Thursday 3rd March 2022 (Series 85, Preliminary 44)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Thursday 3 March 2022.

C1: Champion Eric McPhail (2 wins, 154 points.) A retired IT worker from Edinburgh.
C2: Challenger Mark Barrow. A police inspector originally from Glasgow, but now living in Kent.
DC: Susie Dent and Nicky Campbell.
AMI: Anne-Marie Imafidon.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S T N O E H G E S
R02: V N O I R M E S I
R03: 100, 50, 5, 1, 8, 9. Target: 524.
TTT: HERGRACE - "Her Grace needs to take a rest and give herself a boost."
R04: L T A N I L P E R
R05: M T N A E A S B O
R06: 75, 6, 5, 2, 2, 3. Target: 212.
R07: N D G I A Y P M E
R08: R E O L C P O K U
R09: 75, 3, 3, 2, 4, 8. Target: 753.
TTT: BOBTURNS - "Bob turns out to be very inflexible."
R10: T G E R I S M A N
R11: D C L U E A S B F
R12: R T E W I T D E G
R13: T W A S D U I L A
R14: 50, 25, 75, 7, 6, 5. Target: 991.
R15: C I T Y F L E E R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S T N O E H G E S

Eric: HONEST (6)
Mark: STONES (6)
DC: SHEENS (6) HENGES (6) HOTNESS (7)
OT: ETHNOSES (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)

Round 2: V N O I R M E S I

Eric: REVISION (8)
Mark: VERSION (7)
DC: VINOS (5) NOIRS (5)
OT: ERMINOIS (8) MINORISE (8)
Score: 14–6 (max 16)

Round 3: 100, 50, 5, 1, 8, 9. Target: 524.

Eric: 532. (100 x 5) + 50 - 1 - 9 - 8 (5)
Mark: 538.
AMI: 524. ((50 + 9 - 5 - 1) x 8) + 100 (10)
Score: 19–6 (max 26)

Teatime teaser: HERGRACE -> RECHARGE

Round 4: L T A N I L P E R

Eric: repliant
Mark: PLANTER (7)
DC: PLIANT (6) RETAIN (6) PERTAIN (7) LITERAL (7) PALLIER (7)
OT: INTERLAP (8) PILLARET (8) TRAPLINE (8) TRIPLANE (8)
Score: 19–13 (max 34)

Round 5: M T N A E A S B O

Eric: BOATSMAN (8)
Mark: boatmans
DC: BOATSMEN (8) BOATMAN (7) BANTS (5)
OT: MANBOTES (8)
Score: 27–13 (max 42)

Round 6: 75, 6, 5, 2, 2, 3. Target: 212.

Eric: 210.
Mark: 212. (3 x 75) - 6 - 5 - 2 (10)
Score: 27–23 (max 52)

Nicky talks about his love of animals, especially his dog, Maxwell.

Round 7: N D G I A Y P M E

Eric: DAMPING (7)
Mark: DAMPING (7)
DC: PINGED (6)
OT: MAGINED (7) MEDIGAP (7) PIGMEAN (7) PYGMEAN (7)
Score: 34–30 (max 59)

Round 8: R E O L C P O K U

Eric: corpule
Mark: COUPLER (7)
DC: PLUCKER (7)
OT: PUCKEROO (8)
Score: 34–37 (max 67)

Round 9: 75, 3, 3, 2, 4, 8. Target: 753.

Eric: 753. ((8 + 2) x 75) + 3 (10)
Mark: 753. ((8 + 2) x 75) + 3 (10)
Score: 44–47 (max 77)

Teatime teaser: BOBTURNS -> STUBBORN

Round 10: T G E R I S M A N

Eric: TIGERS (6)
Mark: STREAMING (18)
DC: MANGERS (7) ANGRIEST (8) MANGIEST (8) MASTERING (18)
OT: EMIGRANTS (18) REMASTING (18)
Score: 44–65 (max 95)

Round 11: D C L U E A S B F

Eric: SCALED (6)
Mark: BLADES (6)
DC: BLUES (5) CLUES (5) CABLES (6)
OT: ABDUCES (7) ABLUDES (7) BASCULE (7) CABFULS (7) CAUDLES (7) SUBFACE (7)
Score: 50–71 (max 102)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "haywire".

Round 12: R T E W I T D E G

Eric: WITTERED (8)
Mark: WITTERED (8)
DC: WIDGET (6) WEDGIE (6)
Score: 58–79 (max 110)

Round 13: T W A S D U I L A

Eric: twails
Mark: misdeclared 7
DC: DUALIST (7)
OT: DATILAS (7) LAWSUIT (7)
Score: 58–79 (max 117)

Round 14: 50, 25, 75, 7, 6, 5. Target: 991.

Eric: -
Mark: 986. Mistake in working.
AMI: 990. (7)
OT: 992. (75 - 50 + 7) x (25 + 6) (7)
Score: 58–79 (max 124)

Round 15: C I T Y F L E E R

Mark buzzes on 17 seconds to say ELECTRIFY which is correct.
Final Score: 58–89 (max 134)

Statistics Corner

Eric:
Total score - 58
Raw score - 71
Total % of max - 43
Raw % of max - 53
Total average score per round - 3.9
Raw average score per round - 4.7
Number of maxes - 5

Mark:
Total score - 89
Raw score - 96
Total % of max - 66
Raw % of max - 72
Total average score per round - 5.9
Raw average score per round - 6.4
Number of maxes - 6

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=85