Enjoy.
Countdown recap for Thursday 25 July 2013.
C1: Champion Zarte "The Siempre" Siempre (1 win, 118 points.) An Apteforumite from Buckingham, whose name is Spanish for "Strive Always". (I did try and force his real name out of his mum, but to no avail.
)C2: Challenger Ian "Tabby" Talbot. A retired police officer from Cromwell, Newark, Nottinghamshire. He is planning on travelling around the world in his brand new motorhome.
DC: Susie Dent and Jon Culshaw.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: N P C D I O A R E
R02: K D N U A E R H B
R03: 50, 75, 100, 6, 8, 9. Target: 286.
TTT: GELOROIL - "It has a certain ring to it, overhead"
R04: S H G I O Y E I R
R05: T G X T O E A P C
R06: 50, 4, 10, 3, 5, 7. Target: 232.
R07: D T M R I O E U N
R08: S T M A E O N G E
R09: 75, 25, 1, 8, 4, 2. Target: 317.
TTT: HAVEAWET - "You shouldn't have a wet day in the middle of this"
R10: R O P G E O S I T
R11: S V N A E O S D E
R12: M L R A I E T N L
R13: N T S P A I U H M
R14: 4, 10, 6, 9, 10, 5. Target: 158.
R15: I A N T A L B O T (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 P C D I O A R E
C1: CANOPIED (8)
C2: PONDER (6)
DC: PROCAINE (8)
OT: APOCRINE (8) CAPONIER (8) ENDOCARP (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)
Zarte branches off with a good 8 to start today's proceedings, leaving Ian to PONDER already......
Round 2: K D N U A E R H B
C1: DARKEN (6)
C2: UNHEARD (7)
OT: HAUBERK (7) UNBAKED (7)
Score: 8–7 (max 15)
Well, maybe not, as his 7 gets him to within 1 immediately.
A HAUBERK is a long defensive shirt, usually of mail, extending to the knees.
Round 3: 50, 75, 100, 6, 8, 9. Target: 286.
C1: 284. (50 x 6) - (100 - 75) + 9 (7)
C2: 283.
OT: 286. ((50 - 6) x 8) - 75 + 9 (10)
Score: 15–7 (max 25)
Pfff, this was definitely a nasty numbers, even though it claims to be only a 67% difficulty. I can tell you that me, Chris Davies, Jonathan Rawlinson and Rachel Riley didn't get it, even with an extra 5 minutes between takes
Teatime teaser: GELOROIL -> GLORIOLE (The amount of endless laughter after it was read the first time caused the recording to go even further behind schedule....
)Round 4: S H G I O Y E I R
C1: HOSIERY (7)
C2: GOSH (4)
DC: OGREISH (7) HORSEY (6)
OT: GREYISH (7)
Score: 22–7 (max 32)
"GOSH!", exclaims Ian. (Sounds like the start of a book, doesn't it
) But the sight of Zarte in HOSIERY would probably put anyone off buying it Interesting little subplot in this was Jon's original pronunciation of OGREISH, which he pronounced as "oh-greece-sh".
Round 5: T G X T O E A P C
C1: POTTAGE (7)
C2: COTTAGE (7)
DC: CAPOTE (6) TEAPOT (6)
Score: 29–14 (max 39)
The POTTAGE/COTTAGE rhyming pair, very rarely seen on here.
Round 6: 50, 4, 10, 3, 5, 7. Target: 232.
C1: 232. (50 + 5 + 3) x 4 (10)
C2: 232. (4 x 50) + (3 x 10) + 7 - 5 (10)
Score: 39–24 (max 49)
If the last numbers was nasty, this was a walk in the park.
Jon talks about The Meaning of Liff, and some of the place names which are used as definitions for things without definitions.
Round 7: D T M R I O E U N
C1: ROUTINED (8)
C2: UNITED (6)
DC: MOUNTED (7) RUDIMENT (8)
Score: 47–24 (max 57)
Zarte extends his lead with the impressive 8......,
Round 8: S T M A E O N G E
C1: MAGNETOS (8)
C2: MEANEST (7)
DC: MONTAGES (8) GEMSTONE (8)
OT: MEGATONS (8)
Score: 55–24 (max 65)
....followed by an even more impressive straight away.
A MEGATON is an explosive force equal to that of one million tons of TNT, as that of atomic or hydrogen bombs.
Round 9: 75, 25, 1, 8, 4, 2. Target: 317.
C1: 317. (75 x 4) + 25 - 8 (10)
C2: 317. (75 x 4) + 25 - 8 (10)
Score: 65–34 (max 75)
Another numbers in the easy bracket here.
Teatime teaser: HAVEAWET -> HEATWAVE
Round 10: R O P G E O S I T
C1: ISOTOPE (7)
C2: STOOP (5)
DC: ROPIEST (7) RIPOSTE (7) PORGIES (7)
OT: GOOPIEST (8) TROOPIES (8)
Score: 72–34 (max 83)
Apparently, Zarte was thinking of GOOPIEST in this one, but with Ian only on 5, sticking on 7 was probably the safe option.
Round 11: S V N A E O S D E
C1: SEASONED (8)
C2: VENDS (5)
DC: soavee
Score: 80–34 (max 91)
A fantastic darren from Zarte there, and he's almost home and dry now.
Another Culshaw subplot here was Jon originally thinking that suave was in the selection, before switching to the wine............
Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "broach", "broker" and "thrill".
Round 12: M L R A I E T N L
C1: TERMINAL (8)
C2: LITERAL (7)
DC: TRAMLINE (8)
Score: 88–34 (max 99)
And with that 8, Ian's chances of winning have become TERMINAL.
Round 13: N T S P A I U H M
C1: THUMPS (6)
C2: -
DC: HATPINS (7) HUMANIST (8)
Score: 94–34 (max 107)
Ian has completely gone now, letting Zarte THUMP his way past him. Impressive darren from DC too.
Round 14: 4, 10, 6, 9, 10, 5. Target: 158.
C1: 158. (10 x 10) + (9 x 6) + 4 (10)
C2: 160.
Score: 104–34 (max 117)
Ian decides to be frivolous and go for 6 small, but Zarte goes for the kill and gets another century too.
Now onto an interesting conundrum.............
Round 15: I A N T A L B O T
C1 buzzes on 17.5 seconds to say BATTALION which is correct.
Final Score: 114–34 (max 127)
Well, well, well, the conundrum anagram is our challenger's name
But, Ian clearly was unaware that his full name is also a 9 letter word jumbled up, and after a good deal of thinking, Zarte gets the answer sealing his comprehensive victory.
So, 232 points from 2 games for "The Siempre", and he looks set to be here for a while, but with Dylan Taylor only 4 shows away, will he be the stumbling block that no-one wanted to see.......
Join Andy tomorrow for his 3rd show, and then join me on Monday for the only show of next week, thanks to Glorious Goodwood.
So, have a good weekend, and see you next week. Bye, bye.
Statistics Corner
Zarte:
Total score - 114
Raw score - 120
Total % of max - 90
Raw % of max - 94
Total average score per round - 7.6
Raw average score per round - 8.0
Number of maxes - 11
Ian:
Total score - 34
Raw score - 88
Total % of max - 27
Raw % of max - 69
Total average score per round - 2.3
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 4
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=69
