Thursday 11th April 2024 (Series 89, Preliminary 73)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Thursday 11 April 2024.

C1: Champion Jessica Pratesi (6 wins, 635 points.) An indoor air quality consultant from Leyton, Greater London.
C2: Challenger Gareth Ellis. He's a fluent Welsh speaker, and used to be a policeman for 29 years.
DC: Susie Dent and Dr. Nighat Arif.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: D A P O S E R A E
R02: D A S E T O G P A
R03: 2, 2, 10, 1, 9, 5. Target: 334.
TTT: RINGDENT - "I ring Susie to tell her she's doing this on social media."
R04: M U N E B L A C E
R05: D R I B F E A T R
R06: 75, 5, 4, 9, 3, 7. Target: 134.
R07: G S T O E O N P T
R08: F I M G U E X N U
R09: 9, 2, 6, 7, 8, 3. Target: 276.
TTT: NUDGEINK - "You lost the game of chess when this happened."
R10: W I L O C T E L I
R11: N T S E I A N E I
R12: R E D O M E H Y O
R13: N E R O N A T R J
R14: 4, 7, 1, 9, 6, 8. Target: 697.
R15: G O S H R I L E Y (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: D A P O S E R A E

Jessica: SPEARED (7)
Gareth: PARADES (7)
OT: PARADOS (7) PARDAOS (7) PARODES (7) PODERES (7) REPOSED (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

Round 2: D A S E T O G P A

Jessica: POSTAGE (7)
Gareth: POSTAGE (7)
DC: PAGODAS (7)
OT: ADESPOTA (8)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)

Round 3: 2, 2, 10, 1, 9, 5. Target: 334.

Jessica: 331. ((((9 - 2) x 5) - 2) x 10) + 1 (7)
Gareth: 334. Mistake in working.
RR: 333/335. (7)
OT: 334. (((10 - 1) x 9 x 2) + 5) x 2 (10)
Score: 21–14 (max 25)

Teatime teaser: RINGDENT -> TRENDING

Round 4: M U N E B L A C E

Jessica: ALBUMEN (7)
Gareth: ALBUMEN (7)
DC: ACUMEN (6)
OT: CAUBEEN (7) CLUBMAN (7) CLUBMEN (7) NEBULAE (7)
Score: 28–21 (max 32)

Round 5: D R I B F E A T R

Jessica: TARDIER (7)
Gareth: TARRIED (7)
DC: FIREBRAT (8)
Score: 35–28 (max 40)

Round 6: 75, 5, 4, 9, 3, 7. Target: 134.

Jessica: 134. (9 x 7) + 75 - 4 (10)
Gareth: 134. ((5 - 3) x 75) - (9 + 7) (10)
Score: 45–38 (max 50)

Dr. Nighat talks about how she burst onto social media during lockdown.

Round 7: G S T O E O N P T

Jessica: POTENT (6)
Gareth: GENTOOS (7)
DC: PONGOS (6) GOTTEN (6)
OT: POTSTONE (8)
Score: 45–45 (max 58)

Round 8: F I M G U E X N U

Jessica: FUMING (6)
Gareth: FEIGN (5)
DC: FUGUE (5)
OT: FEUING (6) MUXING (6)
Score: 51–45 (max 64)

Round 9: 9, 2, 6, 7, 8, 3. Target: 276.

Jessica: 276. ((8 + 2) x 3 x 9) + 6 (10)
Gareth: 273.
Score: 61–45 (max 74)

Teatime teaser: NUDGEINK -> UNKINGED

Round 10: W I L O C T E L I

Jessica: COLLIE (6)
Gareth: TWILL (5)
DC: ELICIT (6)
OT: CITOLE (6) COLLET (6) ILLITE (6) OCELLI (6) OCTILE (6) OILLET (6) TOLLIE (6) WILLET (6) WILLIE (6)
Score: 67–45 (max 80)

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

Jessica: NEATENS (7)
Gareth: TINNIES (7)
DC: NINETIES (8)
Score: 74–52 (max 88)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of words which have unusual connections.

Round 12: R E D O M E H Y O

Jessica: REHOMED (7)
Gareth: REHOMED (7)
DC: REMEDY (6)
OT: HOMERED (7) MOODEER (7)
Score: 81–59 (max 95)

Round 13: N E R O N A T R J

Jessica: ERRANT (6)
Gareth: TANNER (6)
DC: NORRATE (7)
OT: NORTENA (7)
Score: 87–65 (max 102)

Round 14: 4, 7, 1, 9, 6, 8. Target: 697.

Jessica: 700.
Gareth: 699. ((8 + 4 - 1) x 9 x 7) + 6 (7)
RR: 697. (9 + 8) x ((6 x 7) - 1) (10)
Score: 87–72 (max 112)

Round 15: G O S H R I L E Y

No one buzzes. The answer was OGREISHLY.
Final Score: 87–72 (max 122)

Statistics Corner

Jessica:
Total score - 87
Raw score - 100
Total % of max - 71
Raw % of max - 82
Total average score per round - 5.8
Raw average score per round - 6.7
Number of maxes - 7

Gareth:
Total score - 72
Raw score - 89
Total % of max - 59
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 4.8
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 4

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=89