Tuesday 30th November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 111)

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Rhys Benjamin
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Tuesday 30th November 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 111)

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Annedown CX and my internet is being apocalyptically slow.

Countdown recap for Tuesday 30 November 2021.

On this day in 1872, the first ever International Football match took place: Scotland 0 - 0 England. Perhaps I should re-open my campaign to unite the country's sports teams.

C1: Champion Stu Harkness (4 wins, 455 points.) Hair NOT in a ponytail for once! It's St Andrews' Day, so he plugs it. Go on, Braveheart, freedom!
C2: Challenger Kate Sewell. "Not actually from Kidderminster." Now from Wolverhampton. Speaks Russian. Well, used to. Appears to have forgotten. Can now say "I'm really sorry, I'm late". Perhaps Rachel can give her a refresher?
DC: Susie Dent and Clare Balding.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: P E D O L O G F C
R02: S P M A E D A W R
R03: 25, 5, 5, 2, 7, 9. Target: 252.
TTT: DIREFOUL - "He was in a dire, foul mood; must be something in the water."
R04: N S G I A H T N I
R05: R U J T O D E I O
R06: 100, 8, 7, 4, 2, 1. Target: 552.
R07: H A R A P U E S I
R08: N L C E I T O N A
R09: 50, 8, 10, 4, 1, 5. Target: 818.
TTT: HANGTINY - "Oliver said several times he'd do this for you."
R10: D K F I A E S M I
R11: C U R E D A T E O
R12: M L D A I E S P O
R13: R U N I B U S W I
R14: 25, 3, 1, 8, 1, 8. Target: 458.
R15: H A R R Y C H I E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: P E D O L O G F C

Stu: FOOLED (6)
Kate: glooped (risk)
DC: POODLE (6) GOLFED (6)
OT: COOLED (6) COOPED (6) FODGEL (6) GOOFED (6) LOCOED (6) LOGOED (6) LOOPED (6) OPCODE (6) PLODGE (6) POGOED (6) POOLED (6)
Score: 6–0 (max 6, jos 6)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

You can't GLOOP as a verb, so Stu takes an early lead in a very flat round.

Round 2: S P M A E D A W R

Stu: SWAMPED (7)
Kate: WARPED (6)
DC: PARADES (7) SEAWARD (7)
OT: DAMPERS (7) SADWARE (7) SWAMPER (7) SWARMED (7)
Score: 13–0 (max 13, jos 13)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)

Another flat round, another nul-pointer for Kate.

Round 3: 25, 5, 5, 2, 7, 9. Target: 252.

Stu: 252. (5 + 5) × 25 + 2 (10)
Kate: 252. (5 + 5) × 25 + 2 (10)
Score: 23–10 (max 23, jos 23)

thank u, next

Teatime teaser: DIREFOUL -> FLUORIDE

Round 4: N S G I A H T N I

Stu: STAINING (8)
Kate: HATING (6)
DC: SAINTING (8)
OT: NITHINGS (8) SATINING (8)
Score: 31–10 (max 31, jos 31)
Darren-o-meter: 0/3 (0%)

Another lead extension here for Stu as Kate is only on six.

Round 5: R U J T O D E I O

Stu: ETOURDI (7)
Kate: TOURED (6)
DC: OUTRIDE (7)
OT: OUTDOER (7) OUTRODE (7)
Score: 38–10 (max 38, jos 38)
Darren-o-meter: 0/4 (0%)

Out comes the obscure Apterous words - although some more common ones were available here - and that is too good for Kate once again.

Round 6: 100, 8, 7, 4, 2, 1. Target: 552.

Stu: 552. (100 − 8) × (4 + 2) (10)
Kate: 554.
Score: 48–10 (max 48, jos 48)

Easy for Stu, this, but Kate is struggling here to stay afloat.

Clare talks animals with Anne and (groan) plugs a book she's written about it.

Round 7: H A R A P U E S I

Stu: PARIAHS (7)
Kate: PUSHIER (7)
DC: EUPHRASIA (18)
Score: 55–17 (max 66, jos 66)
Darren-o-meter: 1/5 (20%)

No max for Stu, then, as he misses a nine that Dictionary Corner spot. Kate also scores on a letters round for the first time.

Round 8: N L C E I T O N A

Stu: TOENAIL (7)
Kate: CLEAN (5)
DC: ENACTION (8) OCTENNIAL (18)
Score: 62–17 (max 84, jos 84)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)

Stu extends his lead again as Kate is only on five, but once again it's Dictionary Corner with a nine.

Round 9: 50, 8, 10, 4, 1, 5. Target: 818.

Stu: 819. (not written down) (8 × 4 + 50) × 10 − 1 (7)
Kate: -
RR: 818. (5 − 1) × 4 × 50 + 10 + 8 (10)
Score: 69–17 (max 94, jos 94)

This is a very one-sided game, and as if he needed it, Stu takes out another seven points on Kate. Rachel shows this is easier than it looks.

Teatime teaser: HANGTINY -> ANYTHING

Round 10: D K F I A E S M I

Stu: medias (try)
Kate: MASKED (6)
DC: FAKIES (6)
OT: FIDEISM (7)
Score: 69–23 (max 101, jos 100)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)

Three darrens in a row, and Kate finally beats Stu on a round, as Stu goes for the very plausible MEDIAS^, which has been in and out over the years and I'm convinced that it should be in (as in "on the social medias") but Kate scores for only the third time and gets the gap down to 46 points.

Round 11: C U R E D A T E O

Stu: EDUCATOR (8)
Kate: COURTED (7)
DC: DECORATE (8) OUTRACED (8)
OT: RECOATED (8)
Score: 77–23 (max 109, jos 108)
Darren-o-meter: 3/8 (38%)

Stu extends his lead once more, but hasn't quite won the game yet, with a lead of 54 points.

OOW Susie explores the link between a shopping centre, a tree-boarded walk in London, and a game of croquet. The connection? Pall Mall.

Round 12: M L D A I E S P O

Stu: IMPLODES (8)
Kate: SPOILED (7)
DC: DIPLOMAS (8)
OT: IDEOPLASM (18)
Score: 85–23 (max 127, jos 116)
Darren-o-meter: 4/9 (44%)

And that'll do it for Stu's fifth win.

Round 13: R U N I B U S W I

Stu: BURNS (5)
Kate: RUINS (5)
DC: BRUINS (6)
OT: BURINS (6)
Score: 90–28 (max 133, jos 122)
Darren-o-meter: 4/10 (40%)

Fives for both contestants and Kate may yet sneak over the 30 mark and avoid the wiki category of "15 round scores under 30".

Round 14: 25, 3, 1, 8, 1, 8. Target: 458.

Stu: 458. 25 × 3 × (8 − 1 − 1) + 8 (10)
Kate: 453. (not written down)
Score: 100–28 (max 143, jos 132)

Lovely from Stu to take another 10 points and score another century.

Round 15: H A R R Y C H I E

Stu buzzes on 6.5 seconds to say HIERARCHY which is correct.
Final Score: 110–28 (max 153, jos 142)

110 plays 28. Rachel says Kate played better than that score... er, right. It's five wins for Stu and he looks unstoppable. One more win will qualify him for the finals now (or, indeed, a losing score of, er, 10 points).

Will he gain qualification? Find out on Wednesday's show!


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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