Friday 25th March 2022 (Series 85, Preliminary 60)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Friday 25 March 2022.

C1: Champion Jenny Woodiwiss (1 win, 92 points.) An 80-year-old woman who has watched Countdown pretty much since the show began.
C2: Challenger Laura Gurden. An account manager for a telecoms firm from Colchester, Essex.
DC: Susie Dent and Kate Humble.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: H T Y N E O I L R
R02: P S N O O A S T E
R03: 75, 5, 3, 7, 6, 1. Target: 181.
TTT: WINGSPAN - "Those frogs eggs keep reappearing."
R04: L R C A I F W E I
R05: R G S A U E D K R
R06: 25, 3, 4, 3, 6, 6. Target: 805.
R07: P F S U O O N G A
R08: T S L I E I D B A
R09: 100, 50, 7, 7, 8, 2. Target: 874.
TTT: SADANTIC - "I have a gut feeling I might need some of these."
R10: C S P E I A T S E
R11: D M C U E I N T A
R12: L M N O I E V D T
R13: M P A E U R S H N
R14: 75, 10, 4, 3, 6, 10. Target: 486.
R15: O L D B O O T H S (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: H T Y N E O I L R

Jenny: THRONE (6)
Laura: TOILER (6)
DC: THORN (5) THORNILY (8) HOTLINE (7)
OT: ORIENTLY (8) RHYOLITE (8) THRONELY (8)
Score: 6–6 (max 8)

Round 2: P S N O O A S T E

Jenny: STOOPS (6)
Laura: SOONEST (7)
DC: SPOONS (6) TEASPOONS (18) SOAPSTONE (18)
Score: 6–13 (max 26)

Round 3: 75, 5, 3, 7, 6, 1. Target: 181.

Jenny: -
Laura: 180. ((3 - 1) x 75) + (6 x 5) (7)
RR: 181. ((75 + 1) x 3) - ((7 x 6) + 5) (10)
Score: 6–20 (max 36)

Teatime teaser: WINGSPAN -> SPAWNING

Round 4: L R C A I F W E I

Jenny: FRAIL (5)
Laura: WAILER (6)
DC: ECLAIR (6) FIACRE (6)
OT: FACILE (6) FERIAL (6) LACIER (6) WILIER (6)
Score: 6–26 (max 42)

Round 5: R G S A U E D K R

Jenny: DARKER (6)
Laura: SUGARED (7)
DC: DRAKES (6)
OT: DUERGARS (8)
Score: 6–33 (max 50)

Round 6: 25, 3, 4, 3, 6, 6. Target: 805.

Jenny: -
Laura: -
RR: 804. (7)
OT: 806. (((6 x 6) - 4) x 25) + 3 + 3 (7)
Score: 6–33 (max 57)

Kate talks about her book, A Year of Living Simply, which came out just as the pandemic began.

Round 7: P F S U O O N G A

Jenny: SPOON (5)
Laura: PANGS (5)
DC: GOONS (5) PONGOS (6) FANGO (5)
OT: FOGOUS (6) FUNGOS (6) GOOFUS (6) GUANOS (6) OPGAFS (6) PONGAS (6) PUNGAS (6) PUNGOS (6) SONOFA (6)
Score: 11–38 (max 63)

Round 8: T S L I E I D B A

Jenny: baisted
Laura: DAILIES (7)
DC: BASTED (6) IDEALIST (8)
OT: ALBITISED (18) SIBILATED (18)
Score: 11–45 (max 81)

Round 9: 100, 50, 7, 7, 8, 2. Target: 874.

Jenny: 876. Mistake in working.
Laura: -
RR: 874. (((7 / 7) + 2 + 100) x 8) + 50 (10)
Score: 11–45 (max 91)

Teatime teaser: SADANTIC -> ANTACIDS

Round 10: C S P E I A T S E

Jenny: ESCAPES (7)
Laura: cessate
DC: spiciest SPECIATES (18)
Score: 18–45 (max 109)

Round 11: D M C U E I N T A

Jenny: MINUTE (6)
Laura: uncited
DC: MINTED (6) MINUTED (7) UNTAMED (7)
OT: DICTAMEN (8) NEUMATIC (8)
Score: 24–45 (max 117)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "rocket".

Round 12: L M N O I E V D T

Jenny: TOILED (6)
Laura: VOMITED (7)
DC: VIOLENT (7) LENTOID (7)
OT: MOLINET (7) MOTIVED (7)
Score: 24–52 (max 124)

Round 13: M P A E U R S H N

Jenny: SHARPEN (7)
Laura: SHARPEN (7)
DC: SUPERMAN (8)
OT: PREHUMANS (18)
Score: 31–59 (max 142)

Round 14: 75, 10, 4, 3, 6, 10. Target: 486.

Jenny: 486. (10 - 4 + 75) x 6 (10)
Laura: 484.
Score: 41–59 (max 152)

Round 15: O L D B O O T H S

No one buzzes. The answer was BLOODSHOT.
Final Score: 41–59 (max 162)

Statistics Corner

Jenny:
Total score - 41
Raw score - 64
Total % of max - 25
Raw % of max - 40
Total average score per round - 2.7
Raw average score per round - 4.3
Number of maxes - 1

Laura:
Total score - 59
Raw score - 66
Total % of max - 36
Raw % of max - 41
Total average score per round - 3.9
Raw average score per round - 4.4
Number of maxes - 2

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