the horrific sight of Jeff in some dodgy looking shades and with his shirt unbuttoned (seemingly to the waist!) revealing a gold chain and rather a lot of chest hair. Cue open mouths from Rachel and Debra and a hand in front of her face and a sinking down into her chair from Susie. And all thanks to John Travolta's 57th birthday! On that note, I think it's time to go. See you next week!
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=64
