Countdown recap for Friday 23 July 2021.
Today, apparently, is Gorgeous Grandma Day. Anne doesn't like being called a granny.
C1: Champion Florence Cappleman-Lynes (7 wins, 736 points.) Mum of two from Rochdale. Also wearing a denim jacket, which is a bit noughties...
C2: Challenger Matt Horn. Sports journalist from Preston. He embodies the war of the roses. Does a lot of journalism in China.
DC: Rachel Parris.
RR: Rachel Riley. Appears to be wearing Gingham.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: W U Y O D O P T E
R02: C N M I A A R N O
R03: 75, 25, 50, 100, 5, 6. Target: 194.
TTT: SUEDROVE - "Sue drove her care everywhere when she really could have walked."
R04: P D T E O L U P A
R05: V E D A N E G L S
R06: 25, 2, 6, 1, 5, 10. Target: 302.
R07: S U T O R E T F L
R08: S G T E A W O R S
R09: 100, 25, 5, 7, 8, 2. Target: 285.
TTT: MORECOPS - "He's not a policeman but he works on the beat."
R10: R N H E I U T P I
R11: T E N E B A D M S
R12: R N R I E D U M B
R13: F A T O C A S G L
R14: 100, 10, 9, 5, 8, 10. Target: 806.
R15: F I T O N F A C E (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Round 1: W U Y O D O P T E
Florence: DEUPTY (6)
Matt: OPTED (5)
DC: POUTED (6)
OT: OOTYPE (6) POOTED (6) PTOOEY (6)
Score: 6–0 (max 6, jos 6)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)
Florence asked to declare first despite being longer. She takes an early lead.
Round 2: C N M I A A R N O
Florence: MANIAC (6)
Matt: MANIAC (6)
DC: MACARONI (8)
OT: MAROCAIN (8)
Score: 12–6 (max 14, jos 14)
Darren-o-meter: 0/2 (0%)
No max game then for Florence in her run as Rachel P cheeses her off with an eight.
Round 3: 75, 25, 50, 100, 5, 6. Target: 194.
Florence: 194. 100 + 75 + 25 − 6 (10)
Matt: 194. 100 + 75 + 25 − 6 (10)
Score: 22–16 (max 24, jos 24)
thank u, next. No SNAFP though.
Teatime teaser: SUEDROVE -> OVERUSED
Round 4: P D T E O L U P A
Florence: POPULATED (18)
Matt: TOPPLED (7)
Score: 40–16 (max 42, jos 42)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)
A wonderful nine from Florence, and it looks like she's well on her way to another win and an octochampdom.
Round 5: V E D A N E G L S
Florence: ENSLAVED (8)
Matt: DANGLES (7)
DC: EVANGELS (8)
Score: 48–16 (max 50, jos 50)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)
Florence looks like she has her opponent enslaved as she now leads by a margin of 3:1.
One of Anne's detours turns into 20 questions about Matt's profession.
Round 6: 25, 2, 6, 1, 5, 10. Target: 302.
Florence: 302. 6 × 5 × 10 + 2 (10)
Matt: 302. (10 + 2) × 25 + 6 − 5 + 1 (10)
Score: 58–26 (max 60, jos 60)
Nice LNAFP solution from Florence for an easy numbers game - although Rachel P doesn't get it.
Rachel P laments her parents' disapprovingness of her career change from classical music to comedy. If you've ever watched the Mash Report, you have to say they've probably got a point.
Round 7: S U T O R E T F L
Florence: FLUTTERS (8)
Matt: flouters
OT: FORTLETS (8) ROTULETS (8)
Score: 66–26 (max 68, jos 68)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)
Matt's word is disallowed, allowing Florence to flutter the lead back up to 40 points.
Round 8: S G T E A W O R S
Florence: stowagers (try, risky)
Matt: WASTERS (7)
DC: STOWAGES (8)
Score: 66–33 (max 76, jos 76)
Darren-o-meter: 3/6 (50%)
It's only the second non-max from Florence today and STOWAGERS^ was well worth a try. As a contest, the game looks done and dusted.
Round 9: 100, 25, 5, 7, 8, 2. Target: 285.
Florence: 285. (100 + 25) × 2 + 7 × 5 (10)
Matt: 285. (100 + 25) × 2 + 7 × 5 (10)
Score: 76–43 (max 86, jos 86)
thank u, next
Teatime teaser: MORECOPS -> COMPOSER
Round 10: R N H E I U T P I
Florence: PITHIER (7)
Matt: PITHIER (7)
DC: INHERIT (7)
OT: PITURINE (8)
Score: 83–50 (max 94, jos 93)
Darren-o-meter: 4/7 (57%)
Sevens for Florence and Matt, whilst Rachel P drops a point for the first time today.
Round 11: T E N E B A D M S
Florence: BASEMENT (8)
Matt: BASTED (6)
DC: ABSENTED (8)
OT: BEADSMEN (8) BEDMATES (8)
Score: 91–50 (max 102, jos 101)
Darren-o-meter: 4/8 (50%)
Rachel R comments that this is dangerously close to "the famous IT Crowd conundrum" - for our younger readers, that's TNETENNBA, and it was a letters round. Florence has four match points now. Her eight extends the lead to 41.
Round 12: R N R I E D U M B
Florence: NUMBER (6)
Matt: MINDER (6)
DC: MURDER (6)
OT: BIRDMEN (7) DRUMINE (7) IMBRUED (7) MURRINE (7) NURDIER (7) UNMIRED (7)
Score: 97–56 (max 109, jos 107)
Darren-o-meter: 4/9 (44%)
And she's done it! Florence becomes the first octochamp of the Robinson era. Everyone misses six sevens. Tut tut.
Anne asks Rachel P for a song. She has a poem instead. It's not very funny.
Round 13: F A T O C A S G L
Florence: COASTAL (7)
Matt: COASTAL (7)
Score: 104–63 (max 116, jos 114)
Darren-o-meter: 5/10 (50%)
Rachel R clutches her baby bump after F A T comes out... a wonderful bit of darrenage to finish here, as COASTAL is an excellent spot.
Round 14: 100, 10, 9, 5, 8, 10. Target: 806.
Florence: 806. 8 × 100 + 10 − (9 − 5) (10)
Matt: 806. 8 × 100 + 10 − (9 − 5) (10)
Score: 114–73 (max 126, jos 124)
thank u, next
No woman in Countdown history has solved all eight of their prelim conundrums. Can Florence do it? (Sam couldn't, incidentally.)
Round 15: F I T O N F A C E
Florence buzzes on 1.25 second to say AFFECTION which is correct.
Final Score: 124–73 (max 136, jos 134)
Oh yes, never in doubt. 124 is an excellent score and a PB for Florence, firmly stepping out of her husband's shadow and establishing herself as a formidable force in her own right. If Series 84 contestants are part of the next COC, and I seriously hope they are, then the two Cappleman-Lyneses would make for an amazing match.
Slightly bittersweet for us stattos as if Florence had not gambled on STOWAGERS^ then she would have scored 125 and the joint score for the game would be over 200, both "prestige" wiki categories.
Rachel R implies that she will not be present for the finals. Perhaps that means Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon will stay for the second half of the series?
Anyway, I'll be back on Monday, when only Anne and Rachel R will be in the studio again compared to today. Join us again for Countdown. Goodbye!
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84