Thursday 10th March 2022 (Series 85, Preliminary 49)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Thursday 10 March 2022.

C1: Champion Alan Breckenridge (1 win, 79 points.) A temporary roadway salesman from Irvine, North Ayrshire.
C2: Challenger Steve Hyde. A product manager for a credit card company from Nottingham.
DC: Susie Dent and Janet Ellis.
AMI: Anne-Marie Imafidon.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: K M P E E O T C I
R02: S T H U A O F G R
R03: 100, 10, 1, 4, 4, 1. Target: 503.
TTT: TINYTREE - "Nothing tiny about this, it goes on forever."
R04: S N G I E A L R D
R05: H T B C E A I S R
R06: 50, 7, 1, 7, 2, 5. Target: 484.
R07: Q T N O U E G M P
R08: S T N I A U L S A
R09: 50, 2, 10, 1, 8, 9. Target: 854.
TTT: DUOENACT - "The duo enact their tango routine better than the rest."
R10: M D N E I E R T G
R11: F P R N I E O D V
R12: N R S O U A T R A
R13: L D R I O A W C E
R14: 25, 4, 7, 9, 9, 4. Target: 895.
R15: P E A R S Y D E R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: K M P E E O T C I

Alan: POCKET (6)
Steve: COMPETE (7)
DC: EPITOME (7)
OT: METOPIC (7) PICOTEE (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)

Round 2: S T H U A O F G R

Alan: FOURTH (6)
Steve: SHOUT (5)
DC: FROUGHT (7) FROTHS (6) ROUGHS (6)
OT: AUTHORS (7) FATOUSH (7) FOURTHS (7) FRAUGHT (7) FUGATOS (7) RAGOUTS (7) TROUGHS (7)
Score: 6–7 (max 14)

Round 3: 100, 10, 1, 4, 4, 1. Target: 503.

Alan: 503. ((4 + 1) x 100) + 4 - 1 (10)
Steve: 503. ((4 + 1) x 100) + 4 - 1 (10)
Score: 16–17 (max 24)

Teatime teaser: TINYTREE -> ETERNITY

Round 4: S N G I E A L R D

Alan: READINGS (8)
Steve: DEALINGS (8)
DC: DRAGLINES (18)
OT: RELADINGS (18)
Score: 24–25 (max 42)

Round 5: H T B C E A I S R

Alan: BATCHES (7)
Steve: BITCHES (7)
DC: BRITCHES (8)
OT: BIATCHES (8) CHARIEST (8) RAITCHES (8) THERIACS (8)
Score: 31–32 (max 50)

Round 6: 50, 7, 1, 7, 2, 5. Target: 484.

Alan: 484. ((7 + 2) x 50) + (5 x 7) - 1 (10)
Steve: 484. ((50 x 5) - 7 - 1) x 2 (10)
Score: 41–42 (max 60)

Janet talks about her new career as a novelist.

Round 7: Q T N O U E G M P

Alan: QUOTE (5)
Steve: TOQUE (5)
DC: POTMEN (6) TONGUE (6) NUTMEG (6)
OT: QUENTO (6) TOPMEN (6)
Score: 46–47 (max 66)

Round 8: S T N I A U L S A

Alan: ASSAULT (7)
Steve: INSTALS (7)
DC: SULTANAS (8)
OT: STUNSAIL (8)
Score: 53–54 (max 74)

Round 9: 50, 2, 10, 1, 8, 9. Target: 854.

Alan: 851.
Steve: 854. ((8 + 9) x 50) + (10 / 2) - 1 (10)
Score: 53–64 (max 84)

Teatime teaser: DUOENACT -> OUTDANCE

Round 10: M D N E I E R T G

Alan: tending
Steve: MERITED (7)
DC: INTEGER (7) MEETING (7)
OT: METERING (8) REGIMENT (8) REMINTED (8)
Score: 53–71 (max 92)

Round 11: F P R N I E O D V

Alan: PONDER (6)
Steve: PROVIDE (7)
DC: POINDER (7)
OT: PONERID (7) PROVEND (7)
Score: 53–78 (max 99)

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

Round 12: N R S O U A T R A

Alan: OUTRAN (6)
Steve: ROTAS (5)
DC: SONATA (6)
OT: AURORAS (7) SANTOUR (7) UNROAST (7)
Score: 59–78 (max 106)

Round 13: L D R I O A W C E

Alan: CRAWLED (7)
Steve: CRAWLED (7)
DC: CORDIAL (7) CALORIE (7)
OT: CARIOLE (7) CLOWDER (7) CODWARE (7) CROWDIE (7) DARIOLE (7) LORICAE (7) RADICEL (7) RADICLE (7) RADIOLE (7) REDCOAL (7)
Score: 66–85 (max 113)

Round 14: 25, 4, 7, 9, 9, 4. Target: 895.

Alan: 895. (9 x 4 x 25) - (9 - 4) (10)
Steve: 895. (9 x 4 x 25) - (9 - 4) (10)
Score: 76–95 (max 123)

Round 15: P E A R S Y D E R

Steve buzzes on 5 seconds to say RESPRAYED which is correct.
Final Score: 76–105 (max 133)

Statistics Corner

Alan:
Total score - 76
Raw score - 95
Total % of max - 57
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 5.1
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 4

Steve:
Total score - 105
Raw score - 115
Total % of max - 79
Raw % of max - 86
Total average score per round - 7.0
Raw average score per round - 7.7
Number of maxes - 8

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