Countdown recap for Wednesday 25 August 2021.
Amelia Earhart had her trans-atlantic flight today in 1932. Rachel and Anne joke about how, in 1932, they were probably expecting her to serve the drinks as well as fly.
C1: Champion Jeremy Slaney (5 wins, 480 points.) Returnee from 2002. Kentish gardener.
C2: Challenger Andrea Price. Works in housing support as a gateway assistant from Wrexham, but originally from Hoylake in The Wirral.
DC: Susie Dent and Myleene Klass.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: Y F S T E I E A R
R02: C T M E U I R B P
R03: 75, 5, 7, 9, 6, 2. Target: 219.
TTT: MERRYPUT - "In some people's minds, this teaser could be dedicated to Donald."
R04: T K L U E O W N O
R05: T F R I E I E V N
R06: 75, 3, 7, 7, 8, 1. Target: 308.
R07: C S T O A E D P D
R08: N W X O U O S R E
R09: 100, 6, 8, 9, 10, 2. Target: 620.
TTT: RIGPLONK - "The meat and fish get together to make a small animal."
R10: B T G E A U H P T
R11: M N S O I I A G C
R12: S V N O A O H N E
R13: D L R I O O E S P
R14: 75, 100, 25, 6, 7, 9. Target: 936.
R15: F E L T N E R V Y (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: Y F S T E I E A R
Jeremy: FAIREST (7)
Andrea: TEASER (6)
DC: FREESIA (7) FAERIES (7)
OT: ARTYFIES (8) ESTERIFY (8) FEARTIES (8) YEASTIER (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
Seven for Jeremy starts us off, with Andrea only on six.
Round 2: C T M E U I R B P
Jeremy: PICTURE (7)
Andrea: PERMIT (6)
DC: CRUMPET (7)
OT: BRUCITE (7) BUMPIER (7) CUPRITE (7) TERBIUM (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 15, jos 14)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)
Rinse and repeat, although this time there were no eights available on this one.
Round 3: 75, 5, 7, 9, 6, 2. Target: 219.
Jeremy: 219. (75 − 2) × (9 − 6) (10)
Andrea: 220.
Score: 24–0 (max 25, jos 24)
Jeremy's numbers has been a big strength of his and he proves his worth again here.
Teatime teaser: MERRYPUT -> TRUMPERY
Round 4: T K L U E O W N O
Jeremy: TOWEL (5)
Andrea: KNELT (5)
OT: NOOKLET (7)
Score: 29–5 (max 32, jos 29)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)
Andrea finally gets off the mark as both contestants - and Susie - are stuck on five.
Round 5: T F R I E I E V N
Jeremy: INVERT (6)
Andrea: INVERT (6)
DC: VITRINE (7)
OT: REINVITE (8)
Score: 35–11 (max 40, jos 36)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)
Sixes each, which can be beaten by Susie on seven, and the computer on eight.
Round 6: 75, 3, 7, 7, 8, 1. Target: 308.
Jeremy: 308. (8 − 7 + 1 + 75) × (7 − 3) (10)
Andrea: 307.
Score: 45–11 (max 50, jos 46)
Another excellent numbers spot from Jeremy gives him a whopping 34 point lead at the halfway stage.
Myleene talks about her musical career and does a "where are they now?" as to the members of Hear'Say. She regrets having got rid of many of her costumes, and perhaps regrets not doing Sophie Ellis-Bextor-esque lockdown music.
Round 7: C S T O A E D P D
Jeremy: DECAPODS (8) (try)
Andrea: COASTED (7)
DC: TOECAPS (7)
Score: 53–11 (max 58, jos 54)
Darren-o-meter: 3/5 (60%)
DECAPODS is a wonderful darren spot from Jeremy and it extends his lead even further...
Round 8: N W X O U O S R E
Jeremy: WORSEN (6) (stick with)
Andrea: WORSEN (6)
DC: ONEROUS (7)
Score: 59–17 (max 65, jos 61)
Darren-o-meter: 4/6 (67%)
Not sure what Jeremy was thinking of that he rejected, but unless it was ONEROUS it wasn't valid.
Round 9: 100, 6, 8, 9, 10, 2. Target: 620.
Jeremy: 620. 100 × 6 + 10 × 2 (10)
Andrea: 620. 100 × 6 + 10 × 2 (10)
Score: 69–27 (max 75, jos 71)
thank u, next
Teatime teaser: RIGPLONK -> PORKLING
Round 10: B T G E A U H P T
Jeremy: buttage ("improbable")
Andrea: TAUGHT (6)
OT: BATTUE (6) HAGBUT (6) PETTAH (6) UPBEAT (6)
Score: 69–33 (max 81, jos 77)
Darren-o-meter: 4/7 (57%)
Jeremy is correct in his view that BUTTAGE^ was improbable and the lead comes down to "just" 36.
Round 11: M N S O I I A G C
Jeremy: masonic (capitalised)
Andrea: COMINGS (7) (dodgy)
OT: COAMINGS (8) MACIGNOS (8) SIMONIAC (8)
Score: 69–40 (max 89, jos 84)
Darren-o-meter: 4/8 (50%)
A second invalid word in a row from Jeremy, as Masonic is a proper noun, whereas COMINGS (and goings?) is perfectly valid.
An email from Tony Achors from North Staffordshire in his youth asks of the origins of the word snapping.
Round 12: S V N O A O H N E
Jeremy: SHONE (5)
Andrea: HAVENS (6)
DC: NOVENAS (7)
Score: 69–46 (max 96, jos 91)
Darren-o-meter: 5/9 (56%)
Ooh, a third round in a row that Andrea has won and the gap is now just 23 points - could this be one of Countdown's best comebacks in history?
Round 13: D L R I O O E S P
Jeremy: SOLDIER (7)
Andrea: polerised
DC: POODLES (7) POOLSIDE (8) (from RR) poolsider
OT: POODLERS (8)
Score: 76–46 (max 104, jos 99)
Darren-o-meter: 5/10 (50%).
Gaaaah - Andrea misspells polArised and has now lost the game. Anne suggests stemming Rachel's spot of POOLSIDE but it's not valid.
Round 14: 75, 100, 25, 6, 7, 9. Target: 936.
Jeremy: 934. (75 ÷ 25 + 100) × 9 + 7 (7)
Andrea: 932.
RR: 936. (7 − 75 ÷ 25 + 100) × 9 (10)
Score: 83–46 (max 114, jos 109)
Jeremy, for once, misses a numbers game and he will probably kick himself as he had the right idea and wasn't too far away.
Round 15: F E L T N E R V Y
Jeremy buzzes on 21.5 seconds to say FERVENTLY which is correct.
Final Score: 93–46 (max 124, jos 119)
And Jeremy finishes off his sixth win with a good conundrum spot.
Recap may be a bit late tomorrow as it's my birthday. And the cricket will still be on.
Anyway, join us again for Countdown. Goodbye.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84