Wednesday 1st December 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 112)

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Rhys Benjamin
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Wednesday 1st December 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 112)

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Annedown CXI on a day where a Wiki update has completely broken all the episode tables.

Countdown recap for Wednesday 1 December 2021.

On this day in 1761, Marie Tussaud was born. How exciting(.) Rachel says that the prospect of being melted into Ariana Grande is exciting. I'm taking that as she reads my recaps. Hiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

C1: Champion Stu Harkness (5 wins, 565 points.) Doing much better than he did in 2007.
C2: Challenger Shane Corry. From Taunton in Somerset. Self-employed plumber for 20 years; very unsociable hours.
DC: Susie Dent and Clare Balding.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: R A M I T A I O D
R02: C S R O E U M P R
R03: 100, 9, 6, 7, 1, 1. Target: 361.
TTT: CHEAPTIE - "If you've got this around your neck, you'd better see a doctor."
R04: V G B E E R F U I
R05: P A N A T E B H R
R06: 100, 50, 75, 4, 10, 6. Target: 622.
R07: K O R A O G T E I
R08: S O L E R C W E A
R09: 50, 4, 10, 7, 5, 9. Target: 402.
TTT: LICKCOAT - "It's not my Indian or my Chinese, it's Mai Tai."
R10: S N D I A E S M S
R11: N O C E P I U G A
R12: T S D I A E N H G
R13: W I T E D U I A L
R14: 25, 100, 75, 10, 9, 8. Target: 887.
R15: B R I N G B A I T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R A M I T A I O D

Stu: MATADOR (7)
Shane: RATIO (5)
DC: DIORAMA (7)
OT: MATROID (7) MORDITA (7) OTARIID (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

The Scot goes Spanish and Paso Doble-s his way into an early lead. Where's Shirley Ballas when you need her?

Round 2: C S R O E U M P R

Stu: COURSE (6)
Shane: SCORER (6)
DC: PROCURES (8) PROSUMER (8)
OT: PROCERUS (8) SCRUMPER (8)
Score: 13–6 (max 15, jos 15)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)

Sixes for both contestants, with Dictionary Corner in the eights.

Round 3: 100, 9, 6, 7, 1, 1. Target: 361.

Stu: 363. 6 ÷ (1 + 1) × 100 + 9 × 7​ (7)
Shane: 368. (not written down)
OT: 361. (100 ÷ (1 + 1) + 9) × 6 + 7​ (10)
Score: 20–6 (max 25, jos 22)

Nul points for Rachel here - just the seven for Stu giving him a 14-point lead.

Teatime teaser: CHEAPTIE -> PETECHIA

Round 4: V G B E E R F U I

Stu: REFUGE (6)
Shane: GRIEVE (6) (not written down)
DC: FIREBUG (7)
Score: 26–12 (max 32, jos 29)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)

A FIREBUG is a term for an arsonist.

Round 5: P A N A T E B H R

Stu: PANTHER (7)
Shane: PANTHER (7)
DC: ANTBEAR (7)
OT: PANTARBE (8)
Score: 33–19 (max 40, jos 36)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)

More points dropped by the studio to the computer, as the PANTHERs of Stu and Shane take 7 points each. An ANTBEAR is another name for an aardvark, apparently.

Round 6: 100, 50, 75, 4, 10, 6. Target: 622.

Stu: 621. 100 × 6 + 75 − 50 − 4 (7)
Shane: 625. (not written down)
RR: 622. (after anecdote) (75 × 4 + 6) × 100 ÷ 50 + 10​ (10)
Score: 40–19 (max 50, jos 46)

Not Rachel's best day on the numbers board, having to use Clare's anecdote to solve this one.

Clare talks about Rugby, who is the president of the Rugby Football League... and Anne thinks she's never covered it - whoops! We then turn into Loose Women mode again, with Clare talking about women in sports presenting - a topic we somehow get through without mentioning Alex Scott - and lists her biggest challenge in covering sport as the Olympics.

Round 7: K O R A O G T E I

Stu: ROOIKAT (7)
Shane: goatie
DC: GOATIER (7)
OT: ROOTAGE (7)
Score: 47–19 (max 57, jos 53)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)

Shane misspells GOATEE - and kicks himself when Clare tells him GOATIER is valid - whereas Stu brings out the Apterous words and takes Susie by surprise.

Anne asks Shane about plumbing and how he met his wife - a Taunton nightclub, apparently.

Round 8: S O L E R C W E A

Stu: ORACLES (7)
Shane: COARSE (6)
DC: ESCAROLE (8)
Score: 54–19 (max 65, jos 61)
Darren-o-meter: 3/6 (50%)

Seven more for Stu takes the lead out to 35 points and that spot in the finals is looking very good...

Round 9: 50, 4, 10, 7, 5, 9. Target: 402.

Stu: 402. (50 × 4 + 10 − 9) × (7 − 5)​ (10)
Shane: 402. (9 − 7) × 4 × 50 + 10 ÷ 5 (10)
Score: 64–29 (max 75, jos 71)

Not quite Ariana, but it's definitely in the "pick a method, any method" category.

Teatime teaser: LICKCOAT -> COCKTAIL

Clare has to point out that Mai Tai is a cocktail - presumably it said "my Thai" or "my tie" on Anne's card...

Round 10: S N D I A E S M S

Stu: saminess (try)
Shane: SADNESS (7)
DC: SIDESMAN (8) MISSENDS (8)
OT: SAMISENS (8)
Score: 64–36 (max 83, jos 79)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)

Stu's turn to misspell a word now, as the word he's actually looking for is SAMEYNESS, which gets Shane back in the game.

Round 11: N O C E P I U G A

Stu: PAEONIC (7)
Shane: COPING (6)
DC: COINAGE (7)
OT: APNOEIC (7) PEACING (7) PONCEAU (7)
Score: 71–36 (max 90, jos 86)
Darren-o-meter: 3/8 (38%)

Stu quashes any notion of a comeback by extending the lead by seven points. Once again, eschewing the most obvious word...

OOW Susie talks about the origins of horse and some of its various idioms. # My lovely horse, running through the wind... #

Round 12: T S D I A E N H G

Stu: HANDIEST (8)
Shane: HEADINGS (8)
DC: SEDATING (8)
OT: DINGHEST (8) SHEADING (8) STEADING (8)
Score: 79–44 (max 98, jos 94)
Darren-o-meter: 3/9 (33%)

Eights all round here, and Stu's not quite over the line yet thanks to a 35-point lead "only".

Round 13: W I T E D U I A L

Stu: TAUIWI (6) (cheekily)
Shane: DILUTE (6)
DC: DETAIL (6) TAILED (6)
OT: AUDILE (6) DILATE (6) WAILED (6) WAITED (6) WAULED (6) WILTED (6)
Score: 85–50 (max 104, jos 100)
Darren-o-meter: 3/10 (30%)

Stu has some fun with the obscurest word there to win the game on a flaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat round. That's great, kid. Don't get cocky.

Round 14: 25, 100, 75, 10, 9, 8. Target: 887.

Stu: 887. 9 × 100 − (75 ÷ 25​ + 10) (10)
Shane: 887. 9 × 100 − (75 ÷ 25​ + 10) (10)
Score: 95–60 (max 114, jos 110)

thank u, next

Round 15: B R I N G B A I T

Stu buzzes on 5.5 seconds to say RABBITING which is correct.
Final Score: 105–60 (max 124, jos 120)

Not the hardest conundrum ever, what with ING already spelt out, but it gets Stu another century and a spot in the finals! What seeding can he now get? #1 may be out of reach, that needs 257 points over 2 games, but he'll certainly hope to get himself above Florence's total of 860. In any case, a winning score of 58 would take him above Jasamrit Rahala tomorrow.

What can Stu do now in what is, essentially, two dead-rubber games? Find out tomorrow.


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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