Thursday 5th August 2021 (Series 84, Preliminary 28)

[Rhys Benjamin]

Annedown XXVIII, on a day where I celebrated too hard after getting a job offer, and thus this recap is a bit late. Sorry about that.

Countdown recap for Thursday 5 August 2021.

It's National Underwear Day; Anne questioning why that isn't every day.

C1: Champion Jason Dias (3 wins, 294 points.) Floor furniture designer and guitarist.
C2: Challenger Frank Kyne. Truss-rafter designer. Basically designs roof tiles. Also a fully-trained stand-up comedian. 12 week course in the Midlands Arts Centre.
DC: Susie Dent and Julian Clary. Julian is wearing cow print for some reason. Stunning.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: L T R O A O W P S
R02: E R I E N K G L O
R03: 100, 9, 1, 6, 3, 2. Target: 629.
TTT: CLAPSIDE - "Take over someone's positions: The Animals wanted to get out of it."
R04: O S U N T A E N D
R05: L S P U O E C S I
R06: 50, 25, 75, 8, 9, 2. Target: 933.
R07: F L T A I O S H V
R08: E Y R A U I B M S
R09: 25, 5, 8, 10, 9, 10. Target: 979.
TTT: TOYCHASE - "They sound like wild dogs, but they're tasty little fruits."
R10: D O R E I P G A M
R11: D R B U I E H P T
R12: F R U C A R M O O
R13: N S T E A O G D T
R14: 9, 2, 1, 8, 8, 10. Target: 649.
R15: D O U R B A R F S (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: L T R O A O W P S

Jason: PORTALS (7)
Frank: PATROLS (7)
OT: SOAPWORT (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8, jos 7)
Darren-o-meter: 1/1 (100%)

PORTALS and PATROLS get us underway, but everyone misses SOAPWORT.

Round 2: E R I E N K G L O

Jason: LEERING (7)
Frank: REELING (7)
DC: klinger klingon REEKING (7) KEELING (7)
OT: LEGIONER (8)
Score: 14–14 (max 16, jos 14)
Darren-o-meter: 2/2 (100%)

As my brother has been binge-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, the offering of KLINGON^ throwing up a few memories here.

Round 3: 100, 9, 1, 6, 3, 2. Target: 629.

Jason: 629. 100 × 6 + 9 × 3 + 2​ (10)
Frank: 629. 100 × 6 + 9 × 3 + 2​ (10)
Score: 24–24 (max 26, jos 24)

Not quite an Ariana, but straightforward enough.

Teatime teaser: CLAPSIDE -> DISPLACE

Round 4: O S U N T A E N D

Jason: ONSTEAD (7)
Frank: unstoned
DC: UNTONED (7) SUNTAN (6) DONATES (7) SOUTANE (7)
OT: DUNSTONE (8) TONNEAUS (8) UNATONED (8)
Score: 31–24 (max 34, jos 31)
Darren-o-meter: 2/3 (67%)

Surprised Susie misses UNATONED, but that's zero maxes for DC so far.

Round 5: L S P U O E C S I

Jason: COUPLES (7)
Frank: POLICES (7)
DC: espicious sespicious SPECIOUS (8) SPICULES (8)
OT: COULISSE (8) LEUCOSIS (8) OPUSCLES (8) OSSICULE (8)
Score: 38–31 (max 42, jos 39)
Darren-o-meter: 2/4 (50%)

Julian has three goes at pronouncing SPECIOUS.

Round 6: 50, 25, 75, 8, 9, 2. Target: 933.

Jason: 933. 50 × 2 × 9 + 25 + 8​ (10)
Frank: 933. (Not written down.) 50 × 2 × 9 + 25 + 8​ (10)
Score: 48–41 (max 52, jos 49)

Both contestants reject 1866 / 2. Boooooooo.

As it's National Underwear Day, Anne talks to Julian about his on-stage outfits. He also talks about a black rubber outfit which melted in his wardrobe. For Born to Mince, he will be wearing a suit, but not an "ordinary suit", a panto one. He then gives an excerpt from his tour, parodying gay conversion therapy by torturing straight men in the same electric-shock manner, but with pictures of women like Ann Widdecombe. One suspects Mrs Robinson may be included in that.

Round 7: F L T A I O S H V

Jason: FLOATS (6)
Frank: flatish (risky) (needs a double T)
DC: OVALISH (7)
Score: 54–41 (max 59, jos 56)
Darren-o-meter: 3/5 (60%)

OVALISH - a bit like Surrey? FLATISH^ (the Abu Dhabi F1 circuit, perhaps?) is not valid.

Round 8: E Y R A U I B M S

Jason: MISERY (6)
Frank: MISERY (6)
DC: rabium AMBERY (6)
OT: AUMBRIES (8)
Score: 60–47 (max 67, jos 63)
Darren-o-meter: 4/6 (67%)

Not Susie's greatest day in the office, missing the sole 8 and any 7s.

Round 9: 25, 5, 8, 10, 9, 10. Target: 979.

Jason: 980. (10 × 9 + 8) × 10 (7)
Frank: 980. (10 × 9 + 8) × 10 (7)
Score: 67–54 (max 74, jos 70)

This is an impossible 1 large (which is surprisingly common with a 25 and high targets). Both contestants LNAFP the game.

Teatime teaser: TOYCHASE -> CHAYOTES

Round 10: D O R E I P G A M

Jason: gramped (risk)
Frank: EPIGRAM (7)
DC: IDEOGRAM (8)
OT: PEGAMOID (8)
Score: 67–61 (max 82, jos 78)
Darren-o-meter: 4/7 (57%)

An IDEOGRAM is, to all intents and purposes, sensory imagery, no more, no less. Jason feels forced to risk GRAMPED^ when he arguably doesn't need to, and it's not in anyway.

Round 11: D R B U I E H P T

Jason: BIRTHED (7) (try)
Frank: BURIED (6) (stick with)
OT: BRUITED (7)
Score: 74–61 (max 89, jos 85)
Darren-o-meter: 4/8 (50%)

A better risk this time from Jason, getting him a well-earned 7 points and restoring the damage from the last round.

As it's National Underwear Day, Susie tells us about codpieces. She then basically tells us that they used to (to use the modern term) vajazzle them. I'm going to pretend to have experience with that. I don't. It's to do with "braget" (sp), apparently, which is someone who brags about their codpiece. Julian asks about baguette, but Susie says it's not related despite its phallic shape.

Round 12: F R U C A R M O O

Jason: CRAM (4)
Frank: ROOF (4)
DC: ARMOUR (6)
Score: 78–65 (max 95, jos 91)
Darren-o-meter: 5/9 (56%)

Only fours seen by the contestants despite the six available.

Round 13: N S T E A O G D T

Jason: TANGOES (7)
Frank: TANGOED (7)
DC: GONADS (6) ONSTAGE (7)
OT: ANTODES (7) ATTENDS (7) DOGATES (7) DONATES (7) DOTAGES (7) GOETTAS (7) NOTATED (7) NOTATES (7) ONSTEAD (7) SONDAGE (7) TOASTED (7)
Score: 85–72 (max 102, jos 98)
Darren-o-meter: 6/10 (60%)

Sevens take the round in this flattest of flat rounds, and thus it's going down to the last two numbers rounds!

Round 14: 9, 2, 1, 8, 8, 10. Target: 649.

Jason: 649. 8 × 8 × 10 + 9​ (10)
Frank: 649. 8 × 8 × 10 + 9​ (10)
Score: 95–82 (max 112, jos 108)

Frank does the sensible thing and picks six small, but to no avail, and it's Jason's 4th win! Can he get a century?

Round 15: D O U R B A R F S

Jason buzzes on 4.25 seconds to say SURFBOARD which is correct.
Final Score: 105–82 (max 122, jos 118)

You betcha! That's four wins for Jason, although this one was a little sweatier than the others. Can he make it five on the bounce? Find out tomorrow!*

*or in about an hour when the next recap goes up


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