Countdown recap for Monday 30 August 2021.
Anne tells us It's Mary Shelley's birthday today - behind every great monster, there's a great woman.
C1: Challenger Steve Gamble. Bus driver from Nottingham. Returnee from 2002.
C2: Challenger Suja Mani. Lived in India until 2013. From Woking. Has a Mathematics Degree. Volunteer at a hockey museum, allegedly the only one in the world. She's very shy!
DC: Susie Dent and Johnny Vaughan.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: K A G O M U S N I
R02: G A P W I S E P E
R03: 100, 6, 7, 3, 5, 3. Target: 954.
TTT: SOILABLE - "Thanks to the soil, I'm able to grow these really well."
R04: D U N A T F E G E
R05: W O F E D B S E I
R06: 75, 50, 3, 6, 2, 4. Target: 654.
R07: T I M U L A N P E
R08: C E R D H A M O L
R09: 100, 6, 4, 3, 2, 6. Target: 902.
TTT: BEANSOUP - "When you've got to go, you've got to go."
R10: C O N E R L A Q I
R11: T S A I V R O O I
R12: S E M E P A S L R
R13: L I E N R E S D I
R14: 75, 50, 100, 10, 1, 7. Target: 490.
R15: B I L L L A Y R E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: K A G O M U S N I
Steve: MASKING (7)
Suja: MASKING (7)
DC: moanings AMUSING (7) SMOKING (7) asmoking
OT: AGONISM (7) MAKINGS (7) MOUSING (7) MUSKING (7) NOGAKUS (7) SOAKING (7) SOUMING (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
Sevens get us started off, whilst Johnny thinks he's playing Touchdown with an invalid 8 anyway.
Round 2: G A P W I S E P E
Steve: SWIPE (5)
Suja: gappies
DC: PIPEAGES (8)
Score: 12–7 (max 15, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 1/2 (50%)
No GAPPIES^ for Suja, allowing Steve to take an early lead.
Round 3: 100, 6, 7, 3, 5, 3. Target: 954.
Steve: 955. (100 + 7) × (6 + 3) − 5 − 3 (7)
Suja: 963.
RR: 954. (100 + 6) × 3 × 3 (10)
Score: 19–7 (max 25, jos 25)
Both contestants miss an easy numbers game.
Teatime teaser: SOILABLE -> LOBELIAS
Round 4: D U N A T F E G E
Steve: DEFEAT (6)
Suja: DEFEAT (6)
DC: ungate ENDGATE (7) FUNGATE (7)
OT: FUNGATED (8)
Score: 25–13 (max 33, jos 32)
Darren-o-meter: 2/3 (67%)
Complete blunder from Susie not to stick the D on FUNGATE, whilst both Steve and Suja can only see six.
Round 5: W O F E D B S E I
Steve: BODIES (6)
Suja: BESIDE (6)
DC: DWEEBS (6)
OT: WEBISODE (8)
Score: 31–19 (max 41, jos 38)
Darren-o-meter: 3/4 (75%)
Sixes again, with Johnny and Anne incensed that DWEEBS is a word.
Round 6: 75, 50, 3, 6, 2, 4. Target: 654.
Steve: 654. (6 + 2) × 75 + 50 + 4 (10)
Suja: 654. (6 + 2) × 75 + 50 + 4 (10)
Score: 41–29 (max 51, jos 48)
thank u, next
Johnny talks about his 4-year gap year between school and prison. Then going to The Big Breakfast and becoming one of the highest-paid people on TV. He then talks us through his wardrobe choices for a wedding he went to recently.
Round 7: T I M U L A N P E
Steve: PLAIN (5)
Suja: LAMENT (6)
DC: PLATINUM (8) IMPLANT (7)
OT: PENULTIMA (18)
Score: 41–35 (max 69, jos 56)
Darren-o-meter: 4/5 (80%)
Suja reduces the gap with a six. PLATINUM would be a great spot if there wasn't a nine available...
Round 8: C E R D H A M O L
Steve: MARCHED (7)
Suja: CHARMED (7)
DC: COMRADE (7)
OT: ARMHOLE (7) CAROMED (7) CHOLERA (7) CHORALE (7) CHORDAL (7) CHROMED (7) DORLACH (7) EARLDOM (7) MERCADO (7) MORACHE (7) MORALED (7) REDCOAL (7) ROACHED (7)
Score: 48–42 (max 76, jos 63)
Darren-o-meter: 4/6 (67%)
Flaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.
Round 9: 100, 6, 4, 3, 2, 6. Target: 902.
Steve: 902. (6 + 3) × 100 + 2 (10)
Suja: 902. (6 + 3) × 100 + 2 (10)
Score: 58–52 (max 86, jos 73)
Ariana.
Teatime teaser: BEANSOUP -> SUBPOENA
Round 10: C O N E R L A Q I
Steve: AILERON (7) (try)
Suja: CLONER (6)
DC: LONICERA (8)
OT: ACROLEIN (8) COLINEAR (8)
Score: 65–52 (max 94, jos 81)
Darren-o-meter: 4/7 (57%)
First appearance of AILERON in nine months, with Susie spotting one of the three available eights, allegedly a gardening term. Where's Jeremy Slaney when you need him?
Round 11: T S A I V R O O I
Steve: VISITOR (7)
Suja: RATIOS (6)
DC: OVARITIS (8)
Score: 72–52 (max 102, jos 89)
Darren-o-meter: 5/8 (63%)
Seems a bit obvious when you define it, but OVARITIS is an inflammation of the ovary. Meanwhile, Steve extends the lead to 20 points.
An email from Annie Coombs in North Wales asking about the expression of losing one's bottle, which comes from cockney rhyming slang - "bottle and glass". Susie's constantly interrupted by "hmmm", "really?", et al every so often from Johnny.
Round 12: S E M E P A S L R
Steve: SAMPLERS (8) (try)
Suja: SAMPLERS (8)
DC: RESAMPLES (18)
Score: 80–60 (max 120, jos 107)
Darren-o-meter: 6/9 (67%)
I think both contestants will kick themselves somewhat here, letting 10 points slip fairly easily.
Round 13: L I E N R E S D I
Steve: DENIES (6)
Suja: RELINED (7)
DC: REDLINES (8)
OT: LINESIDE (8) SIDELINE (8)
Score: 80–67 (max 128, jos 115)
Darren-o-meter: 6/10 (60%)
To REDLINE is to over-rev an engine, which is all one word in that context. RELINED reduces the deficit to 13 points and thus Suja is in "Rachel gamble" territory.
Round 14: 75, 50, 100, 10, 1, 7. Target: 490.
Steve: 490. (50 − 1) × 10 (10)
Suja: 490. (50 − 1) × 10 (10)
Score: 90–77 (max 138, jos 125)
Suja, unprompted, picks 3 large... but it's another Ariana numbers game. Oh well, at least she tried.
Round 15: B I L L L A Y R E
Steve buzzes on 2 seconds to say RELIABLY which is incorrect.
Suja does not buzz.
The answer was LIBERALLY.
Final Score: 90–77 (max 148, jos 135)
Oh 'ell, that's a horrid conundrum. RELIABLY is missing an L, and Suja doesn't manage to get a Nick Hewer consolation conundrum, and Anne doesn't even bother asking Rachel or Susie.
Anyway, Steve finally wins a teapot after 19 years between appearances, and he'll be back tomorrow. As will we. Join us again for Countdown. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84