Wednesday 16th June 2021 (Series 83, Preliminary 118)

[Rhys Benjamin]

It's the final prelim of the series. And of the Hewer era.

Countdown recap for Wednesday 16 June 2021.

Nick begins with a story about how easy it is to dupe people and lie.

C1: Champion Ant Brown (1 win, 89 points.)
C2: Challenger Steve Francom. A Chartered Accountant from Manchester. Went on a tour to Egypt once.
DC: Susie Dent and Rufus Hound. Rufus hasn't dressed up properly and is wearing a baseball hat and grey hoodie.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: L S M U E E O T R
R02: W T G I O E P L U
R03: 100, 25, 10, 4, 6, 2. Target: 747.
TTT: SADSHANK - "The man fires his chef for ruining the curries."
R04: N I S I R E S D C
R05: L G R A E A T S D
R06: 100, 50, 75, 6, 9, 10. Target: 382.
R07: R M W I E A N D T
R08: E I P D A B R P C
R09: 25, 100, 1, 5, 10, 2. Target: 650.
TTT: ENIDMORE - "Enid grew more assertive by the day, and would always do this."
R10: N K T E U O B R O
R11: T D Y I A E S G E
R12: M L S U E I J H L
R13: P S R O E A G N E
R14: 25, 100, 75, 1, 8, 4. Target: 455.
R15: B U R L Y B E E R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: L S M U E E O T R

Ant: SMELTER (7)
Steve: MOLESTER (8)
DC: MOULTERS (8) MOUSELET (8)
OT: REMOLEST (8) RESOLUTE (8)
Score: 0–8 (max 8, jos 8)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

Susie says that MOLESTER is excellent... er... moving on.

Round 2: W T G I O E P L U

Ant: POLITE (6)
Steve: POLITE (6)
DC: PIGLET (6) WIPEOUT (7)
Score: 6–14 (max 15, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 1/2 (50%)

Lovely little bit of darrenage from DC as Ant gets off the mark.

Round 3: 100, 25, 10, 4, 6, 2. Target: 747.

Ant: -
Steve: -
RR: 747. (100 + 25) × 6 − (10 − 4) ÷ 2​ (10)
Score: 6–14 (max 25, jos 25)

Both contestants flunk this one and Rachel shows us how it's done.

Teatime teaser: SADSHANK -> DHANSAKS

Round 4: N I S I R E S D C

Ant: RINSED (6)
Steve: RESCIND (7)
DC: RESCINDS (8) INSIDERS (8)
OT: DISCERNS (8) SERICINS (8)
Score: 6–21 (max 33, jos 33)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)

Rufus jokes as to whether Steve wants to take back RESCIND, as he can pluralise it for 8.

Round 5: L G R A E A T S D

Ant: GRADES (6)
Steve: LARGEST (7)
DC: GRADATES (8)
OT: AGRESTAL (8) ALGRADES (8) DATALERS (8)
Score: 6–28 (max 41, jos 41)
Darren-o-meter: 1/4 (25%)

Ant's turn to miss a stem but this one is more obscure as a word. Steve extends his lead.

Round 6: 100, 50, 75, 6, 9, 10. Target: 382.

Ant: 391.
Steve: 384. 6 × 50 + 75 + 9​ (7)
RR: 382. (75 × 50 + 100) ÷ 10 − (9​ − 6) (10)
Score: 6–35 (max 51, jos 51)

Darren-o-meter: Steve gets himself to two away, and Rachel does a 4-large-esque solve of 75 times 5 plus 10.

Rufus tells us a poem about his dad's friend who always calls his dad to point out Rufus is on Countdown. I would have thought he would already know.

Round 7: R M W I E A N D T

Ant: WARTIME (7)
Steve: RAINED (6)
DC: MEDIANT (7) MEDIAN (6) TRAINED (7)
OT: MINDWARE (8) TERINDAM (8) TIMEWARD (8)
Score: 13–35 (max 59, jos 58)
Darren-o-meter: 1/5 (20%)

WARTIME is not hyphenated, which gets Ant seven crucial points.

Round 8: E I P D A B R P C

Ant: CRAPPED (7) (I hope)
Steve: BRACED (6)
DC: RIPPED (6) PRICED (6) CARPED (6) (from NH) DAPPIER (7) PREPAID (7)
OT: CARBIDE (7) CRAPPIE (7) EPICARP (7) PEDICAB (7) PERACID (7)
Score: 20–35 (max 66, jos 65)
Darren-o-meter: 1/6 (17%)

Susie gives us a more wholesome definition of CRAPPED, relating to the dice gambling game. Lots of 7s here.

Round 9: 25, 100, 1, 5, 10, 2. Target: 650.

Ant: 650. (5 + 1) × 100 + 2 × 2​5 (10)
Steve: 650. (5 + 1) × 100 + 2 × 2​5 (10)
Score: 30–45 (max 76, jos 75)

thank u, next

Teatime teaser: ENIDMORE -> DOMINEER

Round 10: N K T E U O B R O

Ant: outbroken (risk)
Steve: BROKEN (6)
DC: BOOKER (6) NETBOOK (7)
OT: OUTBORN (7) TOKUNBO (7)
Score: 30–51 (max 83, jos 82)
Darren-o-meter: 1/7 (14%)

Ant's risky 9 does not pay off and Steve extends the lead to 21 points.

Round 11: T D Y I A E S G E

Ant: STAGED (6)
Steve: STAGED (6)
DC: DIGEST (6) GAIETY (6) AGISTED (7)
OT: EDGIEST (7) GASEITY (7) IDEATES (7) SIDEAGE (7) YEASTED (7)
Score: 36–57 (max 90, jos 89)
Darren-o-meter: 1/8 (13%)

Sixes for our contestants, 7 for Dictionary Corner.

Susie gets an email from Kevin Slaven, who asks why Susie says "I'm afraid" (as in "it isn't there, I'm afraid") and whether this has any connections with fear.

Round 12: M L S U E I J H L

Ant: MULES (5)
Steve: SLIME (5)
DC: MUESLI (6)
OT: ILLUMES (7)
Score: 41–62 (max 97, jos 95)
Darren-o-meter: 2/9 (22%)

Only fives for our contestants, as Dictionary Corner gets a six but the seven eludes everybody.

Round 13: P S R O E A G N E

Ant: SPONGER (7)
Steve: ORANGES (7)
DC: PERSONAGE (18)
Score: 48–69 (max 115, jos 113)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)

Just sevens for our contestants, but DC closes out the Hewer prelims with a 9. But Steve gets over the line.

Round 14: 25, 100, 75, 1, 8, 4. Target: 455.

Ant: 457. 100 × 4 + 75 − 25 + 8 − 1​ (7)
Steve: 457. 100 × 4 + 75 − 25 + 8 − 1​ (7)
RR: 454/456. (7)
OT: 454. (100 + 1) × 4 + 75 − 25​ (7)
Score: 55–76 (max 122, jos 120)

Rachel claims it's impossible, and indeed it is. I had 456, incidentally, with 108 x 4 + 25 - 1.

Round 15: B U R L Y B E E R

No one buzzes. The answer was BLUEBERRY.
Final Score: 55–76 (max 132, jos 130)

And Steve wins the final teapot of the Hewer era. He will most likely be back for Anne Robinson's debut.

But before then...

It'll be the finals! Eight contestants, one winner. Who will win? Join us tomorrow for QF1.


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