Tuesday 1st June 2021 (Series 83, Preliminary 107)

[Rhys Benjamin]

Witty intro, know what I mean?

Countdown recap for Tuesday 1 June 2021.

Nick moans about dogs not liking hot weather and it's too hot...

C1: Champion Louis Ross (2 wins, 181 points.)
C2: Challenger Kirsty Watt. An account manager in the IT business, originally from Hertfordshire but now living in Bedfordshire. Has a photographic memory but suggests it won't help her - thus implying she hasn't done any practice...
DC: Susie Dent and Janet Street-Porter.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: O U I G P R S N O
R02: F Y T I O A N D E
R03: 75, 8, 6, 1, 9, 7. Target: 324.
TTT: EDNADRAB - "Russell's no softie. He's eating fish for dinner."
R04: P M L A E O C I H
R05: A O I D N L E M T
R06: 100, 75, 9, 2, 7, 2. Target: 862.
R07: O O U R P L C N E
R08: S R S E A E J H A
R09: 25, 6, 4, 7, 10, 2. Target: 271.
TTT: EVESSCAR - "It's what's left over after an icy break-up."
R10: G K B O I U E T F
R11: E O E T S R D L A
R12: D T M E I I E G M
R13: I E A T S W P N U
R14: 25, 75, 5, 4, 1, 10. Target: 838.
R15: Z T I C I R I C E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: O U I G P R S N O

Louis: POURING (7)
Kirsty: pourings
DC: SPOORING (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8, jos 8)
Darren-o-meter: 1/1 (100%)

Louis starts off with a seven, which Kirsty tries to extend to eight, but unfortunately Louis's word is not a noun, so cannot be pluralised. Susie spots the one and only darren to get us underway.

Round 2: F Y T I O A N D E

Louis: DATION (6)
Kirsty: DEITY (5)
DC: DEFIANT (7) FAINTED (7)
OT: ADONITE (7) FODIENT (7) FOYAITE (7)
Score: 13–0 (max 15, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 1/2 (50%)

Louis extends the lead with Kirsty only spotting a five. Dictionary Corner get sevens.

Round 3: 75, 8, 6, 1, 9, 7. Target: 324.

Louis: 324. Mistake in working.
Kirsty: -
RR: 324. (7 − 1) × 6 × 9 (10)
Score: 13–0 (max 25, jos 25)

Both contestants draw a blank and it's left to Rachel to do an LNAFP.

Teatime teaser: EDNADRAB -> BRANDADE

Round 4: P M L A E O C I H

Louis: POLEMIC (7)
Kirsty: PLAICE (6)
DC: PLEACH (6)
OT: OMPHALIC (8)
Score: 20–0 (max 33, jos 32)
Darren-o-meter: 2/3 (67%)

Another extension of Louis's lead here, and it's a studio beater too as only the computer can beat him.

Round 5: A O I D N L E M T

Louis: DELATION (8)
Kirsty: MAIDEN (6)
DC: MALDONITE (18)
OT: MONILATED (18)
Score: 28–0 (max 51, jos 50)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)

Louis spots a nice 8, and with Kirsty only on 6 she is still yet to get off the mark, and Susie spots the mineral term for a nine.

Round 6: 100, 75, 9, 2, 7, 2. Target: 862.

Louis: 868. (9 + 2) × 75 + 100 ÷ 2 − 7​ (5)
Kirsty: 875.
OT: 862. (75 − 9) × 7 + 100 × 2 × 2 (10)
Score: 33–0 (max 61, jos 55)

There's only one solution here and it involves adding 400. Unsurprisingly, no one spots it, and Louis gets five points for being six away.

Janet moans about people wearing trainers and thanks to lockdown, she believes women will never wear high heels again. Oh no, however will we cope...

Round 7: O O U R P L C N E

Louis: PLOUNCE (7)
Kirsty: unpool
DC: COUPLER (7) POUNCER (7) PLEURON (7)
OT: COUPONER (8)
Score: 40–0 (max 69, jos 62)
Darren-o-meter: 3/5 (60%)

Kirsty goes for a six which isn't valid anyway. Louis's seven takes the round and Kirsty is still on nul points. Susie rattles off a list of sevens but she is beaten.

Round 8: S R S E A E J H A

Louis: SHARES (6)
Kirsty: HEARSES (7)
DC: RASHES (6) SHEARS (6)
Score: 40–7 (max 76, jos 69)
Darren-o-meter: 4/6 (67%)

And what a way to get off the nul points! Not just a darren, but a DC beater as well. Is the comeback on?

Round 9: 25, 6, 4, 7, 10, 2. Target: 271.

Louis: 271. (25 + 2) × 10 + 7 − 6​ (10)
Kirsty: 271. 25 × 10 + 7 × 6 ÷ 2​ (10)
Score: 50–17 (max 86, jos 79)

thank u, next...

Teatime teaser: EVESSCAR -> CREVASSE

Round 10: G K B O I U E T F

Louis: BOGIE (5) (stick with)
Kirsty: GIFT (4)
DC: BOUGIE (6)
Score: 55–17 (max 92, jos 85)
Darren-o-meter: 5/7 (71%)

Louis sticks with a five, and he probably regrets it when Susie stick an extra U into his word. It's only one point, mind you. The lead extends to 38 points.

Round 11: E O E T S R D L A

Louis: LEOTARDS (8)
Kirsty: LASTED (6)
DC: LODESTAR (8)
OT: DELATORS (8) DESOLATE (8) OLEASTER (8) TREADLES (8)
Score: 63–17 (max 100, jos 93)
Darren-o-meter: 5/8 (63%)

Ah, ye olde Countdown favourite, LEOTARDS. Janet gets its anagram, and Kirsty will probably kick herself. It means that if Kirsty fails to get an 8 or above in this next round Louis will have got over the line once more.

Susie gets a note from Margaret Hannon in Devon about "spire".

Round 12: D T M E I I E G M

Louis: MIDGET (6)
Kirsty: TIMED (5)
DC: MIDTIME (7)
OT: MEGIMIDE (8)
Score: 69–17 (max 108, jos 100)
Darren-o-meter: 6/9 (67%)

And that gets Louis over the line with a six. There was one eight there which would have kept the game alive (MEGIMIDE) but no one spots it at all.

Round 13: I E A T S W P N U

Louis: PANTIES (7)
Kirsty: unwaits (risky)
DC: PETUNIAS (8) PEANUTS (7) UNSWEPT (7)
OT: SUPINATE (8)
Score: 76–17 (max 116, jos 108)
Darren-o-meter: 6/10 (60%)

And Kirsty's risky 7 isn't in either, extending the lead further...

Round 14: 25, 75, 5, 4, 1, 10. Target: 838.

Louis: 844. Mistake in working.
Kirsty: -
RR: 839. (7)
OT: 839. (75 + 5 + 4) × 10 − 1​ (7)
Score: 76–17 (max 123, jos 115)

This one is impossible, and Rachel doesn't tell us how to get to 839. Louis does 841 by mistake.

Round 15: Z T I C I R I C E

Kirsty buzzes on 3.25 seconds to say CRITICIZE which is correct.
Final Score: 76–27 (max 133, jos 125)

I'm not sure what that scramble is meant to be (tiki rice, maybe?) but Kirsty gets the conundrum to round off a losing performance.

Join us tomorrow for more. Or, more likely, Thursday morning.


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