Tuesday 16th November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 101)

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Rhys Benjamin
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Tuesday 16th November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 101)

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Annedown C and it looks like the verdict is in on her. Meanwhile, I appear to be the only person who has the news on in the background when working from home...?

Countdown recap for Tuesday 16 November 2021.

On this day, The Sound of Music first came out.

C1: Champion Ali Keys (1 win, 102 points.) 65. Transfusion ergonomist.
C2: Challenger Ben Caird. "Not bad looking [...] I'm not sure in these times I'm even allowed to say that." No, you're not, Anne. Boiler installer supervisor. Or something. Also tells us to stop covering up our radiators. Which I would have thought was fairly common sense, but not for Anne.
DC: Susie Dent and Christopher Biggins, who correctly predicts/ed that inflation will rise this winter. Mind you, I think anyone could have seen that coming.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: L N T U I A S N O
R02: R I E S G S E A B
R03: 9, 2, 9, 6, 2, 1. Target: 116.
TTT: COATDEAN - "We've had a lot of this from our guests over the years."
R04: G N L T A O A M O
R05: D L P A I A L T R
R06: 100, 50, 25, 1, 8, 2. Target: 654.
R07: F N H O I E D T M
R08: R V N G A U R I E
R09: 7, 9, 8, 5, 3, 4. Target: 973.
TTT: CABSPEED - "During lockdown, many hospitals were struggling for this."
R10: J S O A E M S L N
R11: D W D O E E R S N
R12: G O E S K T P R E
R13: N C T U I E F S E
R14: 50, 75, 25, 10, 5, 1. Target: 819.
R15: R U S T I C S E T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: L N T U I A S N O

Ali: LOUTS (5)
Ben: SNAIL (5)
DC: SLANT (5) INSULANT (8) LUNATIONS (18)
Score: 5–5 (max 18, jos 18)
Darren-o-meter: 1/1 (100%)

Susie appears to have been playing from a different set of letters, as no one can beat five until she smashes out an eight and a nine.

Round 2: R I E S G S E A B

Ali: GASSIER (7)
Ben: GASSIER (7)
DC: BARGEES (7) BAGSIES (7)
OT: GREASIES (8)
Score: 12–12 (max 26, jos 25)
Darren-o-meter: 2/2 (100%)

A windy seven for both contestants, whilst Dictionary Corner get themselves on the river on a BARGEE (not to be confused with an onion bhaji) and Susie BAGSIES one of the seats.

Round 3: 9, 2, 9, 6, 2, 1. Target: 116.

Ali: 116. (9 − 2 + 6) × 9 − 1 (10)
Ben: 116. 9 × 6 × 2 + 9 − 1​ (10)
Score: 22–22 (max 36, jos 35)

Not the easiest game ever, but spotted by both contestants.

Teatime teaser: COATDEAN -> ANECDOTA

Round 4: G N L T A O A M O

Ali: TONAL (5)
Ben: GLOAT (5)
DC: ATONAL (6) GALANT (6)
OT: AGAMONT (7)
Score: 27–27 (max 43, jos 41)
Darren-o-meter: 3/3 (100%)

Once again, the computer beats everyone, in a fairly poor round.

Round 5: D L P A I A L T R

Ali: PALLID (6)
Ben: pillard
DC: PARTIAL (7)
OT: PARILLA (7) PATRIAL (7)
Score: 33–27 (max 50, jos 48)
Darren-o-meter: 3/4 (75%)

Amazingly it's our first non-darrenic round of the day. Not sure what Ben was thinking of here (pillared?) but Ali takes the lead.

Round 6: 100, 50, 25, 1, 8, 2. Target: 654.

Ali: 656. (not written down) (100 + 1) × (8 − 2) + 50 (7)
Ben: -
RR: 653. "one away" (655 impossible) (7)
OT: 654. (50 × (25 + 1) + 8) ÷ 2 (10)
Score: 40–27 (max 60, jos 55)

Rachel misses this one. There are various solutions for this, one of which is 1308 / 2. Naturally.

Christopher plugs Joan Collins's new book.

Round 7: F N H O I E D T M

Ali: TIMED (5) (not written down)
Ben: MINTED (6)
DC: ETHMOID (7)
OT: FODIENT (7)
Score: 40–33 (max 67, jos 62)
Darren-o-meter: 3/5 (60%)

Ben undoes some of the damage with a six, which, once again, is beaten by the corner.

Round 8: R V N G A U R I E

Ali: REARING (7)
Ben: ANGRIER (7)
DC: EARRING (7)
OT: AVERRING (8)
Score: 47–40 (max 75, jos 69)
Darren-o-meter: 4/6 (67%)

REARING, ANGRIER, and EARRING are all anagrams of each other, but once again Dictionary Corner drop a point to the corner.

Round 9: 7, 9, 8, 5, 3, 4. Target: 973.

Ali: -
Ben: -
RR: 973. ((8 × 5 − 3) × 4 − 9) × 7 (10)
Score: 47–40 (max 85, jos 79)

Six small + a 900+ target = a pain in the backside, but Rachel manages to get it by doing 139 x 7.

Teatime teaser: CABSPEED -> BEDSPACE

Round 10: J S O A E M S L N

Ali: SOLEMN (6)
Ben: MEANS (5)
DC: MANLESS (7)
OT: ALMONESS (8)
Score: 53–40 (max 93, jos 86)
Darren-o-meter: 5/7 (71%)

Ali extends her lead out to 15 points whilst the computer wins out again.

Round 11: D W D O E E R S N

Ali: WONDERS (7)
Ben: WONDERED (8) (try)
DC: ENDORSED (8)
OT: ENDOWERS (8) RODDEENS (8) WORSENED (8)
Score: 53–48 (max 101, jos 94)
Darren-o-meter: 5/8 (63%)

Oops. Ali blunders, and Ben "tries" (??) for replacing her -S ending with -ED, reducing the deficit to just 5 points. That may come back to bite Ali.

OOW Susie talks about the origins of various theatrical expressions.

Round 12: G O E S K T P R E

Ali: PETERS (6)
Ben: POSTER (6)
DC: greeks PROTEGES (8)
Score: 59–54 (max 109, jos 102)
Darren-o-meter: 6/9 (67%)

Sixes for both contestants, a proper noun from Christopher, but yet another darren, and this one is an excellent one from Susie.

Round 13: N C T U I E F S E

Ali: INFECTS (7)
Ben: ENTICES (7) (try)
Score: 66–61 (max 116, jos 109)
Darren-o-meter: 6/10 (60%)

Two sevens available, two sevens spotted. That blunder a few rounds ago from Ali cost her the chance to put this game to bed right here and now on the numbers...

Round 14: 50, 75, 25, 10, 5, 1. Target: 819.

Ali: -
Ben: 813. Mistake in working.
RR: 819. 75 × 10 + 50 + 25 − 5 − 1​ (10)
Score: 66–61 (max 126, jos 119)

Ben uses the 75 twice, and Rachel shows us how it's done. It can't be done by 75 x 11 - a huge red herring there.

So it's a crucial!

Round 15: R U S T I C S E T

Ben buzzes on 2.25 seconds to say CRUSTIEST which is correct.
Final Score: 66–71 (max 136, jos 129)

The curse of the champion's chair! Ben takes the day with a slightly stale conundrum offering. Had Ali not blundered with WONDERS, then she would have won. Ouch.

Anyway, a slightly fortuitous Ben will be back on Wednesday. Join us for that recap soon.


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84
The forum's resident JAILBAKER, who has SPONDERED several times...
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