Friday 1st October 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 69)

Round-by-round summaries of every game in recent series; for every series in the last 5 years, try cdb, the Countdown database. Obviously this forum contains spoilers!

Moderator: James Robinson

Post Reply
User avatar
Rhys Benjamin
Postmaster General
Posts: 3101
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:28 pm

Friday 1st October 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 69)

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Annedown LXVIII and we're still without subtitles or continuity announcements.

Ahmed, on the other hand, doesn't enter competitions. At least he's enjoying Countdown. According to Graeme Cole's site, he's been to one co-event, so I guess that counts?

Countdown recap for Friday 1 October 2021.

Today is World Smile Day, says Anne completely straight-faced.

C1: Champion Ahmed Mohamed (2 wins, 232 points.) "Did your mother buy that top?" quips Anne.
C2: Challenger Mags Kelly. Retired. Her husband, Colin, is 70 today.
DC: Susie Dent and Stanley Johnson.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S C E A R P A U E
R02: T W I L I O S I M
R03: 50, 9, 10, 4, 9, 3. Target: 879.
TTT: MANICPLOT - "He was never manic and lost the plot, he just did as he was told."
R04: R A E G S T E C O
R05: L D U O S I N U A
R06: 100, 50, 8, 4, 9, 9. Target: 679.
R07: G S I E N E W S D
R08: N C A E H M E R U
R09: 100, 6, 9, 3, 2, 5. Target: 342.
TTT: IDRIVESON - "I drive my son to the station but have to go the long way round."
R10: N E L F T I A H A
R11: Y G B I O M O R S
R12: P T D E U L A T E
R13: R D A I R I G E F
R14: 50, 100, 8, 9, 8, 3. Target: 339.
R15: D A V E S T E A T (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: S C E A R P A U E

Ahmed: CAESURA (7)
Mags: ESCAPE (6)
DC: ESCAPER (7) (from AR) CAPRESE (7) (I think (subs again!), from SJ) APERCUS (7)
OT: PERCASE (7) REPACES (7) SCAUPER (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

Ahmed gets us underway for the day with an excellent, if slightly obscure 7. Anne stems Mags's word to make ESCAPER.

Round 2: T W I L I O S I M

Ahmed: LIMITS (6)
Mags: MOIST (5)
OT: OWLISM (6) SIMILI (6)
Score: 13–0 (max 13, jos 13)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)

Ahmed, much like 2 Unlimited in 1993, has no LIMITS to his knowledge of the dictionary.

Round 3: 50, 9, 10, 4, 9, 3. Target: 879.

Ahmed: 878. (not written down) (9 + 9) × 50 − (4 × 3 + 10) (7)
Mags: -
RR: 879. (50 × 4 + 10 × 9) × 3 + 9​ (10)
Score: 20–0 (max 23, jos 23)

No max or jos today as Ahmed is one away and Rachel finds the only method of making 879.

Teatime teaser: MANICPLOT -> COMPLIANT

Round 4: R A E G S T E C O

Ahmed: CORTEGES (8)
Mags: COASTER (7)
DC: COASTER (7) GOATEES (7) STAGER (6) (from SJ)
OT: ESCARGOT (8)
Score: 28–0 (max 31, jos 31)
Darren-o-meter: 0/3 (0%)

Two eights available here, and Ahmed gets the obscurer one.

Round 5: L D U O S I N U A

Ahmed: ANDISOL (7)
Mags: ALOUD (5)
DC: SUNDIAL (7) SOLID (5) (from SJ)
OT: AUDIONS (7) DOLINAS (7) LADINOS (7) NODULUS (7) UNLOADS (7)
Score: 35–0 (max 38, jos 38)
Darren-o-meter: 0/4 (0%)

Once again, Ahmed goes for perhaps the obscurest of the bunch. I think Stanley's beating Mags at this point, by the way.

Round 6: 100, 50, 8, 4, 9, 9. Target: 679.

Ahmed: 678. Mistake in working.
Mags: -
RR: 679. (after anecdote) (100 + 9 × 8) × 4 − 9​ (10)
Score: 35–0 (max 48, jos 48)

Ahmed initially does 100 - 8, but wants to correct himself to 100 - 9. Rachel says she'll allow it if it's written down, and unfortunately, it's not, so it has to be disallowed.

Stanley says he was once mistaken for a gorilla... by a gorilla. He then makes a political analogy for the Conservatives, with those wanting to see off their own rivals within their own tribe. (Anne suggests he should have worn a hat.) He then talks about experiencing brilliant marine life off the West Coast of Australia.

Stanley has been an excellent guest. Much better than I was expecting. Would want to see him back, for sure.

Round 7: G S I E N E W S D

Ahmed: DEWINESS (8) ("I think")
Mags: weedings ("I think")
DC: WIDENESS (8) SINEWS (6)
OT: DINGESES (8) EDGINESS (8)
Score: 43–0 (max 56, jos 56)
Darren-o-meter: 0/5 (0%)

Everyone "thinks" they have an eight, but only Ahmed does. WIDENESS, again, a seemingly more common word.

Round 8: N C A E H M E R U

Ahmed: MUNCHER (7) (try)
Mags: MUNCHER (7)
OT: MENARCHE (8)
Score: 50–7 (max 64, jos 63)
Darren-o-meter: 1/6 (17%)

Our first darren of the day goes unnoticed by everyone. Apparently it's the first instance of one's menstruation. However, Mags is finally off the mark!

Round 9: 100, 6, 9, 3, 2, 5. Target: 342.

Ahmed: 342. (100 + 9 + 5) × 3​ (10)
Mags: 343.
Score: 60–7 (max 74, jos 73)

This should be easy, but Mags somehow misses it.

Teatime teaser: IDRIVESON -> DIVERSION

Round 10: N E L F T I A H A

Ahmed: INFLATE (7)
Mags: INFLATE (7)
OT: ANTHELIA (8)
Score: 67–14 (max 82, jos 80)
Darren-o-meter: 2/7 (29%)

Both contestants only see the same seven, which means Mags doubles her score.

Round 11: Y G B I O M O R S

Ahmed: BROOMS (6)
Mags: BROOMS (6)
DC: GROOMS (6)
OT: BOMORS (6) BOSOMY (6) BOYISM (6) RIGMOS (6) YOGISM (6)
Score: 73–20 (max 88, jos 86)
Darren-o-meter: 2/8 (25%)

Flaaaat.

OOW In deference to Stanley, Susie talks about words from ancient history, this time talking about paraphernalia.

And what on earth has happened to my keyboard, as on C4C it's now always one character behind where I actually am. Really annoying.

Mags is asked about her history of competitions, which is all well and good, but says the only thing of note she's won is a £50,000 cruise. "Only".

Round 12: P T D E U L A T E

Ahmed: LADETTE (7)
Mags: PLEATED (7)
DC: adulted (phantom D) ADULT (5) PLATTED (7)
OT: PALETTE (7) PELTATE (7) PLETTED (7) PUTTEED (7)
Score: 80–27 (max 95, jos 93)
Darren-o-meter: 2/9 (22%)

ADULTED would have been an excellent spot from Stanley if there wasn't a phantom D. As it is, it's another fairly flat round, but it gets Ahmed over the line.

Round 13: R D A I R I G E F

Ahmed: REFRAID (7)
Mags: FAIRED (6)
DC: FRIDGE (6) RARIFIED (8)
Score: 87–27 (max 103, jos 101)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)

REFRAID is an archaic and historical term, but it's another point dropped by Ahmed today. Tsk tsk.

Round 14: 50, 100, 8, 9, 8, 3. Target: 339.

Ahmed: 339. (50 − 8) × 8 + 3 (10)
Mags: 325.
Score: 97–27 (max 113, jos 111)

Easy enough for Ahmed. Lots of ways for this one. Can he get 100?

Round 15: D A V E S T E A T

Ahmed buzzes on 0.5 seconds to say DEVASTATE which is correct.
Final Score: 107–27 (max 123, jos 121)

Not quite as insta-buzzy as yesterday but still an excellent under-1-second spot to win by 80 in the end. Same max and challenger's score as yesterday, strangely.

Ahmed's juggernaut will continue (probably) on Monday. Join us then. Goodbye. ;)


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84
The forum's resident JAILBAKER, who has SPONDERED several times...
Post Reply