c4countdown

Annedown XX. Back to the start then after Florence's octorun last week... I was on the phone during the C4 broadcast and now having to watch this a third time, having made a horse's arse of part one on the +1 broadcast.

Countdown recap for Monday 26 July 2021.

70th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland today, says Anne.

C1: Challenger Andy McConnell. Sells valves. Including one per Skoda.
C2: Challenger Dan Lewis. Supermarket Assistant Manager from Devon.
DC: Rev. Richard Coles.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: F K O I T R A S H
R02: S G I E E N T U Y
R03: 25, 9, 10, 2, 3, 8. Target: 701.
TTT: LADYRUBS - "The lady rubs people up the wrong way by behaving like this."
R04: N T N I E O R S O
R05: G U A H C E T N I
R06: 75, 25, 6, 3, 5, 2. Target: 849.
R07: G E R L N A A B T
R08: R S O D U O P D E
R09: 25, 6, 2, 2, 1, 8. Target: 150.
TTT: LOCALTEA - "Distribute your greeting(s) to Miss Winslet, perhaps?"**
R10: L E I N W U F S L
R11: B L R A E S J E D
R12: D P A U N I C P A
R13: W I V O R M E G S
R14: 75, 2, 4, 3, 7, 7. Target: 545.
R15: R I D E N I G H T (conundrum)

**Anne read the clue once with an S and once without.

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: F K O I T R A S H

Andy: TROIKAS (7) (risk)
Dan: TRASH (5)
OT: KAROSHI (7) OARFISH (7) RATFISH (7)
Score: 7–0 (max 7, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 1/1 (100%)

Andy pedals into an early lead with TROIKAS.

Round 2: S G I E E N T U Y

Andy: STINGY (6)
Dan: UNITES (6)
DC: SIGNET (6) GENIUS (6)
OT: EUGENIST (8)
Score: 13–6 (max 15, jos 13)
Darren-o-meter: 2/2 (100%)

No max game today as everyone misses EUGENIST. I am surprised that can be an agent noun, because there are lots of other words used more commonly to refer to those people. Not many of them are printable.

Round 3: 25, 9, 10, 2, 3, 8. Target: 701.

Andy: 700. (10 − 3) × 8 ÷ 2 × 25​ (7)
Dan: 700. (10 × 2 + 8) × 25 (7)
RR: 701. 9 × 3 × 25 + 2 × 8 + 10 (10)
Score: 20–13 (max 25, jos 23)

No Jos game either today as both contestants miss the first numbers round.

Teatime teaser: LADYRUBS -> ABSURDLY

Round 4: N T N I E O R S O

Andy: SONNET (6)
Dan: SOONER (6)
DC: IRONSTONE (18)
OT: SEROTONIN (18)
Score: 26–19 (max 43, jos 41)
Darren-o-meter: 2/3 (67%)

Only sixes seen by the contestants, but there was "a niner", says Richard. Don't tell Gevin. He removed all the references to "niner" in the wiki a few years ago. I'd have thought SEROTONIN was a more common word than IRONSTONE.

Round 5: G U A H C E T N I

Andy: CHEATING (8)
Dan: CHEATING (8)
DC: TEACHING (8)
Score: 34–27 (max 51, jos 49)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)

Both contestants CHEAT their way to 8, whilst Richard TEACHes them how it's done.

Round 6: 75, 25, 6, 3, 5, 2. Target: 849.

Andy: 849. (6 + 5) × 75 + 25 − (3​ − 2) (10)
Dan: 850.
DC: 116/1025.
Score: 44–27 (max 61, jos 59)

Let's assume Richard's declaration was a joke here. Andy extends his lead with a good solve.

Richard says vicaring is more fun than pop starring. He enjoys meeting with people, and the power of the dog collar gets you into places as no one dares question a man of the cloth! He also talks about the time he conducted a funeral, when, unbeknown to the mourners, they left to "Don't Leave Me This Way". So, naturally, Anne asks him to sing it. Anne asks Richard how to believe in God, and, naturally, Richard says "come and see me", leading to Anne pointing out that Richard isn't God.

Round 7: G E R L N A A B T

Andy: tangler
Dan: BANGER (6)
DC: ANGEL (5) ALTAR (5) GRANTABLE (18)
Score: 44–33 (max 79, jos 77)
Darren-o-meter: 3/5 (60%)

One cannot be a TANGLER^, which reduces the gap to 11 points. Another nine(r) goes begging.

Round 8: R S O D U O P D E

Andy: POURED (6)
Dan: DROOPS (6)
DC: PODDERS (7)
OT: DROOPED (7) ODOURED (7) PUDDERS (7) SPOORED (7) UROPODS (7)
Score: 50–39 (max 86, jos 84)
Darren-o-meter: 3/6 (50%)

Both contestants miss a plethora of sevens.

Round 9: 25, 6, 2, 2, 1, 8. Target: 150.

Andy: 150. 25 × 6​ (10)
Dan: 150. 25 × 6​ (10)
Score: 60–49 (max 96, jos 94)

thank u, next

Teatime teaser: LOCALTEA -> ALLOCATE

Round 10: L E I N W U F S L

Andy: UNWISE (6)
Dan: SWINE (5)
DC: SINFUL (6) UNWELL (6)
OT: NEWSFUL (7) NULLIES (7)
Score: 66–49 (max 103, jos 100)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)

# I am not a sinner nor a saint... # Anne asks Richard about how many agnostics he converts.

Round 11: B L R A E S J E D

Andy: BLARES (6)
Dan: LASERED (7)
DC: LEADERS (7) DEALERS (7)
OT: BAERSED (7) BARDEES (7) BEADLES (7) BLADERS (7) BLEARED (7) DEBASER (7) DJEBELS (7) REABLED (7) REABLES (7) REBASED (7) REDEALS (7) RELADES (7)
Score: 66–56 (max 110, jos 107)
Darren-o-meter: 3/8 (38%)

Oh Andy. He misses a billion 7s and Dan is now 10 behind.

Round 12: D P A U N I C P A

Andy: PANIC (5)
Dan: PANDA (5)
DC: UNPAID (6)
OT: PAPAIN (6) PICUDA (6) PUDINA (6)
Score: 71–61 (max 116, jos 113)
Darren-o-meter: 3/9 (33%)

Andy will be PANICking at the way he, once again, misses a fairly common word and a chance to almost put the game to bed. However, he does now have three match points - a nine here would win the game for him.

Round 13: W I V O R M E G S

Andy: MOVIES (6)
Dan: MOVERS (6)
DC: VERISMO (7) ORGIES (6) OVERSWIM (8)
Score: 77–67 (max 124, jos 121)
Darren-o-meter: 4/10 (40%)

Once again the contestants match each other. Richard has ORGIES for six, "if you count six as an orgy". And also OVERSWIM to end the day on a darren.

Round 14: 75, 2, 4, 3, 7, 7. Target: 545.

Andy: -
Dan: 545. 75 × 7 + (7 + 3) × 2​ (10)
Score: 77–77 (max 134, jos 131)

A complete blunder from Andy means we're going down to not only a crucial conundrum, but a level-pegging one...

Round 15: R I D E N I G H T

No one buzzes. Rachel gives the answer, which was DITHERING.
Score: 77–77 (max 144, jos 141)

Perhaps both contestants dithered about it for too long, but here we go again...

Round TB: C U T E D T I Q A

Andy buzzes on 3 seconds to say ACQUITTED which is correct.
Final Score: 87–77 (max 144, jos 141)

It took him two goes but it's Andy who emerges with the teapot on 3 seconds, ACQUITTing himself of a performance which nearly allowed Dan to snatch the rug out from under his feet. It was a good comeback from Dan, but all to no avail.

Join us again for Countdown. Goodbye.


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=84

Rhys Benjamin wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:14 pm Only sixes seen by the contestants, but there was "a niner", says Richard. Don't tell Gevin. He removed all the references to "niner" in the wiki a few years ago.

Yeah, I was a bit surprised when he said this. I always thought it was just weird c4c jargon that went out of fashion many moons ago.