Monday 10th May 2021 (Series 83, Preliminary 91)

[Rhys Benjamin]

Time to step into the saddle, then, for the foreseeable future. Until I get a job, I suppose...!

Countdown recap for Monday 10 May 2021.

Nick starts with some nonsense about odd jobs: golf ball diving, pet food tasting...

C1: Champion Trudy Garbett (4 wins, 368 points.)
C2: Challenger Mike Morgan. From Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire. A dinner lady (dinner gentleman?). Once got headhunted for the National Water Commission in Jamaica. Presumably he went of his own accord.
DC: Susie Dent and Samira Ahmed.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M P K I U N O W N
R02: R I T E Y G I D L
R03: 100, 9, 1, 9, 5, 7. Target: 869.
TTT: RUESSEND - "She rues sending that unpleasant email and intends to apologise for this."
R04: C A N A G S E L L
R05: S R O D A T J E S
R06: 100, 1, 9, 2, 5, 8. Target: 105.
R07: W T A S I E M I T
R08: L A R O D N E F H
R09: 50, 8, 5, 10, 7, 2. Target: 846.
TTT: MASSCHIP - "Mischievous but likeable, almost like a seafood."
R10: R U P A S R A D O
R11: B V N E C E O S I
R12: D E M U S N I S F
R13: T M E N R T E A E
R14: 75, 8, 7, 7, 6, 3. Target: 168.
R15: S H R E D P E A R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: M P K I U N O W N

Trudy: KNOWN (5)
Mike: KNOWN (5)
DC: MINNOW (6) UNKNOW (6)
OT: UNMOWN (6)
Score: 5–5 (max 6, jos 6)
Darren-o-meter: 0/1 (0%)

Mike jokes "I should have known" and takes quite a while to pass his paper along as they're all tangled up.

Round 2: R I T E Y G I D L

Trudy: GLIDER (6)
Mike: RIGIDLY (7)
DC: DIRTILY (7)
OT: GELIDITY (8)
Score: 5–12 (max 14, jos 13)
Darren-o-meter: 1/2 (50%)

Mike takes an early lead, whilst the darrenic 8 eludes everyone.

Round 3: 100, 9, 1, 9, 5, 7. Target: 869.

Trudy: 870. 9 × 100 − (7 − 1) × 5​ (7)
Mike: 866.
RR: 869. 9 × 100 − (7 + 1) × 5​ + 9 (10)
Score: 12–12 (max 24, jos 23)

Surprising Mike couldn't make the seemingly obvious 870. Rachel manages to find the elusive 31 to take off the 900.

Teatime teaser: RUESSEND -> RUDENESS

Round 4: C A N A G S E L L

Trudy: GLANCES (7)
Mike: LASAGNE (7)
OT: AGLANCE (7) ALNAGES (7) CALEANS (7) CALLANS (7) NASELLA (7)
Score: 19–19 (max 31, jos 30)
Darren-o-meter: 1/3 (33%)

Flat.

Round 5: S R O D A T J E S

Trudy: TRADES (6)
Mike: ROASTED (7)
DC: ASSORTED (8)
OT: TORSADES (8)
Score: 19–26 (max 39, jos 38)
Darren-o-meter: 1/4 (25%)

And now Mike regains his lead.

Round 6: 100, 1, 9, 2, 5, 8. Target: 105.

Trudy: 105. 100 + 5​ (10)
Mike: 105. 100 + 5​ (10)
Score: 29–36 (max 49, jos 48)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEhZAHZQyf4

Samira is interviewing Kathleen Turner soon, so talks about her, running out of superlatives for her.

Round 7: W T A S I E M I T

Trudy: STEAM (5)
Mike: MATTES (6)
DC: MATIEST (7) IMITATES (8)
Score: 29–42 (max 57, jos 56)
Darren-o-meter: 2/5 (40%)

I am surprised that MATIEST is specified, but Mike risks MATTES and takes the lead. Susie feels the need to explain why MATTES is valid, although I thought it was fairly obvious.

Round 8: L A R O D N E F H

Trudy: HANDLER (7)
Mike: HORNED (6)
DC: FOREHAND (8)
OT: FORELAND (8)
Score: 36–42 (max 65, jos 64)
Darren-o-meter: 2/6 (33%)

And now Trudy strikes back with a risk of her own, but of course, HANDLER is absolutely fine.

Round 9: 50, 8, 5, 10, 7, 2. Target: 846.

Trudy: 846. (10 + 7) × 50 − 8 ÷ 2​ (10)
Mike: 846. (10 + 7) × 50 − 8 ÷ 2​ (10)
Score: 46–52 (max 75, jos 74)

Both of them go down the 17 × 50 route. I did the split multiplication route of 107 × 8 − 10.

Teatime teaser: MASSCHIP -> SCAMPISH

Round 10: R U P A S R A D O

Trudy: prouds
Mike: upsoar
DC: PARADORS (8)
Score: 46–52 (max 83, jos 82)
Darren-o-meter: 3/7 (43%)

Two dodgy 6s are, this time, very dodgy indeed. Susie cleans up with the darren, which according to her, means a nationalised Spanish hotel. No comment.

Round 11: B V N E C E O S I

Trudy: COVENS (6)
Mike: BOVINE (6)
DC: BOVINES (7) OBSCENE (7)
OT: EBONIES (7) EBONISE (7) EVINCES (7) NOVICES (7) SENECIO (7)
Score: 52–58 (max 90, jos 89)
Darren-o-meter: 3/8 (38%)

Mike either doesn't notice or omits the S from his word, letting Trudy off the hook a little bit.

Susie responds to a viewer's question from Malvern.

Round 12: D E M U S N I S F

Trudy: MISSED (6) but had UNMISSED written down
Mike: MISUSED (7)
DC: UNMISSED (8)
Score: 52–65 (max 98, jos 97)
Darren-o-meter: 4/9 (44%)

Trudy had UNMISSED after some prompting from Samira. Effectively, that is a 15-point swing there if she had got it. She would have lead by 2, but now trails by 13...

Round 13: T M E N R T E A E

Trudy: TAMER (5)
Mike: ENTREAT (7)
OT: ENTREMET (8)
Score: 52–72 (max 106, jos 104)
Darren-o-meter: 5/10 (50%)

And now Mike extends the lead further, whilst the darrenic 8 eludes everyone.

Round 14: 75, 8, 7, 7, 6, 3. Target: 168.

Trudy: 167. (8 − 6) × 75 + 7 + 3 + 7 (7)
Mike: 167. (8 − 6) × 75 + 7 + 3 + 7 (7)
RR: 168. 3 × 7 × 8 (10)
Score: 59–79 (max 116, jos 114)

Mike inadvertently asks for "one small", and it's a shame Rachel didn't pull 5 larges out. Both miss the target, and Trudy thus misses a chance for a crucial, but Rachel makes it look easier than it might well have been with a classic LNAFP.

Nick introduces the conundrum as Trudy's speciality.

Round 15: S H R E D P E A R

No one buzzes. The answer was REPHRASED.
Final Score: 59–79 (max 126, jos 124)

Turns out Nick jinxed it.

Rachel comes up with the answer, but that's Trudy's run over. Only good enough for 10th place and Rachel looks a little saddened by her departure.

Okie dokie, join us tomorrow for more. Until then, good numberwang!

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=83

[Tom S]

Good stuff Rhys- enjoyable recap!

[Gavin Chipper]

Jos scores!