Tuesday 5th October 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 71)

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

Tuesday 5th October 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 71)

Post by Rhys Benjamin »

Annedown LXX and I'm working from home today, which means I'm doing these recaps out of order with Monday's game not available online. No subtitles either. Again.

Countdown recap for Tuesday 5 October 2021.

Anne tells us Monty Python's Flying Circus debuted on this day in 1969.

C1: Champion Ahmed Mohamed (4 wins, 477 points.)
C2: Challenger Francis Maher. Finance Director for PlayStation from Buckinghamshire.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr Phil Hammond.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: P Y A U D R E G I
R02: T M I S E O N W D
R03: 50, 1, 6, 3, 2, 9. Target: 929.
TTT: TONALMELT - "She spent most of her time minding her Ps and Qs."
R04: N F E O P S O R L
R05: T M I E G S E L A
R06: 50, 6, 10, 8, 2, 3. Target: 957.
R07: D G U A R I O S L
R08: B E E C V O N A L
R09: 100, 10, 8, 1, 3, 10. Target: 295.
TTT: HATESROCK - "He hates the stick of rock, but loves a good biscuit."
R10: I T M U I D B T O
R11: H G A I D P O S C
R12: R S E E M P N A R
R13: T D E E R I S U W
R14: 75, 6, 1, 5, 2, 3. Target: 326.
R15: C H E R R Y T E A (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: P Y A U D R E G I

Ahmed: UPGRADE (7)
Francis: GAUDIER (7)
DC: PAGURID (7)
OT: GAUDERY (7) PUDGIER (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

Sevens all around to get us started.

Round 2: T M I S E O N W D

Ahmed: downtimes (try) (mass noun)
Francis: MISTED (6)
DC: DOWNTIME (8) disowned (phantom D) DOWNIEST (8)
OT: DEMONIST (8) MIDTOWNS (8) MISNOTED (8)
Score: 7–13 (max 15, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)

DOWNTIME is a mass noun, so Ahmed can't put the S on the end and, shockingly, Francis takes the lead!

Round 3: 50, 1, 6, 3, 2, 9. Target: 929.

Ahmed: 929. (50 × 6 + 9) × 3 + 2 (10)
Francis: 927.
Score: 17–13 (max 25, jos 25)

Ah. There he is. Ahmed regains his lead.

Teatime teaser: TONALMELT -> ALLOTMENT

Round 4: N F E O P S O R L

Ahmed: OPERONS (7)
Francis: spooler (try)
DC: loofers LOOPERS (7)
OT: FOOLERS (7) POOLERS (7) PRENOLS (7) SNOOPER (7) SONOFER (7) SPOOFER (7) SPOONER (7)
Score: 24–13 (max 32, jos 32)
Darren-o-meter: 0/3 (0%)

SPOOLER is a good try, but it can't be an agent noun, so Ahmed extends his lead again.

Round 5: T M I E G S E L A

Ahmed: ELEGIAST (8) (not written down)
Francis: gleamiest (risk)
DC: MILEAGES (8)
OT: MEALIEST (8)
Score: 32–13 (max 40, jos 40)
Darren-o-meter: 0/4 (0%)

ELEGIAST is a variation of ELEGIST. However, I'm amazed GLEAMIEST isn't specified whereas MEALIEST is.

Round 6: 50, 6, 10, 8, 2, 3. Target: 957.

Ahmed: 957. (not written down) (10 + 8) × (50 + 3) + 6 ÷ 2 (10)
Francis: 958.
Score: 42–13 (max 50, jos 50)

Ahmed sees 53 x 18 + 3 and all of a sudden he's stretching that lead.

Dr Phil plugs his book, the "covid case book". Like all of us, he thought we would be able to stop it initially (like SARS 2003 etc), but it subsequently became a diary for the pandemic. He talks about learning on the job, and how there was no evidence available for any decisions to be taken back in March 2020. It almost sounds like faint praise of the government, but given it's Dr Phil Hammond, that's unlikely.

Round 7: D G U A R I O S L

Ahmed: RADIOUS (7)
Francis: GUARDS (6)
DC: GIRASOL (7) GLADIUS (7)
OT: DAIGOUS (7) DOUGLAS (7) GIAOURS (7)
Score: 49–13 (max 57, jos 57)
Darren-o-meter: 0/5 (0%)

RADIOUS, as in radiant rather than radius, is another good spot and extends the lead again.

Round 8: B E E C V O N A L

Ahmed: OVENABLE (8)
Francis: BEACON (6)
Score: 57–13 (max 65, jos 65)
Darren-o-meter: 1/6 (17%)

Our first darren of the day and Ahmed is oven-ready for another win.

Round 9: 100, 10, 8, 1, 3, 10. Target: 295.

Ahmed: 295. (100 − 1) × 3 − (10​ − 8) (10)
Francis: 295. (100 − 1) × 3 − (10​ − 8) (10)
Score: 67–23 (max 75, jos 75)

thank u, next

Teatime teaser: HATESROCK -> SHORTCAKE

Round 10: I T M U I D B T O

Ahmed: OIDIUM (6)
Francis: TIMID (5)
DC: ODIUM (5) OUTBID (6)
OT: MITOUT (6) TIDBIT (6)
Score: 73–23 (max 81, jos 81)
Darren-o-meter: 1/7 (14%)

Six more to the lead and now we have to start thinking about Ahmed winning the game mathematically. He needs to win with a 7 in the next round to win the game.

"Ahmed, when did you start to learn almost every word in the dictionary?" Ahmed says he started practising around 10 years ago, and says that he eventually decided to bite the bullet "recently". His return to practising recently made him realise he "still had it". He's 26... he makes himself sound about 80. Not bad for someone who's only been to one co-event.

Round 11: H G A I D P O S C

Ahmed: GODSHIP (7)
Francis: CHIPS (5)
DC: DOGSHIP (7)
OT: PHACOIDS (8) SCAPHOID (8)
Score: 80–23 (max 89, jos 88)
Darren-o-meter: 1/8 (25%)

Ahmed has won the match with four rounds to go, once again.

Susie gets an email asking about the phrase "top notch", which she thinks comes from cribbage, but there are alternative suggestions. Apparently, scores used to be physically scoring sticks with knives to represent a goal, and presumably a run/point/whatever depending on your choice of sport.

Round 12: R S E E M P N A R

Ahmed: SPEARMEN (8)
Francis: RAMPERS (7)
Score: 88–23 (max 97, jos 96)
Darren-o-meter: 2/9 (22%)

SPEARMEN is another darren and Ahmed leads now by 65 points.

Round 13: T D E E R I S U W

Ahmed: WEIRDEST (8)
Francis: ERUDITE (7)
DC: DEWIEST (7)
Score: 96–23 (max 105, jos 104)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)

Another darren, another eight, another lead extension for Ahmed.

Round 14: 75, 6, 1, 5, 2, 3. Target: 326.

Ahmed: 326. (5 − 1) × (75 + 6) + 2​ (10)
Francis: 326. (3 + 1) × (75 + 6) + 2​ (10)
Score: 106–33 (max 115, jos 114)

And both contestants see a numbers game which gets Francis above the 30-point wiki category.

Round 15: C H E R R Y T E A

Ahmed buzzes on 3 seconds to say TREACHERY which is correct.
Final Score: 116–33 (max 125, jos 124)

A bit of TREACHERY as Ahmed gets a conundrum within 3 seconds to score "just" 116 and win his fifth game. Who will stop him? Join us tomorrow. 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