Countdown recap for Monday 23 August 2021.
Rachel and Anne seemingly play celebrity name droppers from their home towns.
C1: Champion Jeremy Slaney (3 wins, 282 points.) Returnee from 2002. Gardner from Kent.
C2: Challenger Ian Rich. Also from Kent. Religious bloke, but hasn't qualified for a dog collar yet - chaplain.
DC: Susie Dent and Myleene Klass. Myleene is wearing a ghastly pink-and-green combination. Dark green blazer over a bright pink shirt. Listen to that outfit! She hasn't seen Anne for 19 years, ever since Anne tore her a new one on The Weakest Link.
RR: Rachel Riley. Rachel is also wearing pink and green, which what appears to be pink venus flytraps on her green dress.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T D P I O E L M S
R02: N S K E U A R T H
R03: 25, 2, 9, 7, 9, 5. Target: 645.
TTT: LOSEFURY - "If you want it to be done properly, do it this way."
R04: T D W E A I R N H
R05: S D V E U I A L G
R06: 50, 2, 9, 8, 7, 10. Target: 497.
R07: N B R E E O A F M
R08: T L S O I U R P D
R09: 75, 9, 9, 4, 10, 1. Target: 582.
TTT: BOWSHINE - "One, pull it; two, pull it."
R10: S G C A E A L J T
R11: N Y S D I I O E S
R12: T F R O I U M G P
R13: N T R A E E I D B
R14: 25, 1, 7, 6, 2, 10. Target: 163.
R15: T I P S I C L U B (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T D P I O E L M S
Jeremy: IMPLODES (8)
Ian: DEPOSIT (7)
DC: MELODIST (8) MILEPOST (8)
OT: MODELIST (8) POLEMIST (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8, jos 8)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
Jeremy gets us underway with a max, one of five possible eights.
Round 2: N S K E U A R T H
Jeremy: HANKERS (7)
Ian: UNEARTHS (8) (try)
DC: thankers
OT: HAUNTERS (8) RETHANKS (8)
Score: 8–8 (max 16, jos 16)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)
Susie tries THANKERS^ (which Colin Murray tried when I was on!) and it's still not in the dictionary. If she had a bit of a rethink, she could have had RETHANKS. Meanwhile, Ian levels the tie with UNEARTHS - slightly surprised that's a verb.
Round 3: 25, 2, 9, 7, 9, 5. Target: 645.
Jeremy: 648 (try). (9 × 5 + 25 + 2) × 9 (7)
Ian: 635 (not written down).
RR: 645. (25 × 9 − 7) × (5 − 2) − 9 (10)
Score: 15–8 (max 26, jos 26)
Not the easiest 1 large (1 large with 25 is often very hard) so Jeremy's 3 away solution regains the lead.
Teatime teaser: LOSEFURY -> YOURSELF
Round 4: T D W E A I R N H
Jeremy: HAIRNET (7)
Ian: WRITHED (7)
DC: TINWEAR (7) HANDIER (7)
OT: HANDWRITE (18)
Score: 22–15 (max 44, jos 33)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)
Sevens all round as a fairly common nine goes begging. Myleene says she uses a pair of tights as a HAIRNET, so Jeremy says he sometimes has to wear tights when going to fancy dress parties as a tart, which causes everyone in studio to fall about laughing. Yas qween, Jeremy Slay-ney!
Round 5: S D V E U I A L G
Jeremy: DIVULGES (8) (not written down)
Ian: DIVULGES (8)
DC: DISVALUE (8)
Score: 30–23 (max 52, jos 41)
Darren-o-meter: 1/4 (25%)
One of the two eights available here is spotted by both contestants.
Round 6: 50, 2, 9, 8, 7, 10. Target: 497.
Jeremy: 497. 50 × 10 − (9 − 8 + 2) (10)
Ian: 497. (50 − 2) × 10 + 8 + 9 (10)
Score: 40–33 (max 62, jos 51)
thank u, next
Myleene and Anne reminisce about their time together on The Weakest Link. She then talks about what she did in lockdown(s) and her musical "talents".
Round 7: N B R E E O A F M
Jeremy: FOREMAN (7)
Ian: bemoaner (risky)
DC: FORENAME (8)
Score: 47–33 (max 70, jos 59)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)
Jeremy will perhaps be kicking himself somewhat here, missing FORENAME whilst being so close to it.
Round 8: T L S O I U R P D
Jeremy: SUITOR (6)
Ian: TRIPODS (7)
DC: DISRUPT (7)
OT: DISPORT (7) PORTUIS (7) PROTIDS (7) PRUDIST (7) STUPIDO (7)
Score: 47–40 (max 77, jos 66)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)
Jeremy is left without a leg to stand on in this round.
Round 9: 75, 9, 9, 4, 10, 1. Target: 582.
Jeremy: 582 (not written down). (75 − 10) × 9 − (4 − 1) (10)
Ian: 581 (not written down).
Score: 57–40 (max 87, jos 76)
Another good Jeremy numbers solve gives him an important 10 points and takes the lead out to 17.
Teatime teaser: BOWSHINE -> WISHBONE
Round 10: S G C A E A L J T
Jeremy: CASTLE (6)
Ian: SLATE (5)
DC: CLEATS (6)
OT: ACETALS (7) AGELAST (7) ALGATES (7) JACALES (7) LACTASE (7) LASTAGE (7)
Score: 63–40 (max 94, jos 82)
Darren-o-meter: 2/7 (29%)
Jeremy's six here extends his lead further and now is in the driving seat.
Round 11: N Y S D I I O E S
Jeremy: INSIDES (7)
Ian: INSIDES (7) (not written down)
DC: IONISED (7)
OT: IODISES (7) IONISES (7)
Score: 70–47 (max 101, jos 89)
Darren-o-meter: 2/8 (25%)
Sevens all around here.
A viewer, "Robert", emails in asking on the origin of "mill" as in "milling around", which he saw on a police documentary. Offshoot of a bakery mill. Verbifying it is a mess.
Round 12: T F R O I U M G P
Jeremy: outfirm (gamble)
Ian: PROFIT (6)
DC: IMPORT (6) FRUMP (5)
OT: PROTIUM (7)
Score: 70–53 (max 108, jos 95)
Darren-o-meter: 3/9 (33%)
A very odd gamble here from Jeremy given the score, which allows Ian back in the game.
Round 13: N T R A E E I D B
Jeremy: RETAINED (8)
Ian: TRAINED (7)
DC: DETAINER (8)
OT: BANTERED (8) INTERBED (8) REBAITED (8)
Score: 78–53 (max 116, jos 103)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)
And Jeremy repairs the damage and wins the game with an eight.
Round 14: 25, 1, 7, 6, 2, 10. Target: 163.
Jeremy: 163. (25 + 2) × 6 + 1 (10)
Ian: 163. 6 × 25 + 10 + 2 + 1 (10)
Score: 88–63 (max 126, jos 113)
Ariana.
Round 15: T I P S I C L U B
Ian buzzes on 16 seconds to say PUBLICIST which is correct.
Final Score: 88–73 (max 136, jos 123)
And despite a Nick Hewer conundrum solve, Jeremy is back again for a fifth day. He will be back, back, back, back again tomorrow.
Countdown is on at 3:15pm tomorrow because of the Paralympics. Join us then. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84