Countdown recap for Wednesday 28 July 2021.
It's Harry Kane's birthday today. Miracle worker, claims Anne, whilst Rachel explains her love for Man Utd.
C1: Champion Andy McConnell (2 wins, 164 points.) "The king of pump systems."
C2: Challenger Ian Andrews. From Huntingdon, originally from London. So basically John Major? Retired local government official. Spent 38 years working for Haringey Council.
DC: Rev. Richard Coles, whose local government has been restructured from a county council into two unitary authorities.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T U I N I D H S E
R02: S R B O E D A N U
R03: 25, 8, 10, 9, 3, 4. Target: 671.
TTT: BADHORNS - "Easy to beat. Very one-sided, in fact."
R04: G T V O A I S B E
R05: L P C O E R N O R
R06: 50, 7, 8, 5, 10, 9. Target: 631.
R07: M O P U S G I R C
R08: E O A N D R E N T
R09: 100, 9, 3, 9, 2, 2. Target: 367.
TTT: CAFEHOUR - "They spent an hour in the café and hardly said a word."
R10: C E U E P S T L Q
R11: L E I G W P O S D
R12: E R O D L R H A A
R13: W N U I E S M R Y
R14: 75, 9, 2, 4, 3, 10. Target: 839.
R15: I N C A S M I T H (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T U I N I D H S E
Andy: UNITED (6)
Ian: SHUNTED (7)
DC: UNITISED (8)
OT: DISUNITE (8)
Score: 0–7 (max 8, jos 8)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
After TUI, Andy quips "going on holiday". Yeah, no idea.
Round 2: S R B O E D A N U
Andy: BROADENS (8)
Ian: REBOUNDS (8) (try)
DC: BOUNDERS (8)
OT: BANDORES (8) SOUNDBAR (8) SUBORNED (8)
Score: 8–15 (max 16, jos 16)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
That's more like it as both contestants pick up a max each with two good eights.
Anne asks Andy if he always wanted to be a valver when he was growing up. Andy retorts that he was an ugly child and had to tie meat around his neck so the dog would play with him.
Round 3: 25, 8, 10, 9, 3, 4. Target: 671.
Andy: 671. 9 × 3 × 25 − 4 (10)
Ian: 671. 9 × 3 × 25 − 4 (10)
Score: 18–25 (max 26, jos 26)
thank u, next
Teatime teaser: BADHORNS -> BODHRANS
Ian's been volunteering in his local vaccination centre. He also is a part-time football referee.
Round 4: G T V O A I S B E
Andy: goaties
Ian: goaties
DC: BOATIES (7) OBVIATES (8)
Score: 18–25 (max 34, jos 34)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)
Both contestants misspell GOATEES^, whilst Richard spots the first darren of the day.
Round 5: L P C O E R N O R
Andy: CORONER (7)
Ian: recoop
OT: CROONER (7)
Score: 25–25 (max 41, jos 41)
Darren-o-meter: 1/4 (25%)
Ian loses the round and misspells RECOUP^ anyway.
Round 6: 50, 7, 8, 5, 10, 9. Target: 631.
Andy: 631. (8 + 5) × 50 − 10 − 9 (10)
Ian: 631. (8 + 5) × 50 − 10 − 9 (10)
Score: 35–35 (max 51, jos 51)
Ariana.
Richard talks about coping with the loss of his partner David in December 2019 at the age of 43 and writing a book about it as a way to compartmentalise his thoughts. Richard looks very uncomfortable talking about it, especially when Anne interrogates him about David's alcoholism.
"Andy, you're not ahead any more." // "No, it is the lack of hair." (Eh?)
Round 7: M O P U S G I R C
Andy: PRISM (5)
Ian: GROUPS (6)
DC: GROUPISM (8)
Score: 35–41 (max 59, jos 59)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)
After MOP, Andy quips "cleaning up". Ian takes the lead with Andy only seeing five. Maybe fewer quips may help.
Round 8: E O A N D R E N T
Andy: ENDEAR (6)
Ian: TREND (5)
DC: NEONATE (7)
OT: ANTERNE (7) ENDNOTE (7) ENTERON (7) NORATED (7) NORTENA (7) ORNATED (7) RONDENA (7) TENONED (7) TENONER (7)
Score: 41–41 (max 66, jos 66)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)
Punch and counter-punch as Andy gets ENDEAR to get things back level.
Round 9: 100, 9, 3, 9, 2, 2. Target: 367.
Andy: 377.
Ian: 365. (9 × 2 + 100) × 3 + 9 + 2 (7)
RR: 367. (100 − 9) × 2 × 2 + 3 (10)
Score: 41–48 (max 76, jos 76)
And Ian fights back with a better numbers game, but Rachel shows us how to do it.
Teatime teaser: CAFEHOUR -> FAROUCHE
Richard defines FAROUCHE. He thinks about bringing in Andy on this one... who quips "I thought it was FAR OUCH", before Anne goes "who needs me?"
Round 10: C E U E P S T L Q
Andy: QUEST (5)
Ian: PESTLE (6)
DC: SEQUEL (6)
OT: CLEPES (6) CUPELS (6) ELECTS (6) ELUTES (6) PECTUS (6) PLUTES (6) PUCEST (6) QUEEST (6) QUETES (6) SCULPT (6) SELECT (6) TUPLES (6)
Score: 41–54 (max 82, jos 82)
Darren-o-meter: 2/7 (29%)
Ian extends his lead as Andy misses about a million 6s.
Round 11: L E I G W P O S D
Andy: SPOILED (7)
Ian: SLOPED (6)
DC: GOSPEL (6)
OT: DOGPILES (8) GOWLDIES (8)
Score: 48–54 (max 90, jos 89)
Darren-o-meter: 2/8 (25%)
Another counter-punch as Andy SPOILs Ian's lead and reduces the gap to 6. Meanwhile, Richard gets GOSPEL: that would be an ecumenical matter.
Round 12: E R O D L R H A A
Andy: HOLDER (6)
Ian: HOARDER (7)
DC: AREOLAR (7)
Score: 48–61 (max 97, jos 96)
Darren-o-meter: 2/9 (22%)
Ian undoes the damage in the last round with HOARDER. AREOLAR is Richard's offering. Thankfully no one offers to demonstrate. It gives Ian three chances to win the game.
Round 13: W N U I E S M R Y
Andy: MISERY (6) (safe)
Ian: MISERY (6)
DC: SWINERY (7)
OT: NERIUMS (7) RUMNEYS (7)
Score: 54–67 (max 104, jos 103)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)
Andy and Ian are both on MISERY, whilst Dictionary Corner have SWINERY for 7.
Round 14: 75, 9, 2, 4, 3, 10. Target: 839.
Andy: 839. (9 + 2) × 75 + 10 + 4 (10)
Ian: -
Score: 64–67 (max 114, jos 113)
A complete blunder from Ian has let Andy back in the game.
Andy tells Richard that Don't Leave Me This Way is his favourite song, in the hope of using Richard to get some divine inspiration.
Round 15: I N C A S M I T H
Andy buzzes on 17.25 seconds to say MACHINIST which is correct.
Final Score: 74–67 (max 124, jos 123)
Well. I'm an atheist but I suspect Andy may well start believing in God if he didn't already! Turns out praying to the vicar gets him the conundrum.
Ian, however, will probably become a Satan worshipper. After a blunder on the numbers, he let Andy back in and threw the game away.
Join us again for presumably more valving facts. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84