Friday 2nd February 2024 (Series 89, Preliminary 24)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Friday 2 February 2024.

C1: Champion Jack Harvey (1 win, 86 points.) From Milton Keynes, but originally from Grimsby.
C2: Challenger Nick Wood. A financial services employee from Kent. He has a phobia of partially deflated balloons.
DC: Susie Dent and Tasha Ghouri.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S T P I E D M U N
R02: O E A G K D S N E
R03: 75, 8, 3, 3, 1, 5. Target: 530.
TTT: BRAGFEST - "They can't go with the flow, they're too big."
R04: U O E C D P J L A
R05: T S W E I N A R G
R06: 75, 8, 5, 2, 4, 10. Target: 331.
R07: P H M E U O T D S
R08: I O E W G D T B T
R09: 1, 8, 9, 4, 2, 9. Target: 322.
TTT: IMBUEINN - "Tough one, it took me two years to get it."
R10: A E U S T N L R E
R11: N R Z I E O R N F
R12: U A O N R C T G E
R13: H N V A O S I B A
R14: 100, 6, 4, 1, 9, 7. Target: 815.
R15: A I L A T F I F E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S T P I E D M U N

Jack: STUMPED (7)
Nick: STIPEND (7)
DC: DUMPIEST (8) IMPUDENT (8)
OT: DUMPSITE (8) MISTUNED (8) NUMPTIES (8) UNMISTED (8)
Score: 7–7 (max 8)

Round 2: O E A G K D S N E

Jack: SNEAKED (7)
Nick: SNEAKED (7)
DC: DOSAGE (6)
OT: SONDAGE (7)
Score: 14–14 (max 15)

Round 3: 75, 8, 3, 3, 1, 5. Target: 530.

Jack: 530. ((8 - 1) x 75) + 5 (10)
Nick: 530. ((8 - 1) x 75) + 5 (10)
Score: 24–24 (max 25)

Teatime teaser: BRAGFEST -> FATBERGS

Round 4: U O E C D P J L A

Jack: COUPLED (7)
Nick: COUPLED (7)
DC: CUPOLAED (8)
Score: 31–31 (max 33)

Round 5: T S W E I N A R G

Jack: waterings
Nick: WATERING (8)
DC: SWEATING (8) SWEARING (8) GARNETS (7)
OT: ANGRIEST (8) GANISTER (8) GANTRIES (8) GINESTRA (8) INGRATES (8) RANGIEST (8) RESAWING (8) STREWING (8) TASERING (8) TWANGIER (8) WRESTING (8)
Score: 31–39 (max 41)

Round 6: 75, 8, 5, 2, 4, 10. Target: 331.

Jack: 331. ((75 + 8) x 4) - ((10 / 2) / 5) (10)
Nick: 332.
Score: 41–39 (max 51)

Tasha talks about her charity work for deaf charities.

Round 7: P H M E U O T D S

Jack: THUMPED (7)
Nick: METHODS (7)
DC: MOUTHED (7) SPOUTED (7) SHOUTED (7)
OT: OUTSPED (7) SOUTHED (7) STOMPED (7) STUMPED (7)
Score: 48–46 (max 58)

Round 8: I O E W G D T B T

Jack: WIDGET (6)
Nick: WIDGET (6)
DC: bottied BIGOTED (7)
Score: 54–52 (max 65)

Round 9: 1, 8, 9, 4, 2, 9. Target: 322.

Jack: 322. (9 x 9 x 4) - 2 (10)
Nick: 322. (8 x 4 x (9 + 1)) + 2 (10)
Score: 64–62 (max 75)

Teatime teaser: IMBUEINN -> BIENNIUM

Round 10: A E U S T N L R E

Jack: SALUTER (7)
Nick: unsteer
DC: NEUTRALS (8)
OT: ALTERNES (8) RESALUTE (8)
Score: 71–62 (max 83)

Round 11: N R Z I E O R N F

Jack: frenzier
Nick: forne
DC: INFERNO (7) FROZEN (6)
Score: 71–62 (max 90)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of some phrases derived from names.

Round 12: U A O N R C T G E

Jack: TROUNCE (7)
Nick: UNCRATE (7)
DC: COURANTE (8)
OT: OUTRANGE (8)
Score: 78–69 (max 98)

Round 13: H N V A O S I B A

Jack: VANISH (6)
Nick: BASIN (5)
DC: BANISH (6)
OT: BAVIANS (7) BHAVANS (7) HASBIAN (7)
Score: 84–69 (max 105)

Round 14: 100, 6, 4, 1, 9, 7. Target: 815.

Jack: -
Nick: 815. ((7 + 1) x 100) + 9 + 6 (10)
Score: 84–79 (max 115)

Round 15: A I L A T F I F E

Jack buzzes on 3.5 seconds to say AFFILIATE which is correct.
Final Score: 94–79 (max 125)

Statistics Corner

Jack:
Total score - 94
Raw score - 94
Total % of max - 75
Raw % of max - 75
Total average score per round - 6.3
Raw average score per round - 6.3
Number of maxes - 6

Nick:
Total score - 79
Raw score - 91
Total % of max - 63
Raw % of max - 73
Total average score per round - 5.3
Raw average score per round - 6.1
Number of maxes - 6

Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=89