Countdown recap for Tuesday 3 August 2021.
Anne moans about a 99 Flake costing £3.50 this summer.
C1: Champion Jason Dias (1 win, 106 points.) Apterite. Floor furniture specialist. Guitrarist.
C2: Challenger Laura Barclay. From Southampton.
DC: Susie Dent and Julian Clary. Susie wearing a nice summery dress, so much so even Anne compliments it.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: G T S I O O N C R
R02: G E E P N D O S B
R03: 75, 7, 9, 4, 3, 1. Target: 476.
TTT: CROCKMOO - "Is this bird on the lookout for Roger?"
R04: T I R N G O U O S
R05: S M P E U A F C L
R06: 75, 9, 5, 4, 9, 6. Target: 181.
R07: T S M E E O Y S A
R08: W I I T L V E A D
R09: 25, 6, 5, 9, 3, 9. Target: 750.
TTT: INHECAME - "He came inside; this was just too hot for him."
R10: S E U P T R E A W
R11: D B N I E O T L C
R12: L O A R T Q E A S
R13: D H F A O E K D N
R14: 100, 6, 9, 4, 5, 7. Target: 869.
R15: S O L O M I N C E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: G T S I O O N C R
Jason: SCOOTING (8)
Laura: ROOSTING (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 8, jos 8)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
It's a double max to start us off and nothing in the others column for good measure.
Round 2: G E E P N D O S B
Jason: SPONGED (7)
Laura: PONDS (5)
DC: BONGED (6)
OT: DEBONES (7) DEPONES (7) PONGEES (7) SPONDEE (7)
Score: 15–8 (max 15, jos 15)
Jason takes the lead with Laura only being able to see five.
Round 3: 75, 7, 9, 4, 3, 1. Target: 476.
Jason: 475. Mistake in working.
Laura: 476. Mistake in working.
RR: 476. (75 − 4 − 3) × 7 (10)
Score: 15–8 (max 25, jos 25)
A couple of dummies here. No max today, then...
Teatime teaser: CROCKMOO -> MOORCOCK
Round 4: T I R N G O U O S
Jason: ROOSTING (8)
Laura: TOURING (7)
DC: TRIGONOUS (18)
Score: 23–8 (max 43, jos 43)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)
A virtually identical selection to round one, but Laura this time does not see ROOSTING as she did earlier.
Round 5: S M P E U A F C L
Jason: FLAMES (6)
Laura: PLACES (6)
DC: SPACEFUL (8)
Score: 29–14 (max 51, jos 51)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)
SPACEFUL is a great spot from Dictionary Corner as both contestants are only on six.
Round 6: 75, 9, 5, 4, 9, 6. Target: 181.
Jason: 180. 6 × 4 + 75 + 9 × 9 (7)
Laura: -
RR: 181. (9 + 9 + 75) × (6 − 4) − 5 (10)
Score: 36–14 (max 61, jos 61)
I hope Rachel is getting overtime today. That's two numbers rounds missed by the contestants.
Julian has got into musical theatre (no, really?) and as his children's authorship goes, this is something about he's adapting his book for the stage. Or something, I got a bit confused. Anne asks for some dialogue from the laughing hyenas, and "Mr Bold" apparently saves the planet by cutting down on his meat consumption, whilst doing his job of Christmas cracker-writing. So he reads out an exce-- hang on, didn't he read this out yesterday?
Round 7: T S M E E O Y S A
Jason: STEAMY (6)
Laura: MEATS (5)
DC: TOYS (4)
OT: MESETAS (7) MYSEOST (7) OSMATES (7) SAMEETS (7)
Score: 42–14 (max 68, jos 67)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)
Jason extends his lead even further, but the sevens all go unnoticed.
Round 8: W I I T L V E A D
Jason: WAILED (6)
Laura: DETAIL (6)
DC: WAIVED (6)
OT: ILVAITE (7)
Score: 48–20 (max 75, jos 73)
Darren-o-meter: 3/6 (50%)
The studio is only on six, whereas the computer beats everyone again.
Round 9: 25, 6, 5, 9, 3, 9. Target: 750.
Jason: 750. (25 × 3) × (6 − 5 + 9) (10)
Laura: 750. (not written down). Mistake in working.
Score: 58–20 (max 85, jos 83)
Laura misses this Ariana. Oh dear.
Teatime teaser: INHECAME -> CHIMENEA
Round 10: S E U P T R E A W
Jason: UPRATES (7)
Laura: WATERS (6)
DC: SUPERATE (8)
Score: 65–20 (max 93, jos 91)
Darren-o-meter: 4/7 (57%)
SUPERATE is pronounced Super 8. As in the type of film. A 45-point lead now, and surely looking at a second win.
Round 11: D B N I E O T L C
Jason: LECTION (7)
Laura: CLIENT (6)
DC: NOTICED (7) BLONDIE (7)
OT: CTENOID (7) DEONTIC (7) LENTOID (7)
Score: 72–20 (max 100, jos 98)
Darren-o-meter: 4/8 (50%)
LECTION has some Countdown history behind it as it was Richard Whiteley's first declaration in the 1997 Christmas special, which won him that round.
Susie talks about the origin of castor oil, which was often used as a one-size-fits-all medicine in Susie, Julian, and Anne's childhoods. Castor refers to "he who excels".
Round 12: L O A R T Q E A S
Jason: AORTAS (6)
Laura: ALERTS (6)
DC: ASTRAL (6)
OT: ALASTOR (7) OESTRAL (7) OLESTRA (7)
Score: 78–26 (max 107, jos 104)
Darren-o-meter: 4/9 (44%)
A flat round here as two sixes are beaten by 3 sevens not seen by DC, and Jason has mathematically wrapped this up already.
Round 13: D H F A O E K D N
Jason: HONKED (6)
Laura: HONKED (6)
OT: NODHEAD (7)
Score: 84–32 (max 114, jos 110)
Darren-o-meter: 5/10 (50%)
Laura HONKs herself out of the "15-round scores under 30" category, whilst once again the studio miss the max.
Round 14: 100, 6, 9, 4, 5, 7. Target: 869.
Jason: -
Laura: 870. 9 × 100 − 6 × 5 (7)
RR: 869. (100 − 4) × 9 + 5 (10)
Score: 84–39 (max 124, jos 120)
Jason's numbers skills are suboptimal today as Laura sees one away, whilst Rachel has more work to do by showing us how to get the extra one.
Round 15: S O L O M I N C E
No one buzzes. The answer was SEMICOLON.
Final Score: 84–39 (max 134, jos 130)
It's a studio beater. I had COLOMNISE^ so it's not the easiest of conundrums. Jason will be back tomorrow, as will I. Join us then. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84
