Thursday 6th January 2022 (Series 85, Preliminary 4)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Thursday 6 January 2022.

C1: Champion Adrian Fletcher (2 wins, 208 points.) A worker in IT who lives in Kensington, but is originally from Warrington.
C2: Challenger Jonathan Sandhu. A supermarket customer assistant from Loughborough.
DC: Susie Dent and Michael Grade.
AMI: Anne-Marie Imafidon.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: P O N W U N A G E
R02: V O A T D L I E S
R03: 50, 3, 9, 8, 4, 7. Target: 570.
TTT: LIPHELEN - "If you get through to this, they'll try and get through to you."
R04: R M G U E A R N E
R05: D T O M D A E O L
R06: 25, 50, 9, 8, 3, 9. Target: 802.
R07: P M G E I E S F Y
R08: S O P S E I E X D
R09: 75, 1, 10, 7, 5, 9. Target: 728.
TTT: DANBELTS - "Dan belts out the weakest of songs."
R10: C P W I E O U J R
R11: M C O A T V O R S
R12: T Q U A I R H D E
R13: G S A O B T A N U
R14: 75, 7, 10, 9, 4, 5. Target: 217.
R15: H A L T C R A W L (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: P O N W U N A G E

Adrian: PAGE (4)
Jonathan: OWNAGE (6)
DC: WEAPON (6)
OT: GOWPEN (6) GUENON (6) NONAGE (6) PANGEN (6) PANUNG (6) PWNAGE (6) UNOPEN (6) UNPAWN (6)
Score: 0–6 (max 6)

Round 2: V O A T D L I E S

Adrian: VIOLATED (8)
Jonathan: LISTED (6)
DC: DOVETAILS (18)
Score: 8–6 (max 24)

Round 3: 50, 3, 9, 8, 4, 7. Target: 570.

Adrian: 570. ((8 + 3) x 50) + 7 + 4 + 9 (10)
Jonathan: 575.
Score: 18–6 (max 34)

Teatime teaser: LIPHELEN -> HELPLINE

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

Adrian: MANGER (6)
Jonathan: GARNER (6)
DC: EARNER (6) GERMANE (7)
OT: MUNGAREE (8) REMANURE (8) RENGUERA (8)
Score: 24–12 (max 42)

Round 5: D T O M D A E O L

Adrian: DOOMED (6)
Jonathan: DOOMED (6)
DC: TODDLE (6) LADDOO (6)
OT: MOODLED (7)
Score: 30–18 (max 49)

Round 6: 25, 50, 9, 8, 3, 9. Target: 802.

Adrian: 803. Mistake in working.
Jonathan: 813.
AMI: 802. ((25 - 9) x 50) + 8 + 3 - 9 (10)
Score: 30–18 (max 59)

Michael talks about how he got elevated to the House of Lords by David Cameron.

Round 7: P M G E I E S F Y

Adrian: PYGMIES (7)
Jonathan: MEEPS (5)
Score: 37–18 (max 66)

Round 8: S O P S E I E X D

Adrian: EPISODES (8)
Jonathan: EXPOSED (7)
DC: EPOXIDES (8)
Score: 45–18 (max 74)

Round 9: 75, 1, 10, 7, 5, 9. Target: 728.

Adrian: 728. ((75 - 1) x 10) - 7 - 5 (10)
Jonathan: 728. (75 x 10) - (1 + 9 + 7 + 5) (10)
Score: 55–28 (max 84)

Teatime teaser: DANBELTS -> BLANDEST

Round 10: C P W I E O U J R

Adrian: JUICER (6)
Jonathan: JUICER (6)
DC: COPIER (6) COWRIE (6)
OT: POURIE (6) RECOUP (6)
Score: 61–34 (max 90)

Round 11: M C O A T V O R S

Adrian: CAVORTS (7)
Jonathan: VROOMS (6)
OT: MARCOTS (7) MOORVAS (7) MOSCATO (7) OCTAVOS (7) OVATORS (7) SCOTOMA (7)
Score: 68–34 (max 97)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of the phrase "Gordon Bennett".

Round 12: T Q U A I R H D E

Adrian: HAIRED (6)
Jonathan: HAIRED (6)
DC: QUIRTED (7)
OT: ADITHER (7) QUERIDA (7)
Score: 74–40 (max 104)

Round 13: G S A O B T A N U

Adrian: TANGOS (6)
Jonathan: BATONS (6)
DC: GUNBOATS (8) OUTSANG (7)
Score: 80–46 (max 112)

Round 14: 75, 7, 10, 9, 4, 5. Target: 217.

Adrian: 217. (75 x 4) - (9 x 10) + 7 (10)
Jonathan: 218.
Score: 90–46 (max 122)

Round 15: H A L T C R A W L

No one buzzes. The answer was WALLCHART.
Final Score: 90–46 (max 132)

Statistics Corner

Adrian:
Total score - 90
Raw score - 94
Total % of max - 68
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 6.0
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 7

Jonathan:
Total score - 46
Raw score - 84
Total % of max - 35
Raw % of max - 64
Total average score per round - 3.1
Raw average score per round - 5.6
Number of maxes - 3

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=85