Tuesday 5th March 2024 (Series 89, Preliminary 46)

[James Robinson]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 5 March 2024.

C1: Champion Isabelle Heward (5 wins, 401 points.) From Lincolnshire.
C2: Challenger Chris Boyce. From Bournemouth, Dorset. He's a huge basketball fan, and used to play it in high school, and is now a qualified referee.
DC: Susie Dent and Rory Bremner.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: G P S C U E A J L
R02: W L N E A R T F E
R03: 25, 10, 7, 2, 10, 7. Target: 433.
TTT: ENDSWOOP - "It sounds a bit like this show, you get to reveal what you've got."
R04: S N S O U I V M S
R05: B N G R E I E D N
R06: 50, 4, 1, 8, 2, 8. Target: 780.
R07: M T D K I A E R T
R08: N G S O E O G W U
R09: 100, 2, 2, 6, 3, 10. Target: 386.
TTT: LEMONHUT - "You might carry this out to plug a leak."
R10: F H L A I T M A D
R11: T R C U I U O Y N
R12: L B T I E A R H U
R13: T D R I O E G Q N
R14: 8, 10, 4, 10, 1, 8. Target: 185.
R15: T O A D S T U L E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: G P S C U E A J L

Isabelle: PLACES (6)
Chris: CAPSULE (7)
DC: UPSCALE (7) PLAGUES (7)
OT: GELCAPS (7) PLUSAGE (7) SPECULA (7)
Score: 0–7 (max 7)

Round 2: W L N E A R T F E

Isabelle: RELENT (6)
Chris: ANTLER (6)
DC: WELFARE (7) ETERNAL (7)
OT: ALTERNE (7) ENTERAL (7) REFLATE (7) RENEWAL (7)
Score: 6–13 (max 14)

Round 3: 25, 10, 7, 2, 10, 7. Target: 433.

Isabelle: 433. ((10 + 7) x 25) + 10 - 2 (10)
Chris: 433. ((10 + 7) x 25) + 10 - 2 (10)
Score: 16–23 (max 24)

Teatime teaser: ENDSWOOP -> POSEDOWN

Round 4: S N S O U I V M S

Isabelle: MOSS (4)
Chris: mousses
DC: SUMO (4) SUMOS (5)
OT: MUSIONS (7) NOSISMS (7)
Score: 20–23 (max 31)

Round 5: B N G R E I E D N

Isabelle: REBENDING (18)
Chris: BENDING (7)
Score: 38–23 (max 49)

Round 6: 50, 4, 1, 8, 2, 8. Target: 780.

Isabelle: 780. ((4 x (8 - 1)) + 50) x (8 + 2) (10)
Chris: 789.
Score: 48–23 (max 59)

Rory talks about idioms used in English, but from a foreign perspective.

Round 7: M T D K I A E R T

Isabelle: mattier
Chris: ADMITTER (8)
OT: TIDEMARK (8)
Score: 48–31 (max 67)

Round 8: N G S O E O G W U

Isabelle: GOUGES (6)
Chris: GUNGES (6)
Score: 54–37 (max 73)

Round 9: 100, 2, 2, 6, 3, 10. Target: 386.

Isabelle: 386. Mistake in working.
Chris: 387. (2 x 2 x 100) - 10 - 3 (7)
RR: 386. (((100 x 2) - 2) x (6 / 3)) - 10 (10)
Score: 54–44 (max 83)

Teatime teaser: LEMONHUT -> MOLEHUNT

Round 10: F H L A I T M A D

Isabelle: ADMIT (5)
Chris: ADMIT (5)
DC: DAHLIA (6)
OT: MALADIF (7) THALAMI (7)
Score: 59–49 (max 90)

Round 11: T R C U I U O Y N

Isabelle: COURT (5)
Chris: COUNTRY (7)
DC: RUCTION (7)
Score: 59–56 (max 97)

Susie's Origins Of Words talks about the origins of "left in the lurch".

Round 12: L B T I E A R H U

Isabelle: BATHER (6)
Chris: BRUTAL (6)
DC: HALIBUT (7) HABITUE (7)
OT: THURIBLE (8)
Score: 65–62 (max 105)

Round 13: T D R I O E G Q N

Isabelle: REDOING (7)
Chris: ERODING (7)
DC: GOITRE (6) GOITRED (7)
OT: GENITOR (7) GOINTER (7) GROINED (7) IGNORED (7) NORDITE (7) TRIGONE (7)
Score: 72–69 (max 112)

Round 14: 8, 10, 4, 10, 1, 8. Target: 185.

Isabelle: 185. ((10 + 8) x 10) + 4 + 1 (10)
Chris: 184.
Score: 82–69 (max 122)

Round 15: T O A D S T U L E

Isabelle buzzes on 18.5 seconds to say OUTLASTED which is correct.
Final Score: 92–69 (max 132)

Statistics Corner

Isabelle:
Total score - 92
Raw score - 103
Total % of max - 70
Raw % of max - 78
Total average score per round - 6.1
Raw average score per round - 6.9
Number of maxes - 7

Chris:
Total score - 69
Raw score - 88
Total % of max - 52
Raw % of max - 67
Total average score per round - 4.6
Raw average score per round - 5.9
Number of maxes - 6

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