Countdown recap for Monday 6 September 2021.
It's Know Your Numbers Week, according to Anne, which is somehow a synonym for checking blood pressure.
C1: Champion John Edwards (1 win, 81 points.), "who was here yesterday", according to Anne. What, on Sunday!? 60 years old. Former immigration officer.
C2: Challenger Liam Thom. From Aberdeen, with one of the strongest Scottish accents to ever appear on the show. Strawberry blond. Control room operator for an emergency company, with a global outreach. Basically Thunderbird 5.
DC: Susie Dent and Tracy-Ann Oberman, with a pair of bright green glasses. A very distinguished acting career, who lists killing Dirty Den and being turned into a Cybermen as her biggest acting achievements. I like her acting, so I'm fully prepared to be disappointed this week.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T S N G A E E R U
R02: M N C O A A T S I
R03: 50, 5, 4, 2, 7, 8. Target: 501.
TTT: ROWDYPAL - "If you're good at this, then you should get the answer."
R04: R E I F S N U A M
R05: C R P L I O I R I
R06: 75, 25, 8, 1, 8, 9. Target: 928.
R07: G D W E U E T S E
R08: I U O B N D L M I
R09: 25, 8, 9, 3, 5, 5. Target: 526.
TTT: NOTALTER - "She's not going to try and alter you. She's very accepting."
R10: L N G S L A E E S
R11: N H F A O I E D V
R12: R C Q R T A E I U
R13: D Y S L A E I P S
R14: 5, 10, 9, 6, 7, 7. Target: 292.
R15: C L E A N C O D E (conundrum)
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T S N G A E E R U
John: STRANGE (7)
Liam: STRANGE (7)
DC: REAGENTS (8)
OT: ESTRANGE (8) GRANTEES (8) GREATENS (8) NEGATERS (8) RENTAGES (8) SERGEANT (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8, jos 8)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
Tracy-Ann claims she got REAGENTS, as "she likes Scrabble". Heretic! Burn her at the stake!
Round 2: M N C O A A T S I
John: ACTIONS (7)
Liam: manics
DC: CATIONS (7)
OT: ANATOMIC (8) ANIMATOS (8) MONASTIC (8)
Score: 14–7 (max 16, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)
No MANICS^, it's only an adjective, but it's irrelevant anyway as John doubles his lead.
Round 3: 50, 5, 4, 2, 7, 8. Target: 501.
John: 501. (8 + 2) × 50 + 5 − 4 (10)
Liam: 501. (8 + 2) × 50 + 5 − 4 (10)
Score: 24–17 (max 26, jos 25)
thank u, next
Teatime teaser: ROWDYPAL -> WORDPLAY
Round 4: R E I F S N U A M
John: INFUSER (7)
Liam: unframes (try)
DC: ANEURISM (8)
OT: FRAENUMS (8)
Score: 31–17 (max 34, jos 33)
Darren-o-meter: 0/3 (0%)
No UNFRAMES^ and John already has a big lead, with Tracy-Ann suffering an ANEURISM.
Round 5: C R P L I O I R I
John: COIL (4)
Liam: PRIOR (5)
OT: PRIORIC (7)
Score: 31–22 (max 41, jos 38)
Darren-o-meter: 1/4 (25%)
Not quite sure how DC managed to miss adding IC onto the end of PRIOR.
Round 6: 75, 25, 8, 1, 8, 9. Target: 928.
John: 925. (75 + 25 + 1) × 9 + 8 + 8 (7)
Liam: 925. (75 + 25 + 1) × 9 + 8 + 8 (7)
RR: 928. (75 + 25 + 8 + 8) × (9 − 1) (10)
Score: 38–29 (max 51, jos 48)
Rachel's 928 is perhaps easier than it looks, with 116 x 8, although I would have thought 92 x 10 + 8 was more obvious.
Tracy-Ann is asked about how she got into acting, despite her disapproving parents. The "Best Dressed Soap Star" of 2005 prefers to use "actress", which infuriates Anne, who is now upset about having been conditioned to use "actor" for women as well. Anyway, Tracy-Ann gives us some of her upcoming projects, including Ridley Road on BBC One, documenting the rise of the National Front in the 1960s.
Round 7: G D W E U E T S E
John: GUESTED (7)
Liam: WEDGES (6)
OT: EGESTED (7)
Score: 45–29 (max 58, jos 55)
Darren-o-meter: 1/5 (20%)
Once again, John is able to extend his lead, and this is already looking a bit one-sided.
Liam talks about his charity work and hobbies, including Kilimanjaro in 2015.
Round 8: I U O B N D L M I
John: BOUND (5)
Liam: BOUND (5)
DC: LIBIDO (6)
OT: NIOBIUM (7)
Score: 50–34 (max 65, jos 61)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)
Both contestants are BOUND together in this round and stuck on five. Tracy-Ann beats Susie with LIBIDO. If these spots are genuine, she ought to apply as a bona fide contestant.
Round 9: 25, 8, 9, 3, 5, 5. Target: 526.
John: 525. (not written down) (8 + 9 + 3) × 25 + 5 × 5 (7)
Liam: -
RR: 526. 25 × 5 × 5 − (8 + 3) × 9 (10)
Score: 57–34 (max 75, jos 71)
That is the only method available for 526 and it's a strange way to get it, 625 - 99...
Teatime teaser: NOTALTER -> TOLERANT
Round 10: L N G S L A E E S
John: ANGELS (6)
Liam: ANGLES (6)
DC: EASELS (6) LEGLESS (7)
OT: LEANGLES (8)
Score: 63–40 (max 83, jos 78)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)
Susie is left without a leg to stand on, whilst everyone misses the darren.
Round 11: N H F A O I E D V
John: AVOID (5)
Liam: VIDEO (5)
OT: NAEVOID (7)
Score: 68–45 (max 90, jos 83)
Darren-o-meter: 4/8 (50%)
Both contestants are only on five again and now Liam is running out of time to make his move.
OOW A clothing special, starting with a bad pun about how they're "woven" through English. Metaphors involving cloths relating to messages: spin, peg. Investment: relating to vests. Dominoes: a small mask at masquerades (not a pizza). Chaperone: -E and it's a hood or cap worn by noblemen in the 1400s.
Round 12: R C Q R T A E I U
John: RACQUET (7)
Liam: RACQUET (7)
DC: QUARTER (7) QUARTIC (7)
OT: ACQUIRER (8) QUARTIER (8)
Score: 75–52 (max 98, jos 90)
Darren-o-meter: 4/9 (44%)
With the whole studio on seven, QUARTER+I would have given an eight.
Round 13: D Y S L A E I P S
John: DELAYS (6)
Liam: SLIDES (6)
DC: DISPLAYS (8)
OT: DIALYSES (8)
Score: 81–58 (max 106, jos 98)
Darren-o-meter: 4/10 (40%)
I thought DISPLAYS virtually leapt off the board here, but it still earns Tracy-Ann a round of applause.
Round 14: 5, 10, 9, 6, 7, 7. Target: 292.
John: 292. 5 × 6 × 10 − (9 − 7 ÷ 7) (10)
Liam: 292. 5 × 6 × 10 − (9 − 7 ÷ 7) (10)
Score: 91–68 (max 116, jos 106)
Liam goes six small for a bit of fun, and both contestants are able to see 292.
Round 15: C L E A N C O D E
No one buzzes. Rachel gives the answer, which was CONCEALED.
Final Score: 91–68 (max 126, jos 116)
One more bad pun from Rachel to finish (the answer was concealed in the anagram), and John takes his second win.
He'll be back tomorrow. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84