Monday 13th January 2020 (Series 82, Prelim 8)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Monday 13 January 2020.

C1: Champion Josh Waddell (2 wins, 185 points.) A commercial manager in a publishing company from Kent.
C2: Challenger Tara Abachi. A mechanical engineer from Ulverston, Cumbria. She likes doing open water swimming in Lake Windermere.
DC: Susie Dent and Richard Arnold.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S K I C E R T O N
R02: G L R N E O I T U
R03: 75, 10, 8, 9, 2, 1. Target: 334.
TTT: MELACKCAB - "I can't get a cab in Morocco anywhere, so I'm gonna have to get to town this way."
R04: R S G R A I E T A
R05: R B C O A U L S F
R06: 50, 75, 2, 9, 7, 4. Target: 672.
R07: R N E H A D I L D
R08: N R T D O E A P I
R09: 75, 9, 9, 4, 7, 5. Target: 281.
TTT: PAIDHERTO - "He hired a physiotherapist and paid her to try and fix his wasted muscles."
R10: T H G W A E U O S
R11: M D E M I V N A T
R12: R P T S E O A P E
R13: L I F U C O I S M
R14: 10, 9, 7, 7, 10, 4. Target: 595.
R15: L O T U S D I C E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S K I C E R T O N

Josh: STRICKEN (8)
Tara: STICKER (7)
DC: STOCKIER (8) TICKERS (7)
OT: CORKIEST (8) CORNIEST (8) NOTICERS (8) ROCKIEST (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)

Round 2: G L R N E O I T U

Josh: TOURING (7)
Tara: TOILER (6)
DC: ROUTING (7) TRILOGUE (8)
OT: OUTLINER (8) ROUTEING (8)
Score: 15–0 (max 16)

Round 3: 75, 10, 8, 9, 2, 1. Target: 334.

Josh: 320.
Tara: 323.
RR: 334. (((75 - 1) x 9) + 10 - 8) / 2 (10)
Score: 15–0 (max 26)

Teatime teaser: MELACKCAB -> CAMELBACK

Round 4: R S G R A I E T A

Josh: GREATS (6)
Tara: graiters
DC: GAITERS (7) GARRETS (7) GARTERS (7) TRIAGES (7)
OT: AGATISE (7) AGISTER (7) ARTSIER (7) ATRESIA (7) GRATERS (7) STAGIER (7) TARRIES (7) TARSIER (7)
Score: 21–0 (max 33)

Round 5: R B C O A U L S F

Josh: FOULS (5)
Tara: aloufs
DC: SCROFULA (8)
Score: 26–0 (max 41)

Round 6: 50, 75, 2, 9, 7, 4. Target: 672.

Josh: 672. (75 x 9) - (7 - 4) (10)
Tara: -
Score: 36–0 (max 51)

Richard talks about the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel-Aviv, Israel, and the first "Pride Flight" operated by Virgin Atlantic.

Round 7: R N E H A D I L D

Josh: HANDLER (7)
Tara: LADDER (6)
DC: HANDLED (7) hardline
OT: DIHEDRAL (8)
Score: 43–0 (max 59)

Round 8: N R T D O E A P I

Josh: PAIRED (6)
Tara: nation
DC: PREDATION (18)
Score: 49–0 (max 77)

Round 9: 75, 9, 9, 4, 7, 5. Target: 281.

Josh: 281. ((75 - 5) x 4) + (9 / 9) (10)
Tara: 282.
Score: 59–0 (max 87)

Teatime teaser: PAIDHERTO -> ATROPHIED

Round 10: T H G W A E U O S

Josh: WHEATS (6)
Tara: outwage
DC: OUTAGE (6) STOWAGE (7)
OT: HOSTAGE (7) HOUSAGE (7) OUTAGES (7) OUTWASH (7) TOWAGES (7) WASHOUT (7)
Score: 65–0 (max 94)

Round 11: M D E M I V N A T

Josh: TAMED (5)
Tara: MAIDEN (6)
DC: NATIVE (6) DEVIANT (7 - spotted by Josh just out of time) MEDIANT (7)
Score: 65–6 (max 101)

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

Round 12: R P T S E O A P E

Josh: OPERATES (8)
Tara: TAPERS (6)
DC: APPORTS (7)
OT: PRETAPES (8) PROTEASE (8) REAPPOSE (8)
Score: 73–6 (max 109)

Round 13: L I F U C O I S M

Josh: FOULS (5)
Tara: folics
DC: MUSICO (6)
OT: CILIUM (6) COULIS (6) FILMIC (6) FOLIUM (6) LOCUMS (6)
Score: 78–6 (max 115)

Round 14: 10, 9, 7, 7, 10, 4. Target: 595.

Josh: 597. Mistake in working.
Tara: 595. Mistake in working.
RR: 595. ((10 + 7) x (9 - 4)) x 7 (10)
Score: 78–6 (max 125)

Round 15: L O T U S D I C E

Tara buzzes on 11.5 seconds to say SOLICITED which is incorrect.
Josh does not buzz.
The answer was CLOUDIEST.
Final Score: 78–6 (max 135)

And so it is that Tara finds herself in the Countdown record books with the joint-lowest score in 15-round history, matching that of Wendy Cooke from Series 72, who the ruthless Tracey Mills only let 6 points pass her as well.

Statistics Corner

Josh:
Total score - 78
Raw score - 83
Total % of max - 58
Raw % of max - 61
Total average score per round - 5.2
Raw average score per round - 5.5
Number of maxes - 4

Tara:
Total score - 6
Raw score - 38
Total % of max - 4
Raw % of max - 28
Total average score per round - 0.4
Raw average score per round - 2.5
Number of maxes - 0

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=82