Wednesday 19th May 2021 (Series 83, Preliminary 98)

[Rhys Benjamin]

I’m on my iPad today as my laptop’s having one of its temper tantrums. Don’t do recaps on iPads, kids. Not even once.

Countdown recap for Wednesday 19 May 2021.

Nick talks about weird British traits in the eyes of foreigners.

C1: Champion Cindy Burfoot (2 wins, 187 points.)
C2: Challenger Kevin Tansley. From Southwick, which Nick incorrectly describes as being in Brighton: it’s closer to Shoreham and it’s the other side of Hove. NHS information analyst. Failed stand-up comedian.
DC: Susie Dent and John Inverdale.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: K U G I H E T S M
R02: W A N A G D E L E
R03: 25, 100, 7, 4, 10, 5. Target: 392.
TTT: RITAINCH - "Rita had this inside her; it was less than an inch long."
R04: B O P E I H T W U
R05: T E M E N O L O R
R06: 100, 25, 5, 1, 9, 5. Target: 593.
R07: N E L A R E F E N
R08: S A M S E A B P O
R09: 50, 25, 8, 3, 10, 7. Target: 738.
TTT: TOKENBAN - "Quite small when it’s blue, but much bigger when it’s purple."
R10: N I T V I F R E V
R11: S E N A L E C G R
R12: T A E C G I T R O
R13: L O J E R S O D U
R14: 75, 9, 1, 7, 4, 8. Target: 198.
R15: L U N I N A N C Y (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: K U G I H E T S M

Cindy: MUSKET (6)
Kevin: mights (mass noun)
DC: KISMET (6) THEISM (6)
OT: EIGHTS (6) HUGEST (6) KUMITE (6) MEITHS (6) MUSHIE (6) MUSKEG (6)
Score: 6–0 (max 6, jos 6)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

MIGHT is a mass noun which is a poor start from Kevin and allows Cindy an early lead.

Round 2: W A N A G D E L E

Cindy: GLEANED (7)
Kevin: WANGLED (7)
OT: ADANGLE (7) ANGELED (7) LAGENAE (7)
Score: 13–7 (max 13, jos 13)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)

Kevin wangles his way into the game, whilst Cindy’s max performance is gleaming.

Round 3: 25, 100, 7, 4, 10, 5. Target: 392.

Cindy: 392. (100 − (7 − 5)) × 4 (10)
Kevin: 392. 4 × 100 − (10 − 7) − 5 (10)
Score: 23–17 (max 23, jos 23)

thank u, next

Teatime teaser: RITAINCH -> TRICHINA

Round 4: B O P E I H T W U

Cindy: WHITE (5)
Kevin: WHITE (5)
DC: WIPEOUT (7) BOTHIE (6)
OT: HOWBEIT (7)
Score: 28–22 (max 30, jos 30)
Darren-o-meter: 0/3 (0%)

The max game is off. Cindy and Kevin can only get fives, whilst John takes us to 7.

Round 5: T E M E N O L O R

Cindy: MENTOR (6)
Kevin: tremelo (actually ends -OLO)
DC: MOONLET (7)
OT: REMOLTEN (8)
Score: 34–22 (max 38, jos 37)
Darren-o-meter: 1/4 (25%)

Kevin misspells tremolo and Cindy doubles her lead. DC have 7, but Susie’s max is off as the computer can take you to 8. Not sure how something is REMOLTEN, but there we are.

Round 6: 100, 25, 5, 1, 9, 5. Target: 593.

Cindy: 591. (5 + 1) × 100 − 9 (7)
Kevin: 595. (5 + 1) × 100 − 5 (7)
RR: 592/594. (7)
OT: 592. (100 + 25 − 5) × 5 + 1 − 9​ (7)
Score: 41–29 (max 45, jos 44)

This one was impossible and the contestants duly pick up 7. Rachel can get one closer but doesn’t bother telling us how.

John talks about very long and very short place names. Today he focuses on the 5th-longest place in the world.

Round 7: N E L A R E F E N

Cindy: FENNEL (6)
Kevin: LEANER (6)
DC: FERAL (5) FENNEL (6)
OT: FANNER (6) FEELER (6) LANNER (6) LEAFEN (6) REEFAL (6) REFEEL (6) REFLEE (6)
Score: 47–35 (max 51, jos 50)
Darren-o-meter: 1/5 (20%)

Very flat round of sixes here.

Round 8: S A M S E A B P O

Cindy: AMASS (5)
Kevin: SAMBAS (6)
DC: AMOEBAS (7) SAMOSA (6)
Score: 47–41 (max 58, jos 57)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)

Lovely six from Kevin halves the deficit, and an even lovelier darren from DC with AMOEBAS.

Round 9: 50, 25, 8, 3, 10, 7. Target: 738.

Cindy: 738. (8 + 7) × 50 − (25 − 10 − 3) (10)
Kevin: 739.
Score: 57–41 (max 68, jos 67)

Fairly straightforward solve here, and Kevin ought to be kicking himself, although I went slightly differently by doing 75 times 10. Gap opens up.

Teatime teaser: TOKENBAN -> BANKNOTE

Round 10: N I T V I F R E V

Cindy: INVERT (6)
Kevin: INVITE (6)
DC: NIFTIER (7) INVITER (7)
OT: VITRINE (7)
Score: 63–47 (max 75, jos 74)
Darren-o-meter: 2/7 (29%)

Both contestants miss three sixes, although Kevin maybe ducked out of the -ER ending, but we won’t know as no one bothered to ask him.

Round 11: S E N A L E C G R

Cindy: CLEANERS (8)
Kevin: GLEANERS (8)
DC: CLANGERS (8)
OT: CLEANSER (8) ENLARGES (8) GENERALS (8) RECLANGS (8) RELANCES (8)
Score: 71–55 (max 83, jos 82)
Darren-o-meter: 2/8 (25%)

The only thing interesting about this round is that Rachel informs us of a CLANGERS remake.

Viewer Emma Henson sends an email to Susie about “the bee’s knees”.

Round 12: T A E C G I T R O

Cindy: tortage
Kevin: CATTIER (7)
DC: COGITATE (8) cogitater
OT: COTTAGER (8)
Score: 71–62 (max 91, jos 90)
Darren-o-meter: 2/9 (22%)

Not sure what Cindy was thinking here but the gap is reduced to nine points. Susie wants to add an R onto COGITATE for a nine, but no dice.

Round 13: L O J E R S O D U

Cindy: SOLDER (6)
Kevin: LOOSER (6)
DC: LOUDER (6) DROOLS (6) dolours DOLOUR (6)
OT: LOODERS (7)
Score: 77–68 (max 98, jos 96)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)

The darren defeats everyone, including our two contestants stuck on six. For the second consecutive round Susie tries a non-word. Or a neoword, you might say.

Round 14: 75, 9, 1, 7, 4, 8. Target: 198.

Cindy: 201. (7 − 4) × (75 − 8)​ (7)
Kevin: -
RR: 198. (7 + 4)​ × (9 + 8 + 1) (10)
Score: 84–68 (max 108, jos 106)

And 3 away gets Cindy across the line as Kevin can’t get anything at all.

Round 15: L U N I N A N C Y

Cindy buzzes on 10 seconds to say UNCANNILY which is correct.
Final Score: 94–68 (max 118, jos 116)

And she finishes it off in style. 94 in a very low-scoring game which will do her % numbers a world of good.

Join us tomorrow (or maybe overnight on Thursday) when I’m hopefully back on my laptop.


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=83

[Peter Mabey]

I'm surprised that although Susie went on at length about "the bee's knees" as referring to something trivial, she didn't mention the alternative origin, from a jokey pronunciation of "it's the business" i.e. it's excellent!. (eetz zee beezneez)