Wednesday 15th September 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 57)

[Rhys Benjamin]

Annedown LVI and I'm sorry I'm two days late. I've been ill. Still not 100% either. But it's not Covid, so... yay, I guess?

Countdown recap for Wednesday 15 September 2021.

On this day in 1890, Agatha Christie was born.

C1: Champion Mike Lee (1 win, 102 points.) Apterite and super smashing great contestant who's asked me to be nice in these recaps.
C2: Challenger Amanda Vince. Bids and proposals manager with helicopter display screens. Don't tell her about the plot of Incredibles 2.
DC: Susie Dent and Pam Ayres.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: F T R I A I Y D E
R02: L S K E O G T U D
R03: 75, 8, 4, 3, 6, 1. Target: 858.
TTT: EPOCHNUN - "Was this roof support Judy's comedy partner?"
R04: M R B O I O N S M
R05: H R S B E U E N I
R06: 75, 25, 7, 2, 9, 9. Target: 450.
R07: S G D R O O A N E
R08: F T C A E I P R G
R09: 75, 3, 2, 7, 3, 5. Target: 855.
TTT: OPALVERB - "The dough can definitely rise, it's without argument."
R10: M T R A O I E L N
R11: P S N E U O S A C
R12: W T R I I U N S A
R13: G M P O E I E W D
R14: 100, 25, 7, 9, 3, 6. Target: 660.
R15: G U N H O R S E S (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: F T R I A I Y D E

Mike: DAFTER (6)
Amanda: 6 (0) (not asked; presumably invalid)
DC: TRADE (5) RATIFIED (8)
OT: ARTIFIED (8) ARTYFIED (8)
Score: 6–0 (max 8, jos 8)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

Apparently, Channel 4 don't have a bleep machine any more, as Amanda's declaration, which was allegedly RETARD^ (phantom R), doesn't get bleeped and instead she isn't asked for her word. The fact no indication is given as to its invalidness would confuse the hell out of the viewers, I suspect.

Round 2: L S K E O G T U D

Mike: LOUDEST (7)
Amanda: LOUDEST (7)
DC: SULKED (6)
OT: GODLETS (7) KLUDGES (7) TOUSLED (7)
Score: 13–7 (max 15, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)

Both contestants give their LOUDEST offerings and score 7.

Round 3: 75, 8, 4, 3, 6, 1. Target: 858.

Mike: 858. (6 + 4 + 1) × (75 + 3) (10)
Amanda: -
Score: 23–7 (max 25, jos 25)

Mike scores 10 points with an excellent numbers solve.

Teatime teaser: EPOCHNUN -> PUNCHEON

Round 4: M R B O I O N S M

Mike: 6 (6) (not asked)
Amanda: BROOMS (6)
DC: SNOB (4)
OT: MORONISM (8)
Score: 29–13 (max 33, jos 31)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)

Channel 4's bleep machine, for the second time today, has gone walkabout. Mike's word was allegedly MORONS. It's possible Susie got MORONISM but also cut, because the only word offered by DC was SNOB. Which wasn't cut, but anyhow.

Round 5: H R S B E U E N I

Mike: INSURE (6)
Amanda: BRUSH (5)
DC: BUSHIER (7) BURNISH (7)
OT: BRUNIES (7) HENRIES (7) HENSURE (7) INHERES (7) RESHINE (7) RUBINES (7) RUNSHIE (7) SUBERIN (7)
Score: 35–13 (max 40, jos 38)
Darren-o-meter: 1/4 (25%)

Mike extends his lead as Amanda is stuck on five.

Round 6: 75, 25, 7, 2, 9, 9. Target: 450.

Mike: 450. (75 − 25) × 9 (10)
Amanda: 450. 2 × ​25 × 9 (10)
Score: 45–23 (max 50, jos 48)

thank u, next
thank u, next
thank u, next
i'm so [redacted by Channel 4] grateful for my

(For our newer readers, this is what we call an "Ariana" numbers game, as in Ariana Grande's song "thank u, next".)

Once again, Pam gets to talk about her Jack Russell. Yet again. Then, yet again, she reads out a poem about an animal.

Round 7: S G D R O O A N E

Mike: DRAGOONS (8)
Amanda: GROANED (7)
DC: DRONES (6)
OT: GOOSANDER (18)
Score: 53–23 (max 68, jos 56)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)

DRAGOONS is an excellent spot which gets Mike another 8 points on his lead, to lead now by a whopping 30 points.

Round 8: F T C A E I P R G

Mike: PIRATE (6)
Amanda: FRIGATE (7)
DC: CARPET (6) PIGFACE (7)
OT: PAGETIC (7) PARETIC (7) PICRATE (7)
Score: 53–30 (max 75, jos 63)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)

Amanda strikes back with an excellent seven of FRIGATE.

Round 9: 75, 3, 2, 7, 3, 5. Target: 855.

Mike: 858. (7 + 5) × (75 − 3) − 3 × 2​ (7)
Amanda: -
RR: 855 (after the break). (75 × 2 + 7 × 3) × 5 (10)
Score: 60–30 (max 85, jos 73)

Mike eschews doing 78 x 11 for the second time in the match, but it's left up to Rachel to show us how to get there on the nose.

Teatime teaser: OPALVERB -> PROVABLE

Round 10: M T R A O I E L N

Mike: RELATION (8)
Amanda: RATION (6)
DC: MOANER (6) LAMENT (6) MELIORANT (18)
OT: MENTORIAL (18)
Score: 68–30 (max 103, jos 91)
Darren-o-meter: 2/7 (29%)

Mike gets a very common eight, whilst Susie gets an excellent nine. There's probably an Elliott Mellor joke here but I'm not seeing one.

Round 11: P S N E U O S A C

Mike: POUNCES (7)
Amanda: SPACES (6)
DC: SUNSPACE (8)
OT: PONCEAUS (8) POSAUNES (8)
Score: 75–30 (max 111, jos 99)
Darren-o-meter: 2/8 (25%)

Mike POUNCES on Amanda once again to have a whopping 45-point lead and now Amanda needs to win the next round with at least a 7 just to stay in the game.

Susie talks about the different types and strengths of coffee, but especially cappuccino.

Round 12: W T R I I U N S A

Mike: STRAIN (6)
Amanda: TRAINS (6)
DC: RAINS (5) RUINS (5) NUTRIA (6)
OT: SIRTUIN (7)
Score: 81–36 (max 118, jos 105)
Darren-o-meter: 3/9 (33%)

Amanda's failure to see SIRTUIN gets Mike over the line. Guess which one of the three DC offerings was Susie, and which two were Pam?

Round 13: G M P O E I E W D

Mike: IMPEDE (6)
Amanda: WIMPED (6)
DC: GIMP (4) PIGWEED (7)
Score: 87–42 (max 125, jos 112)
Darren-o-meter: 4/10 (40%)

Given today's standards, I'm surprised WIMPED wasn't expunged as well.

Round 14: 100, 25, 7, 9, 3, 6. Target: 660.

Mike: 660. (100 + 7 + 3) × 6​ (10)
Amanda: -
Score: 97–42 (max 135, jos 122)

A poor miss from Amanda seals the deal for Mike - can he score another century?

Round 15: G U N H O R S E S

Mike buzzes on 20.75 seconds to say ROUGHNESS which is correct.
Final Score: 107–42 (max 145, jos 132)

Indeed he can and he takes a second win with another score of over 100. Well done, that man.

Anyway, join me in an hour or so for Thursday's recap.


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84

[David Williams]

<<< Given today's standards, I'm surprised WIMPED wasn't expunged as well. >>>
Not to mention GIMP, even if Pam did give a meaning I wasn't familiar with. RETARD has a perfectly acceptable meaning as well.