Countdown recap for Friday 3 September 2021.
It's "Lazy Mums Day". Feminism-down continues with Anne suggesting there should be "Lazy Househusbands Day" instead, based on her theories.
C1: Champion Kevin Wenn (2 wins, 151 points.) Used to smell for a living.
C2: Challenger John Edwards. From Bedfordshire, but born in Southampton. Former immigration officer. Wearing a shirt that's crashed into a field of daisies, described as a "Saturday shirt" by Johnny.
DC: Susie Dent and Johnny Vaughan.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: L I N E R T I O D
R02: M N T K U E O A G
R03: 25, 5, 8, 4, 8, 2. Target: 867.
TTT: EASYQUID - "You can make a few easy quid selling ice creams around here."
R04: F T C W A I E A T
R05: E I E O D H W B U
R06: 75, 8, 3, 2, 3, 6. Target: 444.
R07: R L T I E E D T M
R08: I A I S L N S U E
R09: 25, 3, 9, 10, 6, 10. Target: 187.
TTT: CUTESPUR - "In times of old, he enjoyed helping himself."
R10: R G T H O O E S A
R11: T P R U A O D E N
R12: C N N P E O I E M
R13: B R D O O I N S E
R14: 100, 4, 6, 7, 10, 3. Target: 804.
R15: U S M I B E L L Y (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: L I N E R T I O D
Kevin: EDITION (7)
John: TOILED (6)
DC: RETINOID (8)
OT: REDITION (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8, jos 8)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
Kevin takes an early lead here on his third EDITION.
Round 2: M N T K U E O A G
Kevin: MONTAGE (7)
John: MONTAGE (7)
DC: AUGMENT (7) MEGATON (7)
OT: GEOMANT (7) MAGNETO (7) METAGON (7) MUTAGEN (7)
Score: 14–7 (max 15, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)
Flatter than most of the Brandy Snaps on Celebrity Masterchef last night.
Round 3: 25, 5, 8, 4, 8, 2. Target: 867.
Kevin: -
John: 867. (8 × 4 + 5 − 2) × 25 − 8 (10)
Score: 14–17 (max 25, jos 25)
A very obvious fudge from John, evidenced by the fact he went "ooh, wow" when he landed on 867.
Teatime teaser: EASYQUID -> QUAYSIDE
Round 4: F T C W A I E A T
Kevin: FACET (5)
John: fattie (risky - misdeclared as 7 but not mentioned)
OT: CITATE (6) TAWTIE (6)
Score: 19–17 (max 31, jos 30)
Darren-o-meter: 0/3 (0%)
This is a strange one, but a more common occurrence in recent years, where Susie doesn't mention the misdeclaration if the word is invalid anyway. Anyway, no one can better a five. FATTIE^ is -Y in the singular or -IES in the plural, not -IE.
Round 5: E I E O D H W B U
Kevin: BOWED (5)
John: HIDE (4)
DC: DWEEB (5) BOWIE (5)
OT: BEDEW (5) BEEDI (5) DHOBI (5) HEWED (5)
Score: 24–17 (max 36, jos 35)
Darren-o-meter: 0/4 (0%)
Kevin extends his lead with John only on four, but then again nothing can beat five anyway.
Anne asks John specifically about this ridiculous shirt.
Round 6: 75, 8, 3, 2, 3, 6. Target: 444.
Kevin: 444. 75 × 6 − (3 + 3) (10)
John: 444. 75 × 6 − (3 + 3) (10)
Score: 34–27 (max 46, jos 45)
thank u, next
Johnny, in his last appearance (hopefully forever), talks about a dishwasher that kept falling down, and how he fixed it with a broom or something... I tapped out ages ago, before reading out texts from listeners with similar problems, including a woman who starts her washing machine with a knife, someone who only has one light bulb in the house and moves it from room to room with an oven glove, before landing on a story where a couple takes advantage of their neighbours' burglar light to have a shower, because they don't have a bathroom light or something.... yawn.
That Johnny segment was only 3.5 minutes. Somehow it felt longer.
Round 7: R L T I E E D T M
Kevin: REMITTED (8)
John: RETILED (7)
DC: RETITLED (8) LITTERED (8)
Score: 42–27 (max 54, jos 53)
Darren-o-meter: 0/5 (0%)
Kevin takes the lead out to 15 points as John forgets he's got two Ts and misses eight points.
Round 8: I A I S L N S U E
Kevin: UNLESS (6)
John: UNLESS (6)
DC: SALINE (6) SALINES (7) SALINISE (8)
Score: 48–33 (max 62, jos 61)
Darren-o-meter: 1/6 (17%)
Big, bigger, biggest result in DC eventually landing on SALINISE for eight, with both contestants on six.
Round 9: 25, 3, 9, 10, 6, 10. Target: 187.
Kevin: 188.
John: 187. (10 + 9) × 10 − 3 (10)
Score: 48–43 (max 72, jos 71)
A good LNAFP solve from John reduces the lead to five points.
Teatime teaser: CUTESPUR -> CUTPURSE
Round 10: R G T H O O E S A
Kevin: GATHERS (7)
John: SHORTAGE (8)
DC: ragtooth (phantom T) SOOTHER (7) SHOOTER (7)
OT: GOASHORE (8) ROOTAGES (8)
Score: 48–51 (max 80, jos 79)
Darren-o-meter: 1/7 (14%)
A great spot from John to take the lead back, having been 15 points behind just two rounds ago.
Round 11: T P R U A O D E N
Kevin: ROUTED (6)
John: UNPARTED (8) (I think)
DC: PRONATED (8)
Score: 48–59 (max 88, jos 87)
Darren-o-meter: 1/8 (13%)
And once again John wins with a max eight, extending his lead to 11 points and Kevin's wheels are falling off. As are the toothpaste caps, presumably.
Susie, whose hair is looking a little thirsty (although that might just be my iPad) gives some of her favourite hits, including mouse and pupil (of the eye). She gives some new origins: thriller and grenade. Once again, Johnny opts to get involved. SHUT. UP. JOHNNY.
Round 12: C N N P E O I E M
Kevin: OPINE (5)
John: INCOME (6)
DC: PIEMEN (6) CONNIE (6)
OT: MECONINE (8)
Score: 48–65 (max 96, jos 93)
Darren-o-meter: 2/9 (22%)
John wins yet another round and the lead is now 17 points.
Round 13: B R D O O I N S E
Kevin: RINSED (6)
John: BROODS (6) (stick with)
DC: INDOORS (7) NOBODIES (8)
OT: BOONDIES (8) BRIDOONS (8) DOOBRIES (8)
Score: 54–71 (max 104, jos 101)
Darren-o-meter: 2/10 (20%)
Kevin scores points for the first time since Round 8 and is still, just, in the game.
Round 14: 100, 4, 6, 7, 10, 3. Target: 804.
Kevin: 803.
John: 804. (10 − (3 − (7 − 6))) × 100 + 4 (10)
Score: 54–81 (max 114, jos 111)
And John wins this with a unique triple bracket, thus ending Kevin's run. Back to tasting toothpaste for him, then.
Round 15: U S M I B E L L Y
Kevin buzzes on 18.25 seconds to say SUBLIMELY which is correct.
Final Score: 64–81 (max 124, jos 121)
Kevin gets a Nick Hewer consolation solve, ending up on 64 points but it's no match for John's total of 81, which gets him into the champion's chair on Monday, with Tracy-Ann Oberman (who I like, so should be good) in the guest's chair.
Anne tells Johnny to stop talking! Hooray!
Join us again on Monday - goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84