PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS GAME IS NOW CLOSED. Game 13 has been set up and is due to close on Thursday 22nd December 2005. An additional page will be set up over the weekend with a special Christmas Countdown Quiz (the alliterative effect ran dry, I'm afraid!) which is due to close the following Thursday - 29/12. However, the review of game 12 is published below. Slightly clearer information as to what will happen is given on the home page.
1. BAIYSITPM
2. LOROBEDET
3. GALJOUAEF
4. LEEYCASDI
5. 75 5 10 6 2 8 TARGET: 241
6. AOENTRLHT
7. EHEEBRTSN
8. AEOURRTJB
9. EIRSFFAIV
10. 25 75 4 8 8 9 TARGET: 553
11. OQFDBEISS
12. EEIHATATT
13. BSUAIGQIL
14. 50 75 100 25 2 1 TARGET: 953
15. ANICELOUT
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So, time for the review of game twelve and I have oddly enough managed to meet to deadline for getting this posted onto the web. Game 13 (unlucky for some) is now up and running on a new page, so please do visit that and have a go at it after you've read the review for this game. I have provided the review below along with a lot of spoiler space for those who still may want to have a go at the game.
Congratulations to Stuart Earl once again for the top score of 111 and many thanks to the others who have submitted entries to the game. You can request for your score to be kept out of the review, but please mention this when submitting your answers. Anyway, on with the review:
Round 1: Just one seven in this round that I can spot - BAPTISM. Not a particularly easy spot in my opinion, so congratulations to all who got this.
Round 2: A couple of eights in this round - RETOOLED and REBOOTED. Only one seven with TREBLED and then down to sixes with BOLTED. However, eight was the best, so well done to those who got eight points in this round.
Round 3: This selection didn't appear to be easy at first glance and indeed it wasn't with five being the best anyone could get. JOULE was there for five, as was FUGAL, which is an adjective relating to fugue, which is "a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others".
Round 4: Lots of sevens in this round - EYELIDS, SEEDILY, DIALYSE - but a fantastic eight as spotted by Stuart which is ECDYSIAL which relates to ecdysis which is the shedding of the old skin in reptiles.
Round 5: Numbers time with the classic Countdown selection of one large and five small numbers. The quickest way to get to the target 241 is to say: ((8 X 2 X 10) + 6) + 75 = 241.
Round 6: Back to the letters and there was one eight in this round with TOLERANT and a nice little seven of mine which was ENTHRAL.
Round 7: There are a couple of sevens in this round with SHERBET and SHEBEEN, which is an unlicensed establishment or private house selling alcoholic liquor.
Round 8: A couple of sixes here was the best anyone could do - TOURER and ABJURE, which was suggested by Stuart. The definition is "swear to give up (a belief or claim)".
Round 9: Last letters round before the numbers and this looked a difficult one at first glance. However, there was one seven - FARIES and my six with VARIES.
Round 10: Two big ones was the order of the day (well, more the round) here and the quickest way to get to the target of 553 is to say: ((75 - 9) X 8) + 25 = 553.
Round 11: It appears to be a difficult one this time with the selection and indeed it is as six is the best anyone could do. BODIES and BOSSED are both fine for six.
Round 12: Another bad selection with the triple T, double E and doube A. Only fives in this round with TEETH and THETA.
Round 13: The last letters round of the game and this doesn't seem much better than the last two. However, there is a seven with SILIQUA and there is also a nice six with QUAILS and ALIBIS also there for six.
Round 14: Four big ones here (cue groans from the masses), and it certainly threw some people and no-one got the ten points. However, what I perhaps should tell you is that it was impossible. I managed to get one away with 952 by saying (((75 + 1) X 25) / (100/50)) + 2 = 952.
Round 15: Conundrum time and I think most people saw that ANICELOUT went to INOCULATE, so ten points awarded.
Many thanks to all those who entered the game. Just a reminder that game 13 has been set up on a new page and is to close on 22nd December. A special Christmas page has been set up giving details about what will happen to the site over Christmas as I shall probably be away for a week or so, therefore have mocked up a little Christmas quiz. [Parts of it are not Countdown-related, I'm afraid to say lol]
