Tuesday 15th June 2021 (Series 83, Preliminary 117)

[Rhys Benjamin]

Tuesday. Finals minus two.

Countdown recap for Tuesday 15 June 2021.

Nick opens with a story about a bloke who did a tightrope walk across the US-Canada border.

C1: Champion Neil Thomas (2 wins, 166 points.)
C2: Challenger Ant Brown. Works for Network Rail. from Coldean in Brighton. Pretty sure I've seen him at Falmer station in the past.
DC: Susie Dent and Gloria Hunniford.
RR: Rachel Riley. Rachel says "covvid". Ew.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S W T N I E I R O
R02: D M S A E E C T I
R03: 50, 6, 2, 9, 6, 3. Target: 500.
TTT: SETSCARE - "You'll definitely be in for a scare if this sets its eyes on you."
R04: L S N U E I P D A
R05: G N V M I O O B E
R06: 75, 50, 4, 7, 7, 10. Target: 894.
R07: G S L G A E I N A
R08: L T R E A E F P D
R09: 100, 8, 6, 4, 4, 7. Target: 128.
TTT: HISORGAN - "After a full-body spray tan, his organ looked this way."
R10: S G C O A U W O R
R11: T S N P I E O J O
R12: D R C A I O Y L E
R13: D H M N A E U S O
R14: 25, 100, 10, 8, 4, 5. Target: 225.
R15: R I V E T H O N K (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S W T N I E I R O

Neil: TOWNIES (7)
Ant: TOWNIES (7)
DC: WINTERS (7) STONIER (7) SNOWIER (7)
OT: IONISER (7) IRONIES (7) IRONISE (7) IRONIST (7) NOISIER (7) NOWTERS (7) OESTRIN (7) ORIENTS (7) ROTINIS (7) TWINERS (7) WINIEST (7) WIRIEST (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

Flat as a pancake to start us off.

Round 2: D M S A E E C T I

Neil: MEDIATES (8)
Ant: STEAMED (7)
DC: MEDICATES (18) DECIMATES (18)
Score: 15–7 (max 25, jos 25)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

Neil will be kicking himself that he missed MEDIATES+C.

Round 3: 50, 6, 2, 9, 6, 3. Target: 500.

Neil: 500. (6 ÷ 6 + 9) × 50 (10)
Ant: 500. (3 − 2 + 9) × 50 (10)
Score: 25–17 (max 35, jos 35)

thank u, next, thank u, next...

Teatime teaser: SETSCARE -> CERASTES

Round 4: L S N U E I P D A

Neil: DENIALS (7)
Ant: DENIALS (7)
DC: SUNDIAL (7) UNLAPSED (8)
OT: UNPALSIED (18)
Score: 32–24 (max 53, jos 43)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)

Seven more for our contestants. Eight for Susie (as in the opposite of ELAPSED), but a nine for the computer.

Round 5: G N V M I O O B E

Neil: MOVING (6)
Ant: BOOMING (7)
DC: MOOING (6)
Score: 32–31 (max 60, jos 50)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)

Lovely bit of Darrenage from Ant to reduce the deficit to one point.

Round 6: 75, 50, 4, 7, 7, 10. Target: 894.

Neil: -
Ant: 894. (7 + 7 + 75) × 10 + 4​ (10)
Score: 32–41 (max 70, jos 60)

This is easier than it looks, but not immediately obvious either. Rachel says "it's the only way I could spot", but there are 3 others.

Gloria talks about when she interviewed the conductor of the Ulster orchestra. He invited her to an opera. Despite asking her for feedback, the director told her her opinion didn't matter anyway. Not sure why she laughs at that.

Round 7: G S L G A E I N A

Neil: LEASING (7)
Ant: ANGELS (6)
DC: LASAGNE (7) GANGLES (7)
OT: AGNAILS (7) ALEINGS (7) ALGESIA (7) ALGINES (7) ALNAGES (7) EAGLING (7) GALANGE (7) GALINGA (7) GANGLIA (7) NAGGLES (7) NIGGLES (7) SEALING (7) SIGNAGE (7) SNAGGLE (7) SNIGGLE (7)
Score: 39–41 (max 77, jos 67)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)

Ant misses approximately a billion 7s.

Round 8: L T R E A E F P D

Neil: PARTED (6)
Ant: RELATED (7)
DC: FEDERAL (7) REFLATED (8)
OT: FALTERED (8) PALTERED (8) PEDALFER (8) REPLATED (8)
Score: 39–48 (max 85, jos 75)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)

Ant is asked first, even though he declares longer. A nice 8 from Susie, which isn't to do with blowing up a paddling pool, but is an economic term.

Round 9: 100, 8, 6, 4, 4, 7. Target: 128.

Neil: 128. 4 × 7 + 100 (10)
Ant: 128. (7 − 6 + 4) × 4 + 8​ + 100 (10)
Score: 49–58 (max 95, jos 85)

thank u, next.

Teatime teaser: HISORGAN -> ORANGISH

Round 10: S G C O A U W O R

Neil: CROWS (5)
Ant: GROWS (5)
DC: COUGARS (7)
Score: 54–63 (max 102, jos 92)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)

Fives for our contestants, a darren for Gloria.

Round 11: T S N P I E O J O

Neil: POINTS (6)
Ant: JOINTS (6)
DC: OPTIONS (7) POINTES (7)
OT: ISOTOPE (7) POOTIES (7) POSITON (7) POTIONS (7) POTJIES (7) TOONIES (7)
Score: 60–69 (max 109, jos 99)
Darren-o-meter: 3/8 (38%)

Another flat one here.

Susie tells us about the origins of tomato ketchup. See? It's not just a brand name.

Round 12: D R C A I O Y L E

Neil: CORDIAL (7)
Ant: DERAIL (6)
DC: ACRIDLY (7) CARIOLE (7)
OT: CALORIE (7) COALERY (7) DARIOLE (7) LORICAE (7) RADICEL (7) RADICLE (7) RADIOLE (7) READILY (7) REDCOAL (7)
Score: 67–69 (max 116, jos 106)
Darren-o-meter: 3/9 (33%)

Ant says he probably shouldn't say DERAIL given his occupation. He shouldn't have done so either, as Neil reduces the deficit to two points.

Round 13: D H M N A E U S O

Neil: HANDSOME (8)
Ant: SHAMED (6)
DC: HOUSEMAN (8)
OT: MADHOUSE (8)
Score: 75–69 (max 124, jos 114)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)

And Neil takes the lead, with Ant failing to score again.

Rachel says to Ant "you've been sitting on 69 too long". Er...

Round 14: 25, 100, 10, 8, 4, 5. Target: 225.

Neil: 225. (10 − 8) × 100 + 25​ (10)
Ant: 225. 8 ÷ 4 × 100 + 25 (10)
Score: 85–79 (max 134, jos 124)

This Ariana numbers is going to give us another crucial conundrum.

Round 15: R I V E T H O N K

Ant buzzes on 8 seconds to say OVERTHINK which is correct.
Final Score: 85–89 (max 144, jos 134)

Ant takes it, knocking Neil off his perch. Neil's conundrums, which had been very good, let him down.

Join us tomorrow for the final preliminary match.


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