Wednesday 17th January 2024 (Series 89, Preliminary 12)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Wednesday 17 January 2024.

C1: Champion Mark Finnerty (1 win, 102 points.) A consultant psychiatrist from County Down, Northern Ireland.
C2: Challenger Georgina Heath. A trainee maths teacher from Reading. She also plays the alto saxophone.
DC: Susie Dent and Prue Leith.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: M T S I E A T F E
R02: N O B I E Y N A D
R03: 75, 8, 4, 5, 7, 6. Target: 415.
TTT: MELTIRIS - "These help to keep the over-70's up to speed."
R04: N U E S O R T I M
R05: W G R U E A T P H
R06: 25, 75, 8, 7, 1, 3. Target: 658.
R07: D L R E O I X T S
R08: W E D N A G S O E
R09: 75, 9, 5, 1, 2, 7. Target: 928.
TTT: SALTSEED - "He ran out of dried fruit, but I've no idea when."
R10: T U R E K I L O P
R11: M G T E I E V I C
R12: N A D S O U P R O
R13: N B T E A E E L R
R14: 50, 75, 2, 9, 9, 10. Target: 392.
R15: Q U I T C I D E R (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: M T S I E A T F E

Mark: MEATIEST (8)
Georgina: STATE (5)
DC: ESTIMATE (8)
OT: TEATIMES (8)
Score: 8–0 (max 8)

Round 2: N O B I E Y N A D

Mark: BANNED (6)
Georgina: boney
DC: ANODYNE (7)
OT: ANNOYED (7)
Score: 14–0 (max 15)

Round 3: 75, 8, 4, 5, 7, 6. Target: 415.

Mark: 415. (75 + 8) x 5 (10)
Georgina: 410.
Score: 24–0 (max 25)

Teatime teaser: MELTIRIS -> LIMITERS

Round 4: N U E S O R T I M

Mark: MINUTERS (8)
Georgina: meteors
DC: TERMINUS (8) MOUNTERS (8) ROUTINES (8) MOISTURE (8)
OT: MISROUTE (8) MOURNEST (8) MUNTRIES (8) NITREOUS (8) NUMERIST (8) REMOUNTS (8) RIMSTONE (8) RUNTIMES (8) UNMERITS (8)
Score: 32–0 (max 33)

Round 5: W G R U E A T P H

Mark: WREATH (6)
Georgina: GATHER (6)
DC: UPRATE (6)
OT: ARGUTE (6) GAWPER (6) HAUTER (6) HAWTER (6) PARGET (6) PRUTAH (6) RUGATE (6) TEPHRA (6) THREAP (6)
Score: 38–6 (max 39)

Round 6: 25, 75, 8, 7, 1, 3. Target: 658.

Mark: 658. (75 + 25 - (8 - 3 + 1)) x 7 (10)
Georgina: -
Score: 48–6 (max 49)

Prue talks about how she made her farm more organic.

Round 7: D L R E O I X T S

Mark: STEROID (7)
Georgina: STRIDE (6)
DC: SOLDIER (7) TOILERS (7)
OT: DOITERS (7) EDITORS (7) IDOLETS (7) LOITERS (7) OLDSTER (7) RESITOL (7) RODLETS (7) ROSITED (7) SOLIDER (7) SORTIED (7) STORIED (7) TRIODES (7)
Score: 55–6 (max 56)

Round 8: W E D N A G S O E

Mark: GNAWED (6)
Georgina: swaned
DC: DOSAGE (6) ENDOWS (6)
OT: SONDAGE (7)
Score: 61–6 (max 63)

Round 9: 75, 9, 5, 1, 2, 7. Target: 928.

Mark: 928. (((7 - 1) x 75) + 9 + 5) x 2 (10)
Georgina: -
Score: 71–6 (max 73)

Teatime teaser: SALTSEED -> DATELESS

Round 10: T U R E K I L O P

Mark: POULTER (7)
Georgina: PILOT (5)
DC: OUTLIER (7)
OT: POLITRUK (8)
Score: 78–6 (max 81)

Round 11: M G T E I E V I C

Mark: EMETIC (6)
Georgina: VICTIM (6)
Score: 84–12 (max 87)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of some metaphors.

Round 12: N A D S O U P R O

Mark: PARDONS (7)
Georgina: SOUND (5)
OT: NODOSAUR (8) PANDOORS (8) PANDOROS (8) PANDOURS (8) PODURANS (8) SAUROPOD (8)
Score: 91–12 (max 95)

Round 13: N B T E A E E L R

Mark: ETERNAL (7)
Georgina: BEATER (6)
DC: ENTERABLE (18)
Score: 98–12 (max 113)

Round 14: 50, 75, 2, 9, 9, 10. Target: 392.

Mark: 392. Mistake in working.
Georgina: -
RR: 392. (50 - (9 / 9)) x (10 - 2) (10)
Score: 98–12 (max 123)

Round 15: Q U I T C I D E R

Mark buzzes on 12 seconds to say CRITIQUED which is correct.
Final Score: 108–12 (max 133)

Statistics Corner

Mark:
Total score - 108
Raw score - 108
Total % of max - 81
Raw % of max - 81
Total average score per round - 7.2
Raw average score per round - 7.2
Number of maxes - 9

Georgina:
Total score - 12
Raw score - 46
Total % of max - 9
Raw % of max - 35
Total average score per round - 0.8
Raw average score per round - 3.1
Number of maxes - 2

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