Countdown recap for Tuesday 7 September 2021.
In 1936 on this day, Buddy Holly was born.
C1: Champion John Edwards (2 wins, 172 points.) Former immigration officer from Southampton.
C2: Challenger Adele Hannigan. Cancer researcher, having done 9(!) years at university. Another Scot. Got married three days after getting her PHD. Now works for a drug company. Pleasantly surprised that a Covid vaccine was available in 12 months.
DC: Susie Dent and Tracy-Ann Oberman, who prefers be--OH MY WORD LISTEN TO THAT SHIRT
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: Y T C E A A O N D
R02: T I P O E R S O M
R03: 100, 6, 10, 8, 8, 1. Target: 688.
TTT: ENTERVAN - "The answer to this could apply to somebody in this studio."
R04: D A R E G N A I B
R05: T R W E E M I A G
R06: 25, 50, 4, 3, 8, 8. Target: 648.
R07: O O E F L S C B I
R08: S A L T H A O I F
R09: 100, 6, 10, 1, 4, 2. Target: 398.
TTT: DONTRIED - "Don tried to keep up with all the latest fashions and styles."
R10: R U E D S G E R P
R11: T J R A U O E D P
R12: S A W E T I N L I
R13: S N S D U O A R I
R14: 25, 75, 4, 10, 3, 1. Target: 478.
R15: F I R E D R I T E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: Y T C E A A O N D
John: DEACON (6)
Adele: ATONED (6)
DC: COATED (6) DONATE (6) OCTANE (6)
OT: ANECDOTA (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8, jos 6)
Darren-o-meter: 1/1 (100%)
We get started with sixes across the board, the darrenic eight going unnoticed.
Adele starts with "a letter, please, Rachel." That's a great start...!
Round 2: T I P O E R S O M
John: IMPORTS (7)
Adele: ROOMIEST (8)
DC: IMPOSTER/IMPOSTOR (8) (not specified which) MOTORISE (8)
OT: MIOSPORE (8) PROMOTES (8) PROTOMES (8) STOMPIER (8) TROOPIES (8)
Score: 6–14 (max 16, jos 14)
Darren-o-meter: 1/2 (50%)
Lots of eights available here, but John doesn't see any of them.
Round 3: 100, 6, 10, 8, 8, 1. Target: 688.
John: 688. 100 × 6 + 10 × 8 + 8 (10)
Adele: 688. 100 × 6 + 10 × 8 + 8 (10)
Score: 16–24 (max 26, jos 24)
Easy enough for the 10 points each.
Teatime teaser: ENTERVAN -> REVENANT
Round 4: D A R E G N A I B
John: READING (7)
Adele: BEARING (7)
DC: BARGAINED (18) GABARDINE (18)
Score: 23–31 (max 44, jos 42)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)
Nine alert! Unfortunately, both contestants fall into an -ING trap.
Round 5: T R W E E M I A G
John: EMIGRATE (8)
Adele: IMAGER (6)
DC: WARTIME (7) RAGTIME (7)
Score: 31–31 (max 52, jos 50)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)
John levels the game with the darrenic eight, which is a great spot.
Round 6: 25, 50, 4, 3, 8, 8. Target: 648.
John: 648 (not written down). Mistake in working.
Adele: 656. (50 + 25) × 8 + (4 + 3) × 8 (5)
RR: 648. (50 + 25 + 8 ÷ 4 × 3) × 8 (10)
Score: 31–36 (max 62, jos 60)
Adele takes five points after John messes up his 648 solution. He was on the right track, though, as the answer was 81 x 8.
Tracy-Ann talks about her experiences on Mastermind, proud of her specialist subjects on Imperial Rome. She was on a show with Richard Whiteley, who came last on his specialist subject, the best of Countdown. Anne refuses Tracy-Ann's suggestion of going on. She also says that she loved Doctor Who and Ancient Rome, both of which are now trendy. Then they reminisce about when Tracy-Ann was on the Doctor Who edition of The Weakest Link (which is well worth a watch). "You're much nicer on this than you were on the Weakest Link!"
Round 7: O O E F L S C B I
John: CLOSE (5)
Adele: FLIES (5)
DC: FOIBLES (7)
OT: BEFOOLS (7) COOLIES (7) FOLIOSE (7) SCOOBIE (7)
Score: 36–41 (max 69, jos 67)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)
Both contestants are stuck on five, whilst there were some sevens available.
Adele gives everyone some hope, saying we're getting nearer to a cancer cure, and that Covid has helped with regulatory barriers. She then talks about her family life during Covid.
Round 8: S A L T H A O I F
John: FLOATS (6)
Adele: FAITHS (6)
DC: AFLOAT (6) OAFISH (6)
OT: SOLATIA (7) TAIHOAS (7)
Score: 42–47 (max 76, jos 73)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)
FAITHS looks horrible when written down like that but of course it's perfectly valid and we move on.
Round 9: 100, 6, 10, 1, 4, 2. Target: 398.
John: 398. 100 × 4 − 2 (10)
Adele: 398. 100 × 4 − 2 (10)
Score: 52–57 (max 86, jos 83)
Ariana - Rachel doesn't even stand up.
Teatime teaser: DONTRIED -> TRENDOID
Round 10: R U E D S G E R P
John: PERUSED (7)
Adele: URGED (5)
DC: PURGED (6)
OT: PERDURES (8) REPURGED (8) REPURGES (8) RESURGED (8)
Score: 59–57 (max 94, jos 90)
Darren-o-meter: 2/7 (29%)
Slightly surprised no one saw RESURGED, but John regains the lead with a seven whilst the others cannot touch seven.
Round 11: T J R A U O E D P
John: ROUTED (6)
Adele: DEPART (6)
DC: OUTDARE (7) UPRATED (7)
OT: ADJUTOR (7) ADOPTER (7) OUTREAD (7) PROTEAD (7) READOPT (7)
Score: 65–63 (max 101, jos 97)
Darren-o-meter: 2/8 (25%)
Both contestants miss many common sevens. Oh dear.
Susie responds to an email asking why people have started using "slither" rather than "sliver". Slither is a variant of slide, whereas sliver means to cleave.
Round 12: S A W E T I N L I
John: LISTEN (6)
Adele: sawline
DC: WAISTLINE (18)
Score: 71–63 (max 119, jos 115)
Darren-o-meter: 3/9 (33%)
No SAWLINE^, so the lead extends to eight points. However, Tracy-Ann spots a WAISTLINE for a nine.
Round 13: S N S D U O A R I
John: DURIANS (7)
Adele: INROADS (7)
DC: DINOSAURS (18)
Score: 78–70 (max 137, jos 133)
Darren-o-meter: 4/10 (40%)
A flake! A 99! One of Tracy-Ann's favourite words, apparently. 3 rounds with nines today.
Round 14: 25, 75, 4, 10, 3, 1. Target: 478.
John: 480.
Adele: 478. (10 − 4) × 75 + 25 + 3 (10)
Score: 78–80 (max 147, jos 143)
Hoping to take it to a crucial, Adele goes for two large and gets an unexpected bonus when John doesn't see it. All a bit of an irrelevance, as it was crucial before, and remains crucial now...
Round 15: F I R E D R I T E
Adele buzzes on 15 seconds to say TERRIFIED which is correct.
Final Score: 78–90 (max 157, jos 153)
Adele leaves John TERRIFIED with her spot on exactly halfway through the clock, usurping John from the champion's chair and she will be back tomorrow with the rest of the team. Join us then. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84