Thursday 21st October 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 83)

Rhys Benjamin · Post by **Rhys Benjamin** » Thu Oct 21, 2021 11:31 pm

Annedown LXXXII and insert witty remark here.

Countdown recap for Thursday 21 October 2021.

On this day in 1854, Florence Nightingale went off to the Crimean War. Anne says that conditions haven't ever improved for nurses in that time. No comment there...

C1: Champion Jasamrit Rahala (3 wins, 288 points.)
C2: Challenger Chris Jefferies. From Guildford. Digital editor in journalism in, er, sailing and yachting.
DC: Susie Dent and Lesley Joseph.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: G F I O T D U O I
R02: S G H A E U L T E
R03: 9, 8, 3, 1, 5, 4. Target: 147.
TTT: SODASEEN - "The veteran was covered in salt and pepper."
R04: S P L E A O M R I
R05: M A R G E T D G E
R06: 75, 10, 5, 8, 2, 9. Target: 803.
R07: B A S R U A M N E
R08: K P S I E O D N O
R09: 8, 6, 1, 3, 5, 4. Target: 676.
TTT: LOFTSALE - "Florence lets you know she's staying at sea."
R10: S T R I U E L C O
R11: N I O C N A S T Z
R12: W Y S I E A M P N
R13: T C E O L E I N B
R14: 25, 50, 7, 10, 6, 1. Target: 143.
R15: L O N G S I N C E (conundrum)

And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: G F I O T D U O I

Jasamrit: DIGIT (5)
Chris: fidgit (try)
DC: IDIOT (5)
OT: FOGOU (5) GUIDO (5) OOTID (5) OUTDO (5) OUTGO (5)
Score: 5–0 (max 5, jos 5)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

In such a poor round, FIDGIT^ is more than worth a try, but no dice. Five to Jasamrit it is.

Round 2: S G H A E U L T E

Jasamrit: EAGLES (6)
Chris: LEGATES (7)
DC: HUSTLE (6) LAUGHEES (8)
Score: 5–7 (max 13, jos 13)
Darren-o-meter: 1/2 (50%)

Chris takes the lead with a classic Countdown word. Susie finds an odd eight. A LAUGHEE is the subject of laughter.

Round 3: 9, 8, 3, 1, 5, 4. Target: 147.

Jasamrit: 147. 9 × 8 × (5 − 4 + 1) + 3 (10)
Chris: -
Score: 15–7 (max 23, jos 23)

72 x 7 + 3 is perhaps easier than it looks.

Teatime teaser: SODASEEN -> SEASONED

Chris tells us about how people get into sailing, himself included.

Round 4: S P L E A O M R I

Jasamrit: IMPLORES (8)
Chris: operaism (risk)
DC: MORALISE (8) PERISOMAL (18)
Score: 23–7 (max 41, jos 41)
Darren-o-meter: 2/3 (67%)

Eight for Jasamrit, but the nine defeats both contestants... unsurprisingly.

Jasamrit talks about his Eton education and his future prospects. I'll be looking out for him in the cabinet in 20 years' time...

Round 5: M A R G E T D G E

Jasamrit: RAGGED (6) (stick with)
Chris: TAGGED (6)
DC: EDGER (5) RETAGGED (8)
Score: 29–13 (max 49, jos 49)
Darren-o-meter: 3/4 (75%)

Sixes for both contestants, and - again, oddly - you can stick RE- on the front of TAGGED for an eight.

Round 6: 75, 10, 5, 8, 2, 9. Target: 803.

Jasamrit: 803. (75 − (10 − 8)) × (9 + 2) (10)
Chris: 802.
Score: 39–13 (max 59, jos 59)

Easy enough for Jasamrit, who now has a commanding lead.

Lesley gives the now traditional "what I did in lockdown" anecdote, and she did... (no prizes for guessing) knitting.

Round 7: B A S R U A M N E

Jasamrit: UNBARS (6)
Chris: ambers (mass noun!)
DC: NUMBERS (7) MANURES (7)
OT: MURAENAS (8)
Score: 45–13 (max 67, jos 66)
Darren-o-meter: 4/5 (80%)

AMBER is a mass noun, which denies Chris six points.

Round 8: K P S I E O D N O

Jasamrit: POISONED (8)
Chris: POISONED (8)
DC: SPOONED (7)
Score: 53–21 (max 75, jos 74)
Darren-o-meter: 5/6 (83%)

Both contestants spot the darren.

Round 9: 8, 6, 1, 3, 5, 4. Target: 676.

Jasamrit: 666. (8 × 5 − 4 + 1) × 3 × 6 (5)
Chris: 661.
RR: 676. (3 × 5 − 1) × 6 × 8 + 4 (10)
Score: 58–21 (max 85, jos 84)

Jasamrit is 10 away, but Rachel finds the way to get the target on the nose.

Teatime teaser: LOFTSALE -> FLOATELS

Round 10: S T R I U E L C O

Jasamrit: OUTLIERS (8)
Chris: CUTIES (6)
DC: CLOISTER (8) COULTERS (8)
OT: CITOLERS (8) CITREOUS (8) CLOTURES (8) CORTILES (8) COSTLIER (8) CREOLIST (8) CURLIEST (8) OUTCRIES (8) RUSTICLE (8) UTRICLES (8)
Score: 66–21 (max 93, jos 92)
Darren-o-meter: 5/7 (71%)

OUTLIERS is an excellent eight which gives Jasamrit a 45-point lead.

Round 11: N I O C N A S T Z

Jasamrit: SANCTION (8)
Chris: COAST (5)
DC: sanctionz
OT: ACTINONS (8) CANONIST (8) CONTAINS (8) SONANTIC (8)
Score: 74–21 (max 101, jos 100)
Darren-o-meter: 5/8 (63%)

SANCTIONZ^, says Lesley, coz shez down wiv da kidz innit

OOW Susie tells us why meetings are noted in "minutes" given they can go on for hours. Amazingly, they are actually related to minutes of the clock.

Round 12: W Y S I E A M P N

Jasamrit: SWAMPY (6) (not written down)
Chris: animes (not in the plural!)
DC: PIEMAN (6)
OT: ANYWISE (7) MAPWISE (7) PAYNIMS (7)
Score: 80–21 (max 108, jos 106)
Darren-o-meter: 5/9 (56%)

Chris is having some awful luck with the dictionary today - six for Jasamrit gets him over the line.

Round 13: T C E O L E I N B

Jasamrit: CLIENT (6)
Chris: ELECTION (8)
DC: CENOBITE (8)
OT: BELONITE (8) NOBLEITE (8)
Score: 80–29 (max 116, jos 114)
Darren-o-meter: 5/10 (50%)

A consolation eight for Chris.

Round 14: 25, 50, 7, 10, 6, 1. Target: 143.

Jasamrit: 143. 25 × 6 − 7 (10)
Chris: 143. (10 − 6 − 1) × 50 − 7 (10)
Score: 90–39 (max 126, jos 124)

thank u, next

Round 15: L O N G S I N C E

Chris buzzes on 19.75 seconds to say CLOSING which is incorrect.
Jasamrit buzzes on 28 seconds to say ECLOSING which is... correct, no, wait, what? The answer was ENCLOSING, but there is still a round of applause cued in - Rachel and Susie join in - yet Jasamrit doesn't get given the points (correct decision), but I'm astonished no one thought to re-film that.
Final Score: 90–39 (max 136, jos 134)

Well, that was odd. Anyway, Jasamrit has made it to the promised land of half-octochampdom, and he'll be back tomorrow to continue his run. Join us then.

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