Countdown recap for Thursday 9 September 2021.
Anne tells us the first computer bug was discovered on this day, so named because it was a moth.
C1: Champion Adele Hannigan (2 wins, 155 points.) Super scientist who will one day cure cancer, probably.
C2: Challenger Andrew Brown. Student from York, first year at Uni. Looks about 12.
DC: Susie Dent and Tracy-Ann Oberman.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: W F S E A A E R V
R02: H L B I U D O L I
R03: 100, 25, 8, 10, 4, 10. Target: 474.
TTT: ANNSCLAM - "It sounds like Jurgen the footballer belonged to a Scottish community."
R04: O S R N A A D Y O
R05: H T S I E I U R C
R06: 100, 75, 5, 8, 10, 2. Target: 633.
R07: S N X I L A O U P
R08: R A N O I T B R I
R09: 25, 50, 3, 3, 5, 7. Target: 201.
TTT: SOAPHARM - "You'll probably need to raise these jugs with both hands."
R10: S S K E E O N R P
R11: T P G A E I N Q E
R12: A G C U I D N E R
R13: S T E A W D E E G
R14: 100, 75, 6, 2, 8, 4. Target: 867.
R15: C A N D I D I T O (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: W F S E A A E R V
Adele: WEAVERS (7)
Andrew: WAFERS (6)
DC: WAVERS (6)
Score: 7–0 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 1/1 (100%)
Adele gets us started with the darren to get us up and running.
Round 2: H L B I U D O L I
Adele: BUILD (5)
Andrew: -
DC: LIBIDO (6)
OT: BOUILLI (7)
Score: 12–0 (max 14, jos 13)
Darren-o-meter: 2/2 (100%)
Andrew blanks and Adele builds an early lead. This is already looking fairly ominous for Andrew...
Round 3: 100, 25, 8, 10, 4, 10. Target: 474.
Adele: 472. (100 + 10 + 10) × 4 − 8 (7)
Andrew: 470.
RR: 473/475. (7)
OT: 474. (100 − 10) × 8 + 4 − 25 × 10 (10)
Score: 19–0 (max 24, jos 20)
Andrew still yet to score, with Adele two away, and this one even defeats Rachel.
Teatime teaser: ANNSCLAM -> CLANSMAN
Round 4: O S R N A A D Y O
Adele: ROADS (5)
Andrew: nords
DC: DONORS (6)
OT: ANYROADS (8)
Score: 24–0 (max 32, jos 26)
Darren-o-meter: 3/3 (100%)
Andrew keeps asking for "continents", I would say deliberately... ANYROADS!? Really!? Nonetheless, not sure what Andrew was thinking of here, and Adele extends her lead again...
Round 5: H T S I E I U R C
Adele: RICHEST (7)
Andrew: CURES (5)
DC: HIRSUTE (7) CUSHIER (7)
OT: HEURISTIC (18)
Score: 31–0 (max 50, jos 33)
Darren-o-meter: 4/4 (100%)
It's four darrens out of four, but the nine goes unnoticed and Adele's lead gets extended once more.
Round 6: 100, 75, 5, 8, 10, 2. Target: 633.
Adele: 633. (100 + 10) × 5 + 75 + 8 (10)
Andrew: 632.
Score: 41–0 (max 60, jos 43)
And Adele spots this numbers game too, which gives her a whopping 41-point lead after six rounds.
Tracy-Ann talks about the relative merits of various medias: TV, theatre, etc. - and says that she likes the lack of editing in theatre. She talks about how hard it is to go on tour. She then talks about the impact of Covid on the theatre industry.
Round 7: S N X I L A O U P
Adele: PLAINS (6)
Andrew: PLAINS (6)
DC: ANXIOUS (7)
OT: PAILOUS (7) PAULINS (7) PULSION (7) UPSILON (7)
Score: 47–6 (max 67, jos 50)
Darren-o-meter: 4/5 (80%)
Andrew finally gets on the board, whilst Tracy-Ann spots a seven.
Round 8: R A N O I T B R I
Adele: irration (risky)
Andrew: britain
DC: OBTAIN (6)
OT: ROBINIA (7)
Score: 47–6 (max 74, jos 56)
Darren-o-meter: 5/6 (83%)
Andrew's not patriotic enough to think that Britain deserves a capital letter. Adele's neo-word, IRRATION^, is more plausible (as in IRRATIONAL), but alas it's not in either.
Round 9: 25, 50, 3, 3, 5, 7. Target: 201.
Adele: 201. Mistake in working.
Andrew: 200. 25 × (3 + 5) (7)
RR: 201. (25 + 50 − (3 + 5)) × 3 (10)
Score: 47–13 (max 84, jos 66)
Adele blunders after using the 25 twice, allowing Andrew to get into double figures.
Teatime teaser: SOAPHARM -> AMPHORAS
Round 10: S S K E E O N R P
Adele: PERSONS (7)
Andrew: SPOKES (6)
DC: RESPOKEN (8)
OT: RESPONSE (8)
Score: 54–13 (max 92, jos 74)
Darren-o-meter: 5/7 (71%)
Adele gets another round win, but misses both eights.
Round 11: T P G A E I N Q E
Adele: EATING (6)
Andrew: TAPE (4)
OT: PEGANITE (8)
Score: 60–13 (max 100, jos 80)
Darren-o-meter: 6/8 (75%)
The entire studio can't beat six, whilst Andrew is only stuck on four. She's not mathematically over the line yet, but if Andrew wins this from here pigs will fly.
Susie talks about books, and how that word crops up in unexpected places in English, including words like "libel", "slander", and "bible".
Round 12: A G C U I D N E R
Adele: READING (7)
Andrew: -
DC: REDUCING (8) GUIDANCE (8)
Score: 67–13 (max 108, jos 88)
Darren-o-meter: 6/9 (67%)
For the second time, Andrew blanks, and now finally Adele has got herself over the line and has won.
Round 13: S T E A W D E E G
Adele: WEDGES (6)
Andrew: STAG (4)
DC: SWEATED (7)
OT: WEEDAGES (8)
Score: 73–13 (max 116, jos 95)
Darren-o-meter: 7/10 (70%)
70% on the darren-o-meter for today is the highest we've had in a long time - once more, Adele beats Andrew on a letters round.
Round 14: 100, 75, 6, 2, 8, 4. Target: 867.
Adele: 867. 100 × 8 + 75 − 6 − 2 (10)
Andrew: 867. (not written down) 100 × 8 + 75 − 6 − 2 (10)
Score: 83–23 (max 126, jos 105)
Andrew finally gets himself a numbers game and 10 much-needed points.
Round 15: C A N D I D I T O
Adele buzzes on 13 seconds to say ADDICTION which is correct.
Final Score: 93–23 (max 136, jos 115)
And Adele gets the conundrum just to round the day off. She is massively improving, which is good.
Anyway, tomorrow is Black to Front day! Actually looking forward to Trevor McDonald hosting. Glad Channel 4 didn't use the same four black comedians they use on all their shows...
Join us again for Countdown. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84