Friday 26th November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 109)

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Rhys Benjamin
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Friday 26th November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 109)

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Annedown CVIII on a day where I've had my hair done, which is too short for my dad and still slightly too long for me.

Countdown recap for Friday 26 November 2021.

On this day in 1942, Casablanca premiered in New York... so Anne jokes about plastic surgery, and Rachel snipes at her... oof.

C1: Champion Stu Harkness (2 wins, 252 points.) "A variety of hairdos" from Tweedbank.
C2: Challenger Chris Bickley. Journalist for The Gruniad - what's the betting he misspells something at some point?
DC: Susie Dent and Shirley Ballas, who has stolen my bright red jacket, apparently.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: F A W O R E C S O
R02: H E M G T A I N D
R03: 25, 8, 3, 10, 7, 4. Target: 352.
TTT: MILDSOAP - "The restaurant issues hot towels at the end of the course, but the college issues these."
R04: R G E A E M N H E
R05: D E R O L O U P O
R06: 100, 2, 1, 6, 6, 5. Target: 373.
R07: M E S R I B T O E
R08: E V R D E G A S O
R09: 50, 9, 6, 4, 7, 10. Target: 423.
TTT: BETHGIRL - "Beth was a lovely girl but her partner wasn't."
R10: R V U I L R A W P
R11: T A Q S D I A B L
R12: P N U L R I M A T
R13: N E R I K U S T N
R14: 5, 7, 8, 5, 1, 9. Target: 568.
R15: Y A W N G A I L Y (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: F A W O R E C S O

Stu: WOOFERS (7)
Chris: FORCES (6)
DC: FORESAW (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

A WOOFER is a type of speaker, usually with SUB- on the front of it.

Round 2: H E M G T A I N D

Stu: HEATING (7)
Chris: HEATING (7)
DC: HEADING (7) TEAMING (7) MEGAHIT (7)
OT: MAGINED (7) MEATING (7) MEDIANT (7) MINTAGE (7) NIGHTED (7) TEGMINA (7) THEMING (7) THINGAM (7) THINGEM (7)
Score: 14–7 (max 14, jos 14)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)

Flaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

Round 3: 25, 8, 3, 10, 7, 4. Target: 352.

Stu: 352. 25 × (10 + 4) + 8 ÷ (7 − 3) (10)
Chris: 352. (7 + 3 + 25) × 10 + 8 ÷ 4 (10)
Score: 24–17 (max 24, jos 24)

25 x 14 + 2 is the standard way to do things; 35 x 10 + 2 is a good alternative.

Teatime teaser: MILDSOAP -> DIPLOMAS

Round 4: R G E A E M N H E

Stu: MEAGRE (6)
Chris: MEAGRE (6)
DC: GERMANE (7)
Score: 30–23 (max 31, jos 31)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)

No max game today then as our contestants are only on six whilst Dictionary Corner can take it to a seven.

Round 5: D E R O L O U P O

Stu: POOLED (6)
Chris: POOLED (6)
DC: LOUDER (6) POURED (6) LOOPED (6) DRUPEL (6)
OT: POODLER (7)
Score: 36–29 (max 38, jos 37)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)

No max for Susie today, either, as they drop a point to the computer.

Round 6: 100, 2, 1, 6, 6, 5. Target: 373.

Stu: 374. (not written down) (100 + 1) × (6 − 2) − 6 × 5​ (7)
Chris: 376.
RR: 373. (6 − 2) × (100 − 5) − 6 − 1​ (10)
Score: 43–29 (max 48, jos 47)

Stu's NWD solution nets him 7 points and it gives Rachel something to do.

Shirley and Anne talk about Liverpool, before she talks about the make-up process for Strictly. Luckily, she has a stylist because she's not into fashion. Like I said, that doesn't really exclude the basic blue blouse from last week. Wholesomely, however, she runs everything by her mother first! She talks about how she stays in shape, which involves drinking lots of water and lots of exercise.

Round 7: M E S R I B T O E

Stu: TIRESOME (8)
Chris: STROBE (6)
OT: BIOMETERS (18)
Score: 51–29 (max 66, jos 55)
Darren-o-meter: 3/5 (60%)

Stu misses the nine, and DC don't even get asked. Chris is only on six, so as a contest it doesn't matter too much.

Round 8: E V R D E G A S O

Stu: VERGES (6) (stick with)
Chris: GRADES (6)
DC: OVERAGED (8) ADVERSE (7)
OT: OVERAGES (8)
Score: 57–35 (max 74, jos 63)
Darren-o-meter: 3/6 (50%)

I've said it before but I hate not knowing what the contestant didn't go for...

Round 9: 50, 9, 6, 4, 7, 10. Target: 423.

Stu: 423. (50 − (10 − 7)) × 9 (10)
Chris: 424.
Score: 67–35 (max 84, jos 73)

Not sure how Chris missed this. The gap is now 32 points.

Teatime teaser: BETHGIRL -> BLIGHTER

Round 10: R V U I L R A W P

Stu: VIRAL (5)
Chris: PRIAL (5)
DC: LARRUP (6)
OT: PULWAR (6) RUPIAL (6)
Score: 72–40 (max 90, jos 79)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)

Stu goes VIRAL whilst Chris's offering can match, but not better him.

Round 11: T A Q S D I A B L

Stu: TAILS (5)
Chris: STADIA (6) ("I think")
OT: DATILAS (7)
Score: 72–46 (max 97, jos 85)
Darren-o-meter: 4/8 (50%)

Chris takes some points out of the lead with an excellent alternate plural of STADIUM. With the gap of 26 points, the game is still on.

OOW Susie talks about the origin of the Oscar statuettes and why they're known as Oscars.

Round 12: P N U L R I M A T

Stu: URINAL (6)
Chris: PLANT (5)
DC: IMPLANT (7) PLATINUM (8)
Score: 78–46 (max 105, jos 93)
Darren-o-meter: 5/9 (56%)

Stu undoes the damage of the previous round, but Dictionary Corner offer two longer words which are very common and both contestants will kick themselves here, I feel.

Round 13: N E R I K U S T N

Stu: RUNNIEST (8)
Chris: STUNNER (7)
DC: STINKER (7)
Score: 86–46 (max 113, jos 101)
Darren-o-meter: 6/10 (60%)

That's more like it from Stu, a darren to finish of the letters and close the game out. Can he get the ton?

Round 14: 5, 7, 8, 5, 1, 9. Target: 568.

Stu: 568. ((5 + 5) × 7 + 1) × 8 (10)
Chris: -
Score: 96–46 (max 123, jos 111)

Not the easiest 6 small ever, but Stu does find one way.

Round 15: Y A W N G A I L Y

Stu buzzes on 3 seconds to say YAWLINGLY which is incorrect.
Chris does not buzz.
Rachel gives the answer, which was WAYLAYING.
Final Score: 96–46 (max 133, jos 121)

Damian is having a laugh with these conundrums Stu is on the receiving end of. WAYLAYING!? What's that when it's at home!?

Anyway, he'll be back on Monday, when I'll be in a new job. Join us then. Goodbye.


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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