Friday 12th July 2013 (Series 69, Prelim 10)

[Andy Platt]

Countdown recap for Friday 12 July 2013.

C1: Champion June Glasspell (4 wins, 336 points) - defending champion and a retired school admin officer from Southampton. She enjoys golf and swimming and her favourite film is Mamma Mia.
C2: Challenger Mark Gower - a former policeman who has also worked in security in Saudi Arabia.
DC: Susie Dent and Maureen Lipman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M S E O K P I H E
R02: R A P O N A S E T
R03: 75, 3, 3, 7, 9, 6. Target: 435.
TTT: TINSTEWS - "Knitwear for Geminis, perhaps?"
R04: N U B A D E V I C
R05: S P E I F S A W U
R06: 75, 6, 3, 5, 4, 8. Target: 284.
R07: N G I O S R A L E
R08: D A T I S E R I S
R09: 75, 1, 10, 5, 8, 3. Target: 310.
TTT: NUDECHAP - "The nude chap can't hide his big belly."
R10: D E L A M U W O T
R11: C S E O T R U M A
R12: P E T U J O B E R
R13: H D I E L M A Y O
R14: 25, 7, 2, 4, 5, 3. Target: 680.
R15: T I N I T E M P A (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.


Nick introduces the show talking about surveys and how one showed that travelling long distances with a partner can strengthen a relationship.
Apparently Nick's wife is a brilliant map reader.


Round 1: M S E O K P I H E

C1: POKES (5)
C2: SMOKE (5)
DC: POKIES (6) SMOKIE (6)
OT: EPISOME (7)
Score: 5–5 (max 7)

An interesting start as we were probably expecting both contestants to play IMPOSE which comes up a lot, but it goes unseen, as does EPISOME, which is like a genetic element in bacteria.

Round 2: R A P O N A S E T

C1: atoners
C2: APRONS (6)
DC: OPERANTS (8)
OT: PRONATES (8)
Score: 5–11 (max 15)

An interesting one there as most experts will know that ATONERS^ used to be in, but isn't any more. The same experts will also no doubt be able to tell you by heart that the valid alternatives are SANTERO, TREASON and SENATOR. But hey, playing a word that was in the ODE2 but isn't in the ODE3 in round 2 of a game is what all the cool kids do. PRONATES/OPERANTS comes up a hell of a lot, so maybe the contestants could do better there.

Round 3: 75, 3, 3, 7, 9, 6. Target: 435.

C1: 435. 6 × 75 − (7 + 9) + 3 ÷ 3 (10)
C2: 435. Mistake in working.
Score: 15–11 (max 25)

Interesting from the challenger there, as he could have just continued. I reckon he spots that with ease from the comfort of his own home. June gets it.

Teatime teaser: TINSTEWS -> TWINSETS

Round 4: N U B A D E V I C

C1: CAVED (5)
C2: CANED (5)
DC: CABINED (7)
Score: 20–16 (max 32)

Again, I expected the contestants to take INVADE from that round to be honest, but they share five points a piece. There's one seven - CABINED sneaks into the dictionary, which google tells me means to be confined at close quarters.

Round 5: S P E I F S A W U

C1: WASPIES (7)
C2: SPEWS (5)
Score: 27–16 (max 39)

Yeah great spot there from the champ and it's the only seven available. Nick correctly points out that it's a form of belt.

Round 6: 75, 6, 3, 5, 4, 8. Target: 284.

C1: 284. 75 × 4 − 8 − 3 − 5 (10)
C2: 283. Mistake in working.
Score: 37–16 (max 49)

Solid stuff from June as Mark appears to be struggling with the studio pressure and can't find the target.


In the guest slot, Maureen talks about some stories - she was fond of the stories that her mother used to tell. Apparently she had a bit of a sense of humour about her. She also recounts a quiz she was part of where a bunch of 70+ year olds took part against a bunch of students and apparently the older crowd trounced the students.


Round 7: N G I O S R A L E

C1: SOARING (7)
C2: SOARING (7)
DC: REGIONALS (18)
Score: 44–23 (max 67)

The nine goes unnoticed by the contestants who share sevens. There are quite a few 8s there as well, but DC have the elusive nine.

Round 8: D A T I S E R I S

C1: SATIRISED (18)
C2: tastier
Score: 62–23 (max 85)

Boom. Lovely from June - where did that come from? She hasn't shown great consistency with her letters spotting but that is a touch of class. She wasn't 100% sure but it's there. Mark, feeling the pressure, can't even manage to use the right letters. It's going to be pretty difficult to be able to come back from this situation.

Round 9: 75, 1, 10, 5, 8, 3. Target: 310.

C1: 310. (5 − 1) × 75 + 10 (10)
C2: 310. (5 − 1) × 75 + 10 (10)
Score: 72–33 (max 95)

Easy.

Teatime teaser: NUDECHAP -> PAUNCHED

Round 10: D E L A M U W O T

C1: AMULET (6)
C2: MODULATE (8)
DC: OUTLAWED (8)
Score: 72–41 (max 103)

If June is good enough to spot SATIRISED then she is certainly good enough to spot MODULATE and/or OUTLAWED. Interesting one. Maybe she has mentally stopped concentrating already - it's a Friday episode so it's the last recording slot of the day, winding down in the last few rounds, probable fatigue, etc, coming into play. Credit to Mark though who is finally showing some ability but it might be a little too late.

Round 11: C S E O T R U M A

C1: COURTS (6)
C2: STORM (5)
DC: CUSTOMER (8)
OT: OUTRACES (8)
Score: 78–41 (max 111)

OUTRACES isn't a very everyday word but does come up a lot on Countdown. CUSTOMER offered by DC - and looking at the first letter of the next round, there would have been a cheeky 9 there (again!) if she had taken a final consonant.

Round 12: P E T U J O B E R

C1: POUTER (6)
C2: POUTER (6)
DC: TOUPEE (6)
OT: BURPEE (6) REPUTE (6) TROUPE (6)
Score: 84–47 (max 117)

Yeah, solid stuff from both contestants.


In Origins of Words, Susie talks about heirlooms. In the 15th century heirlooms came to mean all kinds of tools and utensils left in inheritance. Property in short, often valuable stuff. "Cattle" had a similar origin, meaning movable goods. And finally, in a massive bombshell, the term "cow-lick" comes from 'cow' and 'lick'. In other news, the sky is blue, and the Pope is a Catholic.


Round 13: H D I E L M A Y O

C1: HOMILY (6)
C2: HOMILY (6)
DC: HOLIDAY (7)
OT: AMYLOID (7) HEADILY (7) HEMIOLA (7) HYALOID (7) MYELOID (7)
Score: 90–53 (max 124)

Interesting as HOMILY is a less everyday word, and perhaps also a harder spot than HOLIDAY. HEMIOLA comes up a lot on Countdown, and is a musical ratio.

Round 14: 25, 7, 2, 4, 5, 3. Target: 680.

C1: nothing offered
C2: 681. Mistake in working.
RR: 680. (25 × 7 − 5) × 4 (10)
Score: 90–53 (max 134)

I'll never criticise a numbers miss on TV after some of my shockers, but the numbers fell quite nicely for this target with plenty of ways to get it. Perhaps some disappointment for June, who, if she gets to the likes of 6/7/8 wins, might well need all the points she can get in this long series to have a better chance of qualifying for the quarter final stages.

Round 15: T I N I T E M P A

C1 buzzes on 3 seconds to say IMPATIENT which is correct.
Final Score: 100–53 (max 144)

Yeah, better. Good solve.

Can't really complain with a century performance. Let's see if she can make it to eight wins next week.


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=68

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Round 8: D A T I S E R I S

C1: SATIRISED (18)
C2: tastier
Score: 62–23 (max 85)

Boom. Lovely from Maureen - where did that come from? She hasn't shown great consistency with her letters spotting but that is a touch of class. She wasn't 100% sure but it's there. Mark, feeling the pressure, can't even manage to use the right letters. It's going to be pretty difficult to be able to come back from this situation."

er, June isn't it?

[Andy Platt]

Haha! I scrolled up and copied the wrong name. Great spot, will amend now.