Tuesday 14th December 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 121)

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Christy Cooper
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Tuesday 14th December 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 121)

Post by Christy Cooper »

Countdown recap for Tuesday 14 December 2021.

On this day in 2016, the first drone delivery was made in the UK. Susie Dent's been delivering lectures where she drones for far longer than that... Origins of Words is a 'drone delivery'- probably what kills off most of the target audience (OK, maybe that was a bit too dark).

C1: Champion Kim Coltman (1 win, 81 points.)
C2: Challenger Marshall Thomas, a PR man for disability tennis, born in Shrewsbury but now lives in the Wirral. Marshall was born with spina difida and has used a wheelchair for 20 years- he regularly participates in wheelchair half marathons, so respect to him! Anne has a chat with Marshall about the Paralympics becoming so popular over time as it started with only two sports and now has 18. Sorry to get somewhat political here, but the Paralympics are a prime example of why not to privatise Channel 4- what it's done to raise their profile has been admirable.
DC: Adrian Chiles and Adrian Chiles. Susie's not bothered to turn up (as Jimmy Carr would suggest, she's probably been dogging) so Adrian Chiles is on double duty here, who says he never knows what face to pull when Anne introduces him (don't pull Anne's face, she'll melt!)- is the face-pulling round about to become a bonus round on Countdown? Perhaps
AMI: Anne-Marie Imafidon.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: P E D T A N L E I
R02: A U Y S R I O N R
R03: 1, 8, 9, 1, 50, 100. Target: 277.
TTT: NOTCARRY - "It's quite the opposite, said Mary."
R04: M S V O E O G I D
R05: P O E N S R O L I
R06: 3, 4, 10, 5, 10, 75. Target: 734.
R07: N F E G I A B S A
R08: C T L I U O A P D
R09: 8, 9, 6, 5, 100, 25. Target: 963.
TTT: SOFACLOP - "Is the idiot's headgear made from paper?"
R10: G R T E A U M D F
R11: N R I A H T S E R
R12: B M T E U O P T A
R13: W H E S U I K R E
R14: 4, 10, 7, 7, 3, 75. Target: 441.
R15: T R A D E D E M O (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: P E D T A N L E I

Kim: PANTILE (7)
Marshall: PLANTED (7)
DC: DATELINE (8)
OT: DEPILATE (8) ENTAILED (8) EPILATED (8) PANTILED (8) PETALINE (8) PILEATED (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

A number of 7s PLANTED about here as both contestants are on equal footing. Adrian feels bad that he didn't know what the word DATELINE meant (come on Adrian, even if you didn't know the real meaning, I know what you thought it meant- Babestation obviously)

Round 2: A U Y S R I O N R

Kim: ROARS (5)
Marshall: IRONY (5)
DC: ROSARY (6)
Score: 12–12 (max 14)

Both players are saying the ROSARY and praying to God for a win.

Round 3: 1, 8, 9, 1, 50, 100. Target: 277.

Kim: 267.
Marshall: 272. (1 + 1) × 100 + 9 × 8 (7)
AMI: 277. (50 − 8) × 9 − (100 + 1) (10)
Score: 12–19 (max 24)

Marshall takes the lead after a tough numbers game.

Teatime teaser: NOTCARRY -> CONTRARY

Round 4: M S V O E O G I D

Kim: GOODIES (7)
Marshall: MIDGES (6)
DC: SMOODGE (7)
OT: GOOMIES (7) MOODGES (7) SMOOGED (7)
Score: 19–19 (max 31)

Kim gets the GOODIES of receiving some points. SMOODGE is apparently a synonym for SMOOCH... ooh maybe the SMOOCHING round could be a bonus round of Countdown?

Round 5: P O E N S R O L I

Kim: snoopier
Marshall: SPOOLER (7)
DC: POISONER (8)
OT: PLERIONS (8) POLONIES (8) SPOONIER (8)
Score: 19–26 (max 39)

Adrian wrongly allows the word SPOOLER, meaning Marshall gets the points for this round. SNOOPIER not in for some reason... strange. Good job Adrian only presented the football coverage and was never a referee.

Round 6: 3, 4, 10, 5, 10, 75. Target: 734.

Kim: 734. 75 × 10 − 10 − (4 − 3 + 5) (10)
Marshall: 734. 75 × 10 − (10 + 5 + 4 − 3) (10)
Score: 29–36 (max 49)

DC= Adrian discusses his passion for the Paralympics and how a mutual rower friend of him and Marshall got him interested. Anne recalls sportspeople often doing very well in Weakest Link due to their competitive nature (she also says they always win on Strictly- but Darren Gough, Mark Ramprakash, Louis Smith are the only ones... I suppose Chris Hollins and Ore Oduba could count but they were just sports presenters...); Adrian then mentions how when he's interviewed sports stars, they remember their losses more than their wins. He then mentions how he enjoys failure (like failing his driving test) as it gives him more determination- he must love his career then.

Adrian seems a nice man but he's very dull.

Round 7: N F E G I A B S A

Kim: BASING (6)
Marshall: FEIGNS (6)
DC: ABASING (7)
OT: FAGINES (7)
Score: 35–42 (max 56)

FAGINES is how Irish pensioners refer to homosexuals; oh fine, it's a a volatile narcotic principle present in the husks of beechnuts. I only understand the word 'the' from that definition....

Kim is a qualified florist and says we should always use odd numbers of flowers. That's *exceptionally* specific- she mentions she always notices flowers being off-balance in other people's houses. Ooh, that's a TV idea there! We've had the bake off, the sewing bee, the pottery throwdown; the florist challenge is next!

EDIT- Apparently, it already exists with Vic Reeves. Strange choice.

Round 8: C T L I U O A P D

Kim: CLOUD (5)
Marshall: PLAUDIT (7)
DC: TOPICAL, (7) OPTICAL (7)
OT: CAPITOUL (8) UTOPICAL (8)
Score: 35–49 (max 64)

Kim's CLOUD has no silver lining right now but she may take the lead again.

Round 9: 8, 9, 6, 5, 100, 25. Target: 963.

Kim: 962. (100 + 6) × 9 + 8 (7)
Marshall: 963. Mistake in working.
AMI: 963. (100 + 8 − (6 − 5)) × 9 (10)
Score: 42–49 (max 74)

Good news for Kim as Marshall is timed out on the numbers. You only get 30 seconds, Marshy Boy!

Teatime teaser: SOFACLOP -> FOOLSCAP

Round 10: G R T E A U M D F

Kim: MATURED (7)
Marshall: maunter
DC: GRAFTED (7)
OT: MAUGRED (7)
Score: 49–49 (max 81)

Kim has almost MATURED into lead players; both contestants are now equal after Marshall spots a phantom N...

Round 11: N R I A H T S E R

Kim: RASHER (6)
Marshall: RETAINS (7)
DC: HAIRNETS (8) TERRAINS (8) TRAINERS (8)
OT: INEARTHS (8) RESTRAIN (8) RETRAINS (8) STRAINER (8) THERIANS (8) TRANSIRE (8) TRASHIER (8)
Score: 49–56 (max 89)

Marshall RETAINS his lead, as we go into The Slot Formerly Known as Origins of Words.

Adrian remembers the joy he felt after having his first headline published in the paper; Anne remembers hers was Brian Epstein's death. Adrian then talks about how Anne is much more interesting than him, and yeah I can't argue with that.

Round 12: B M T E U O P T A

Kim: ABOUT (5)
Marshall: toupee
DC: TAPETUM (7)
OT: OUTBEAM (7)
Score: 54–56 (max 96)

Kim is ABOUT to catch up as Marshall spots yet *another* phantom letter (E this time); Anne and Adrian discuss dogs for some bizarre reason.

Round 13: W H E S U I K R E

Kim: WHISKER (7)
Marshall: WHISKER (7)
DC: HUSKIER (7)
Score: 61–63 (max 103)

Adrian gives an alternative definition for HUSKY as big and strong. Adrian says he reckons he's physically big and strong (I don't... nobody would be intimidated by Adrian Chiles surely?) but mentally very weak, and that is being demonstrated here.

Round 14: 4, 10, 7, 7, 3, 75. Target: 441.

Kim: 442. Mistake in working.
Marshall: -
AMI: 441. (75 − 4 × 3) × 7 (10)
Score: 61–63 (max 113)

We won't be catching either of these two on University Challenge any time soon... Anne-Marie comes to the rescue.



Round 15: T R A D E D E M O

Kim buzzes on 9 seconds to say MODERATED which is correct.
Final Score: 71–63 (max 123)

Kim says she didn't think she was good at conundrums previously; and Adrian suggests that Anne needs to stop having a blank expression when he's explaining the derivation of words. Two things, 1) that's just Anne's face- it doesn't have that many expressions it can still do; and 2) imagine Adrian's origins of words. Makes you appreciate Susie's Origins of Words a lot more.


As always, the sarky approach may be divisive- some jokes here didn't land- I'm getting back into the swing of recapping.


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84
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