Friday 4th June 2021 (Series 83, Preliminary 110)

Rhys Benjamin · Post by **Rhys Benjamin** » Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:17 pm

One jab done. So my left hand is a little stiff. (No jokes, please. I'm right-handed.)

Countdown recap for Friday 4 June 2021.

Nick talks about the invention of flying, hot-air balloons, and the first ever unmanned flight. An unmanned flight...? I would have thought that would be a kite or something, but oh well. I once lost a kite like that.

C1: Champion Louis Ross (5 wins, 468 points.)
C2: Challenger Matt Hanson. A business consultant from Rossendale. Wants to watch West Indies vs England in the Caribbean. Next tour there is March 2022. Unlikely.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: I O A S F H L G I
R02: T R U E C E P A T
R03: 50, 9, 9, 10, 2, 6. Target: 879.
TTT: AIRYKITE - "Mister Wogan was very talkative about Japanese food."
R04: R L E I S A D M I
R05: U I O W N T F R I
R06: 25, 1, 10, 9, 8, 2. Target: 259.
R07: O A O G N S N B E
R08: T M E A K Y E R O
R09: 75, 50, 100, 25, 2, 9. Target: 669.
TTT: OVENPAIN - "It's one way of describing the famous sitcom captain."
R10: D S A U M N E I D
R11: I O E L C S H S A
R12: P D U O N A G A L
R13: W R I A I G T C O
R14: 50, 6, 9, 10, 1, 8. Target: 533.
R15: M E L A N U R I C (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: I O A S F H L G I

Louis: loafish (risk)
Matt: FLASH (5)
DC: OAFISH (6) OILFISH (7)
Score: 0–5 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 1/1 (100%)

Matt starts us off with a five point lead, as LOAFISH^ is disallowed by Susie. OILFISH is the darren and it is duly spotted by Susie.

Round 2: T R U E C E P A T

Louis: CAPTURE (7)
Matt: CAPTURE (7)
DC: PERACUTE (8)
OT: ERUCTATE (8) ETTERCAP (8)
Score: 7–12 (max 15, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 1/2 (50%)

CAPTURE and reCAPTURE, whilst Dictionary Corner give us a vetinary term for eight.

Round 3: 50, 9, 9, 10, 2, 6. Target: 879.

Louis: 871 (not written down).
Matt: 880. (9 + 9) × 50 − 10 × 2 (7)
RR: 879. (50 − 6) × 2 × 10 − 9 ÷ 9 (10)
Score: 7–19 (max 25, jos 25)

A poor miss from Louis here, as 880 is easy enough. 44 times 20 is the way to go here.

Teatime teaser: AIRYKITE -> TERIYAKI

Round 4: R L E I S A D M I

Louis: MAILERS (7)
Matt: MAILERS (7)
DC: IDEALISM (8) ADMIRES (7) MARDIES (7) MISLEAD (7) MISLAID (7)
OT: LAIRDIES (8) MAIRDLES (8) MILADIES (8)
Score: 14–26 (max 33, jos 33)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)

Susie rattles off a long list of sevens, including the one our contestants came up with, and adds one eight out of the four available.

Round 5: U I O W N T F R I

Louis: FRONT (5)
Matt: outwin (risky)
DC: FRUITION (8)
Score: 19–26 (max 41, jos 41)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)

A risk here from Matt which does not pay off. Louis picks up a much-needed five points, and Dictionary Corner takes us all the way to the darrenic eight.

Round 6: 25, 1, 10, 9, 8, 2. Target: 259.

Louis: 259. 25 × 10 + 9 (10)
Matt: 259. 25 × 10 + 9 (10)
Score: 29–36 (max 51, jos 51)

Ariana.

Dr Phil continues his themes on retirement and looking after yourself in your frail dotage. Today he talks about combining relationships and exercise (but not in that way, wink wink) and walking the dog(s).

Round 7: O A O G N S N B E

Louis: BONES (5)
Matt: BONGOS (6)
DC: NONAGES (7) NOSEBAG (7)
OT: ABONNES (7) BONNAGS (7) GABOONS (7) NANOBES (7)
Score: 29–42 (max 58, jos 58)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)

Matt plays a good move here not to fall into the tap and go -OES, which gives him six more points. Susie gets two sevens.

Round 8: T M E A K Y E R O

Louis: METEOR (6)
Matt: REMOTE (6)
DC: MEERKAT (7) TOYMAKER (8)
OT: YOKEMATE (8)
Score: 35–48 (max 66, jos 66)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)

Sixes again for our two contestants, seven for Phil, and eight for Susie.

Round 9: 75, 50, 100, 25, 2, 9. Target: 669.

Louis: 669. 9 × 75 − (100 ÷ 25 + 2) (10)
Matt: 671.
Score: 45–48 (max 76, jos 76)

A poor miss from Matt here as Louis takes 10 much-needed points to reduce the gap to 3.

Teatime teaser: OVENPAIN -> PAVONINE

Round 10: D S A U M N E I D

Louis: MEDIANS (7)
Matt: DEMANDS (7)
DC: MAIDENS (7) UNAIDED (7) DIADEMS (7)
OT: UNMAIDED (8)
Score: 52–55 (max 84, jos 83)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)

No one in the studio can beat seven, although Phil comes close with UNAIDED as he could only have stuck an M in it to get the max.

Round 11: I O E L C S H S A

Louis: COALISES (8) (try)
Matt: CLASHES (7)
DC: CHISELS (7) ASSHOLE (7) (bleeped)
OT: CELOSIAS (8)
Score: 60–55 (max 92, jos 91)
Darren-o-meter: 3/8 (38%)

Excellent try from Louis for COALISES (as in coalition) and it takes him into the lead. Meanwhile, Phil gets expurgated.

Susie gets an email asking about why ARCH- prefixes can be pronounced differently ("ark", "ar-ch").

Round 12: P D U O N A G A L

Louis: UPLAND (6)
Matt: UPLOAD (6)
DC: GONADAL (7) POUNDAL (7)
OT: ANGULOA (7)
Score: 66–61 (max 99, jos 98)
Darren-o-meter: 3/9 (33%)

After ASSHOLE in the last round, Phil gets GONADAL in this one. It is a family show, Dr Hammond...

Round 13: W R I A I G T C O

Louis: AORTIC (6)
Matt: RATIO (5)
DC: TRAGIC (6)
OT: IATRIC (6) ORGIAC (6)
Score: 72–61 (max 105, jos 104)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)

This is not a classic round at all and Louis maxes it out with a six to get him above that 10-point lead.

Rachel tries to persuade Matt to take on the infamous Rachel gamble, and he declines.

Round 14: 50, 6, 9, 10, 1, 8. Target: 533.

Louis: 533. (10 + 1) × 50 − 9 − 8 (10)
Matt: 533. 9 × 6 × 10 + 1 − 8 (10)
Score: 82–71 (max 115, jos 114)

And it's all too easy. Rachel was right to ask him to gamble, as not doing so here has got Louis over the line for his sixth win and he books a place in the finals.

Round 15: M E L A N U R I C

Louis buzzes on 14.75 seconds to say NUMERICAL which is correct.
Final Score: 92–71 (max 125, jos 124)

And he closes it out with a good conundrum solve - this looks very hard with lots of common letters and dead ends, and he wins by 22 points. A good comeback win from 13 down at one stage and it gives him a sixth win. Two more to go?

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