Thursday 5th May 2022 (Series 85, Preliminary 89)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Thursday 5 May 2022.

C1: Champion Ronan Mackrory (6 wins, 530 points.) A primary school teacher from Slough, Berkshire.
C2: Challenger James Symonds. A claims worker for an insurance company from Chandler's Ford, Hampshire.
DC: Susie Dent and Jo Brand.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: G T F R E A E O L
R02: N T R S I E O H M
R03: 2, 5, 8, 3, 7, 10. Target: 436.
TTT: DORALIRA - "For somebody to take the train, perhaps?"
R04: E I E D B T P N U
R05: S M R A A O L P E
R06: 25, 7, 9, 7, 10, 9. Target: 685.
R07: N W S O E R I D C
R08: O O A I M T N D A
R09: 75, 100, 1, 2, 6, 4. Target: 402.
TTT: PAIRCLUE - "The odd couple are a pair who might give you a clue."
R10: O A E L R T K C T
R11: N D R I E I S Z T
R12: E A I P G W S U N
R13: R L G I A M S I A
R14: 75, 100, 50, 8, 2, 5. Target: 654.
R15: M I N N I F R O G (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: G T F R E A E O L

Ronan: GLOATER (7)
James: GLOATER (7)
DC: LEGATOR (7)
OT: AEROGEL (7) FLOATER (7) FLOREAT (7) FORELEG (7) FREGOLA (7) FROGLET (7) REFLATE (7) REFLOAT (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

Round 2: N T R S I E O H M

Ronan: HORNIEST (8)
James: SMOTHER (7)
DC: mintshoe THEORISM (8)
OT: HORSEMINT (18) THERMIONS (18)
Score: 15–7 (max 25)

Round 3: 2, 5, 8, 3, 7, 10. Target: 436.

Ronan: 435. Mistake in working.
James: 437. (((8 x 5) + 3) x 10) + 7 (7)
RR: 436. ((3 x 7 x 10) + 8) x 2 (10)
Score: 15–14 (max 35)

Teatime teaser: DORALIRA -> RAILROAD

Round 4: E I E D B T P N U

Ronan: PUNTED (6)
James: PUNTED (6)
DC: buntip UNITED (6) BUNTED (6)
OT: PENITUDE (8)
Score: 21–20 (max 43)

Round 5: S M R A A O L P E

Ronan: PAROLES (7)
James: PAROLES (7)
DC: PARASOL (7)
OT: LEPROMAS (8) PLAMASER (8) PLEROMAS (8) POLEARMS (8)
Score: 28–27 (max 51)

Round 6: 25, 7, 9, 7, 10, 9. Target: 685.

Ronan: 686. ((9 + 9 + 10) x 25) - 7 - 7 (7)
James: 686. ((9 + 9 + 10) x 25) - 7 - 7 (7)
RR: 685. (((7 x 7) + 25) x 9) + 10 + 9 (10)
Score: 35–34 (max 61)

Jo talks about jokes involving her husband.

Round 7: N W S O E R I D C

Ronan: DOWNERS (7)
James: SCORNED (7)
DC: swinecord CONSIDER (8)
OT: DOWNCRIES (18)
Score: 42–41 (max 79)

Round 8: O O A I M T N D A

Ronan: MOTION (6)
James: MOTION (6)
DC: doomnit ODONATA (7)
OT: AMATION (7) AMOTION (7) ANIMATO (7) MONODIA (7)
Score: 48–47 (max 86)

Round 9: 75, 100, 1, 2, 6, 4. Target: 402.

Ronan: 402. "(100 x 4) + 2" (10)
James: 402. "(100 x 4) + 2" (10)
Score: 58–57 (max 96)

The players actually never showed their workings, instead Anne just asked them to show each other, but I think we can assume that they both said the same...

Teatime teaser: PAIRCLUE -> PECULIAR

Round 10: O A E L R T K C T

Ronan: TACKLER (7)
James: CLATTER (7)
DC: tracker EARLOCK (7 - Jo had said it as a joke word, but it's actually in!)
OT: CROTALE (7) CROTTLE (7) LOCATER (7) RACKETT (7) ROCKLET (7) ROTTACK (7)
Score: 65–64 (max 103)

Round 11: N D R I E I S Z T

Ronan: INSIDER (7)
James: TINDERS (7)
DC: DISINTER (8)
OT: NITRIDES (8)
Score: 72–71 (max 111)

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

Round 12: E A I P G W S U N

Ronan: PAUSING (7)
James: unpages
DC: GUINEAS (7)
OT: PEWINGS (7) PINGAUS (7) PUNGIES (7) SPAEING (7) SPEWING (7) UPSWING (7)
Score: 79–71 (max 118)

Round 13: R L G I A M S I A

Ronan: SIMILAR (7)
James: ALARMS (6)
DC: railmags AIRMAILS (8)
OT: MARSILIA (8)
Score: 86–71 (max 126)

Round 14: 75, 100, 50, 8, 2, 5. Target: 654.

Ronan: 655. (75 x 8) + 50 + 5 (7)
James: 655. (75 x 8) + 50 + 5 (7)
RR: 654. ((100 - 2) x 8) - (75 + 50 + 5) (10)
Score: 93–78 (max 136)

Round 15: M I N N I F R O G

C1 buzzes on 2.5 seconds to say INFORMING which is correct.
Final Score: 103–78 (max 146)

Statistics Corner

Ronan:
Total score - 103
Raw score - 103
Total % of max - 71
Raw % of max - 71
Total average score per round - 6.9
Raw average score per round - 6.9
Number of maxes - 5

James:
Total score - 78
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 53
Raw % of max - 62
Total average score per round - 5.2
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 3

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