Let's find out.
Countdown recap for Thursday 15 September 2011.
C1: Champion Carl Williams (7 wins, 620 points.) From Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire. He hopes to win today, but says he's happy to make it to his 8th game anyway.
C2: Challenger Jayshree Patel. From Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. She works as a complimentary therapist, specialising in reflexology and Indian massage. Her husband, Magnus Mackereth, was a contestant back in July, losing by 95-70 to Andrew Halliburton.
DC: Susie Dent and Paul Zenon.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: N O A E S T F D T
R02: M A H G E M Z S O
R03: E T O N U V L N L
R04: S N E U G X R I L
R05: 2, 6, 4, 1, 7, 5. Target: 253.
TTT: FRUITYFC - "May your quest for the answer be fruitful"
R06: H T R A E F S O I
R07: E T M T U A S P G
R08: R I S N D E R I C
R09: T R Q R O E O D L
R10: 100, 10, 4, 1, 6, 8. Target: 567.
TTT: SNAILHUG - "Grow weak, it's what k.d. wants"
R11: P U I A Y K R E D
R12: W S A N D O S E J
R13: A N P G C E A D M
R14: 100, 7, 5, 1, 4, 10. Target: 424.
R15: R A T T E D E L F (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.
Round 1: N O A E S T F D T
C1: FONDEST (7)
C2: FASTEN (6)
DC: FANTODS (7)
OT: ATTENDS (7) DAFTEST (7) DONATES (7) FATTENS (7) NOTATED (7) NOTATES (7) TOASTED (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)
Bad start by Jayshree, missing one of many, many 7's available.
Round 2: M A H G E M Z S O
C1: HOMAGES (7)
C2: HOMAGES (7)
OT: MEGOHMS (7)
Score: 14–7 (max 14)
There was me thinking I was being super clever with MEGOHMS, not noticing the much simpler HOMAGES.........
A MEGOHM is a unit of resistance, equal to one million ohms.
Round 3: E T O N U V L N L
C1: TUNNEL (6)
C2: TUNNEL (6)
DC: VOLUTE (6)
Score: 20–13 (max 20)
Hmmm, only two 6's.
Round 4: S N E U G X R I L
C1: LINGERS (7)
C2: LINGERS (7)
DC: SLINGER (7)
OT: LURGIES (7) REUSING (7) RULINGS (7)
Score: 27–20 (max 27)
Nothing too impressive still, but Carl is still on a max game...........
Round 5: 2, 6, 4, 1, 7, 5. Target: 253.
C1: 255. Mistake in working.
C2: 251. ((7 - 2) x 5 x (6 + 4)) + 1 (7)
RR: 253. (4 x 7 x (5 + 6 - 2)) + 1 (10)
Score: 27–27 (max 37)
.......not now, as he misdeclares his target, meaning that Jayshree has suddenly levelled the game up.
Paul does a magic trick involving his lucky charms, a pack of cards, a die, a match and a trinket box.
Teatime teaser: FRUITYFC -> FRUCTIFY
Round 6: H T R A E F S O I
C1: FATHERS (7)
C2: FATHERS (7)
DC: OARFISH (7) RATFISH (7)
Me: HOARIEST (8)
Score: 34–34 (max 45)
A nice darren find by yours truly, but this game is probably not as straightforward as Carl would've liked.
Round 7: E T M T U A S P G
C1: PASTE (5)
C2: MUTATES (7)
Me: TAPETUMS (8)
Score: 34–41 (max 53)
A double darren for me, but the tide of the game has suddenly turned, as Jayshree takes the lead for the first time.
Round 8: R I S N D E R I C
C1: DINERS (6)
C2: INSIDER (7)
DC: CINDERS (7)
OT: DISCERN (7) INCISED (7) INDICES (7) IRENICS (7) RESCIND (7)
Score: 34–48 (max 60)
And doubles it immediately.
IRENICS is the branch of theology dealing with the promotion of peace and conciliation among Christian churches.
Round 9: T R Q R O E O D L
C1: LOOTED (6)
C2: ROOTED (6)
DC: ROOTLED (7)
Score: 40–54 (max 67)
Oooooooooh, Jayshree could've stuck the L in ROOTED to get ROOTLED, but her lead is still 14.
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "billy-o".
Round 10: 100, 10, 4, 1, 6, 8. Target: 567.
C1: 567. ((100 - 4) x 6) - 8 - 1 (10)
C2: 567. (100 x 6) - (10 x 4) + 8 - 1 (10)
Score: 50–64 (max 77)
2 very different ways, but 2 lots of 10 points. Carl is going to have to pull it out of the bag to get octochampdom today.
Teatime teaser: SNAILHUG -> LANGUISH
Round 11: P U I A Y K R E D
C1: PAIRED (6)
C2: PARKED (6)
DC: PARKIE (6)
OT: DARKIE (6) DIAPER (6) DUIKER (6) DUPERY (6) DYKIER (6) KEYPAD (6) PRAYED (6) PUKIER (6) PYURIA (6) REPAID (6)
Score: 56–70 (max 83)
Flat, flat, flat, flatttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.
DUPERY is an act, practice, or instance of duping.
PYURIA is the presence of pus in the urine.
Round 12: W S A N D O S E J
C1: WANDS (5)
C2: WANDS (5)
DC: SWANS (5) ANODES (6)
OT: DEWANS (6) DOWSES (6) ENDOWS (6) SEASON (6) SEDANS (6) SNOWED (6) SONDES (6)
Score: 61–75 (max 89)
Another flat round, but both contestants only get 5's, and the game could still easily turn at this late stage.
A SONDE is a rocket, balloon, or rockoon used as a probe for observing phenomena in the atmosphere.
Round 13: A N P G C E A D M
C1: MANAGED (7)
C2: DAMAGE (6)
DC: GAMEPAD (7)
OT: PACEMAN (7)
Score: 68–75 (max 96)
Is that an slight act of cruelty when Carl said, "I've MANAGED a 7"
Either way, the lead has been cut in half, and Carl has got himself right in the mix now.Round 14: 100, 7, 5, 1, 4, 10. Target: 424.
C1: 424. (100 + 7 - 1) x 4 (10)
C2: 424. ((100 + 7) x 4) - (5 - 1) (10)
Score: 78–85 (max 106)
Phew, I actually thought that Jayshree hadn't got it looking at her expression, but she has and now Carl has to get the conundrum to achieve octochampdom.
Round 15: R A T T E D E L F
C1 buzzes on 0.5 seconds to say FLATTERED which is correct.
Final Score: 88–85 (max 116)
Well, well, well, he buzzes in in double-quick time and gets octochampdom. A very easy conundrum it may have been, but Carl has been pretty impressive during his run, and deserves his glory.
The 88 points he accrued today take his total to 708, going above Dave Taylor to #3 in the leaderboard.
Join Mike for tomorrow's recap with 2 more contestants. I wonder if he likes recapping with 2 new challengers, since that's now 6 in a row for him............
I'll be back next Wednesday for the start of another double bill.
Till then, bye bye.
Statistics Corner
Carl:
Total score - 88
Raw score - 99
Total % of max - 76
Raw % of max - 85
Total average score per round - 5.9
Raw average score per round - 6.6
Number of maxes - 9
Jayshree:
Total score - 85
Raw score - 97
Total % of max - 73
Raw % of max - 84
Total average score per round - 5.7
Raw average score per round - 6.5
Number of maxes - 7
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=65