Wednesday 28th February 2024 (Series 89, Preliminary 42)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Wednesday 28 February 2024.

C1: Champion Isabelle Heward (1 win, 76 points.) From Lincolnshire.
C2: Challenger Paul Davey. From Woking, Surrey.
DC: Susie Dent and Vick Hope.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: N T G U A O N W L
R02: B Z D I E S L A T
R03: 25, 7, 10, 6, 4, 4. Target: 637.
TTT: OCTOPEDS - "Forget 8 legs, this covers about 15 properties."
R04: G S C I A P J P O
R05: M S N Y E I O T D
R06: 25, 100, 1, 9, 7, 10. Target: 449.
R07: S E W S U T F R A
R08: D K S N U I E C T
R09: 100, 8, 2, 6, 1, 1. Target: 868.
TTT: DOWNLOAD - "It's not a rock festival, but it's a place for a green day."
R10: N O E A S G M R S
R11: G L E N I P G R A
R12: M I H T N L E I D
R13: C O R D R I E D S
R14: 75, 9, 3, 5, 8, 1. Target: 202.
R15: B E A R S A R M S (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: N T G U A O N W L

Isabelle: GAUNT (5)
Paul: TANGO (5)
DC: NOUGAT (6) WALNUT (6)
OT: LANUGO (6) LONGAN (6) NOUNAL (6) OUTLAW (6) WANTON (6)
Score: 5–5 (max 6)

Round 2: B Z D I E S L A T

Isabelle: BLAZES (6)
Paul: TABLED (6)
DC: DISABLE (7) LAZIEST (7) DETAILS (7) BALDIES (7) BALDEST (7)
OT: ABLEIST (7) ASTILBE (7) BASTIDE (7) BESTIAL (7) BLASTED (7) BLITZED (7) BLITZES (7) DILATES (7) SIZABLE (7) STABILE (7) STABLED (7)
Score: 11–11 (max 13)

Round 3: 25, 7, 10, 6, 4, 4. Target: 637.

Isabelle: 640. (25 x 4 x 6) + (4 x 10) (7)
Paul: 640. (25 x 4 x 6) + (4 x 10) (7)
RR: 637. ((((4 / 4) + 10) x 6) + 25) x 7 (10)
Score: 18–18 (max 23)

Teatime teaser: OCTOPEDS -> POSTCODE

Round 4: G S C I A P J P O

Isabelle: PIGS (4)
Paul: SOAP (4)
DC: copia CAPOS (5)
OT: GIPPOS (6) POPIAS (6)
Score: 22–22 (max 29)

Round 5: M S N Y E I O T D

Isabelle: MOISTEN (7)
Paul: MONIES (6)
DC: DESTINY (7) MINDEST (7) DEMONIST (8)
OT: MISNOTED (8)
Score: 29–22 (max 37)

Round 6: 25, 100, 1, 9, 7, 10. Target: 449.

Isabelle: 450. (10 + 9 - 1) x 25 (7)
Paul: 500.
RR: 449. ((100 - 25) x (7 - 1)) - (10 - 9) (10)
Score: 36–22 (max 47)

Vick talks about how she started writing her own journal.

Round 7: S E W S U T F R A

Isabelle: SWEATS (6)
Paul: STRAFES (7)
DC: WASTERS (7) FRETSAWS (8)
Score: 36–29 (max 55)

Round 8: D K S N U I E C T

Isabelle: KINDEST (7)
Paul: SNICKED (7)
DC: SNICKET (7)
OT: UNTICKED (8)
Score: 43–36 (max 63)

Round 9: 100, 8, 2, 6, 1, 1. Target: 868.

Isabelle: 871. ((100 + 6 + 2 + 1) x 8) - 1 (7)
Paul: -
RR: 868. (((2 + 1) x 8) + 100) x (6 + 1) (10)
Score: 50–36 (max 73)

Teatime teaser: DOWNLOAD -> WOODLAND

Round 10: N O E A S G M R S

Isabelle: mongers
Paul: masoners
DC: MEGARONS (8)
OT: GOSSAMER (8) GRASSMEN (8)
Score: 50–36 (max 81)

Round 11: G L E N I P G R A

Isabelle: PEALING (7)
Paul: pagering
DC: PAGING (6) PEARLING (8) GANGLIER (8)
OT: GANGERIL (8) REGALING (8)
Score: 57–36 (max 89)

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

Round 12: M I H T N L E I D

Isabelle: HINTED (6)
Paul: HILTED (6)
DC: LIMITED (7) MIDLINE (7)
OT: DELIMIT (7)
Score: 63–42 (max 96)

Round 13: C O R D R I E D S

Isabelle: DISCORD (7)
Paul: -
DC: RECORD (6) DISCORDER (18)
Score: 70–42 (max 114)

Round 14: 75, 9, 3, 5, 8, 1. Target: 202.

Isabelle: 202. (3 x 75) - (9 + 8 + 5 + 1) (10)
Paul: 201.
Score: 80–42 (max 124)

Round 15: B E A R S A R M S

No one buzzes. The answer, correctly guessed by Vick, was EMBARRASS.
Final Score: 80–42 (max 134)

Statistics Corner

Isabelle:
Total score - 80
Raw score - 86
Total % of max - 60
Raw % of max - 64
Total average score per round - 5.3
Raw average score per round - 5.7
Number of maxes - 1

Paul:
Total score - 42
Raw score - 55
Total % of max - 31
Raw % of max - 41
Total average score per round - 2.8
Raw average score per round - 3.7
Number of maxes - 0

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