Monday 1st November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 90)

[Rhys Benjamin]

Annedown LXXXIX and this one was obviously recorded ages ago since everyone's all got the same poppy but it's one of the special ones, so they were obviously dug out of a box.

Countdown recap for Monday 1 November 2021.

On this day in 1512, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was unveiled. Anne describes it as a "pain in the neck".

C1: Champion Edward Ratcliffe (2 wins, 168 points.) Went on a course to learn how to do stand-up comedy. In four days. Four!
C2: Challenger Michael Purefoy. Property developer who speaks Mandarin, and having lived in Hong Kong for 30 years, he watched a country in transformation. Anne asks him to praise Countdown in Mandarin, and he does.
DC: Susie Dent and Ben Macintyre (who?).
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: E R I L M O V T G
R02: L E S U J H E E R
R03: 25, 75, 50, 2, 1, 2. Target: 796.
TTT: ALARMING - "It was alarming at how close the seat was."
R04: F U I D G E W C I
R05: D A S D T E O M G
R06: 25, 6, 7, 7, 8, 10. Target: 809.
R07: B A I C N R U I S
R08: N A S I T M O E R
R09: 25, 100, 75, 50, 8, 1. Target: 588.
TTT: FORENSIC - "They carried out forensic tests on the stolen trees."
R10: P E L I P R U V D
R11: O B E R N I L S T
R12: N E Y A T S O O C
R13: E F N O R T I E R
R14: 75, 8, 9, 7, 9, 1. Target: 434.
R15: O I L C O N S U L (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: E R I L M O V T G

Edward: GROVEL (6)
Michael: TOILER (6)
DC: TOME (4) OVERLIT (7)
OT: MOTLIER (7) REVOMIT (7) RIGOLET (7) TOMGIRL (7) VERTIGO (7) VOMITER (7)
Score: 6–6 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

We turn into Loose Women again as everyone congratulates Ben on his four. Jesus. OVERLIT is an ironic spot from Susie given how coarse the lighting seems to be.

Round 2: L E S U J H E E R

Edward: JEERS (5)
Michael: REHEELS (7)
DC: HEELS (5) LUSHER (6)
OT: HEELERS (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 14, jos 14)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)

None of Anne, Rachel, Susie, Ben, Damian, etc. thinks to go for HEELERS having already heard REHEELS.

Round 3: 25, 75, 50, 2, 1, 2. Target: 796.

Edward: -
Michael: -
RR: 800. (7)
OT: 800. 50 × (75 ÷ 25 + 1) × 2 × 2 (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 21, jos 21)

Once again Rachel doesn't show her method on an impossible game. Boooooo.

Teatime teaser: ALARMING -> MARGINAL

Round 4: F U I D G E W C I

Edward: FUDGE (5)
Michael: FUDGE (5)
DC: wedge wedgie (both phantom E) WIDGIE (6)
OT: DEIFIC (6)
Score: 11–18 (max 27, jos 27)
Darren-o-meter: 0/3 (0%)

This round is a bit of a FUGDE.

Round 5: D A S D T E O M G

Edward: MADDEST (7)
Michael: MADDEST (7)
DC: DOTAGES (7)
OT: DODGEMS (7) DOGATES (7)
Score: 18–25 (max 34, jos 34)
Darren-o-meter: 0/4 (0%)

Two sevens spotted, two yielded to the computer.

R5/6 Michael talks about the transformation of China.

Round 6: 25, 6, 7, 7, 8, 10. Target: 809.

Edward: 808. (6 × 7 − 10) × 25 + 8​ (7)
Michael: -
RR: 809. (10 + 7) × 6 × 8 − 7​ (10)
Score: 25–25 (max 44, jos 44)

Rachel's LNAFP solution shows us how to do it, as Edward levels the game.

Ben talks about Colditz, who tries to add some sort of nuance to a Nazi prison and says the POW officers didn't have it so bad... yikes.

Round 7: B A I C N R U I S

Edward: BRAINS (6)
Michael: BAIRNS (6)
DC: RICINUS (7)
OT: RUBIACINS (18)
Score: 31–31 (max 62, jos 51)
Darren-o-meter: 1/5 (20%)

Dictionary Corner beats our contestants with a seven, but there is a horribly obscure nine in there as well.

Round 8: N A S I T M O E R

"More promising", says Rachel. What, more promising than a nine?

Edward: RATIONS (7) (stick with)
Michael: MOANIEST (8) (try)
DC: MOISTER (7) ATOMISER (8) AMORTISE (8) MATRONISE (18)
OT: RANSOMITE (18) ROMANITES (18)
Score: 31–39 (max 80, jos 69)
Darren-o-meter: 1/6 (17%)

Ooh, she was right - a trio of nines this time! Michael regains the lead with his MOANIEST offering.

Round 9: 25, 100, 75, 50, 8, 1. Target: 588.

Edward: 596. (not written down)
Michael: 588. (not written down) (75 − 1) × 8 − 100 ÷ 25 (10)
Score: 31–49 (max 90, jos 79)

Nicely done, and now he has a rather big lead of 18.

Teatime teaser: FORENSIC -> CONIFERS

Round 10: P E L I P R U V D

Edward: RIPPLED (7)
Michael: RIPPLED (7)
DC: PURPLED (7)
OT: PULPIER (7) PUPILED (7)
Score: 38–56 (max 97, jos 86)
Darren-o-meter: 1/7 (14%)

Sev-ENNN! Oh wait, no Len any more.

Round 11: O B E R N I L S T

Edward: BORES (5)
Michael: BOILERS (7)
DC: NOBLEST (7) LOBSTER (7) BONIEST (7)
OT: RIBSTONE (8) ROBINETS (8)
Score: 38–63 (max 105, jos 93)
Darren-o-meter: 1/8 (13%)

Michael BOILs up a bigger lead...

OOW Susie "loves a strong verb", which she confesses as being very wordy. She also talks about "strong verbs" where the vowels change from present to past tense, which, oddly, have re-emerged in US English, such as sunk and dove. So on that note, went is the past tense of go, because there used to be an Old English synonym of go of "wend". Give it a few decades and I suspect we'll be saying "I goed to the cinema".

Round 12: N E Y A T S O O C

Edward: CANOES (6)
Michael: ATONES (6)
DC: TYCOONS (7) COYOTES (7)
OT: COSTEAN (7) OCTYNES (7) OOCYANS (7) OOCYTES (7)
Score: 44–69 (max 112, jos 100)
Darren-o-meter: 1/9 (11%)

The contestants miss a plethora of sevens, but with both on six the game is still in the balance.

Round 13: E F N O R T I E R

Edward: FRONTIER (8)
Michael: INFER (5)
DC: REORIENT (8)
Score: 52–69 (max 120, jos 108)
Darren-o-meter: 1/10 (10%)

An eight at a crucial juncture gives Edward a chance, with 17 points between them and two rounds to go...

Round 14: 75, 8, 9, 7, 9, 1. Target: 434.

Edward: 433. (7 − 1) × 75 − 8 − 9​ (7)
Michael: 433. (7 − 1) × 75 − 8 − 9​ (7)
RR: 434. (8 × 9 − (9 + 1)) × 7​ (10)
Score: 59–76 (max 130, jos 118)

Another LNAFP from Rachel, as Edward loses the opportunity to win the game.

Round 15: O I L C O N S U L

Edward buzzes on 8.5 seconds to say COLLUSION which is correct.
Final Score: 69–76 (max 140, jos 128)

And a consolation conundrum means he loses by just 7 points.

Michael will be back tomorrow. Join us soon for Tuesday's game. As readers of Friday's recap will know, I am overtired at present and I'm all Countdowned out for tonight.


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