Search found 66 matches

by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:38 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: The Apterous handicap. Is it just me?
Replies: 23
Views: 7641

Re: The Apterous handicap. Is it just me?

I'm saddened by what seems to be sarcasm from an individual I hope I've done nothing to offend personally, David. You might take into consideration the fact that I was offered no invitation to discuss the matters in question - there was just a sudden allegation at the end of one game, then a pronoun...
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Jan 24, 2014 11:07 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: COLIN X- Countdown in Lincoln, 25th-26th January 2014
Replies: 216
Views: 45964

Re: COLIN X- Countdown in Lincoln, 25th-26th January 2014

By some awful coincidence, I'm stopping at that Travelodge on Monday night. Let me know if there are any rooms I should avoid please.
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Dec 20, 2013 8:42 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: The Apterous handicap. Is it just me?
Replies: 23
Views: 7641

Re: The Apterous handicap. Is it just me?

Thanks for all of that input. I think tension is a big factor. I'm a lot more relaxed in front of the TV because I know that I'll be the only one who will know if I perform really badly. On apterous, I'll type in an immediately obvious 4 or 5 letter word, just so that I've got something to declare, ...
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Dec 06, 2013 3:57 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: The Apterous handicap. Is it just me?
Replies: 23
Views: 7641

The Apterous handicap. Is it just me?

As a glance at my record shows, I'm a pretty useless player.

However, I'm much worse on Apterous than I am in front of the television. I can rely on a steady number of 7s and the occasional 8 when watching Countdown, but on Apterous, it's always a relief to find a 6.

Is it just me?
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:25 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Gone to pot
Replies: 2
Views: 1065

Gone to pot

Perhaps someone with a current familiarity with such matters could settle a point for me, as I am at present relying on my memories of my social life 40 years ago.

Was Rachel's dress today decorated with images of cannabis leaves?
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Feb 06, 2009 2:49 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Self-help
Replies: 27
Views: 2683

Self-help

I see in The Times today that the Oxford Dictionary of English is one of the country's most shoplifted books.

Impecunious Countdown fans to blame?

Is "shoplifted" in the ODE? Just putting my poacher's jacket on and popping down to WHSmith. I'll be able to look it up when I get back.
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:51 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 30th January (CofC XIII GF)
Replies: 85
Views: 11063

Re: Spoilers for Friday 30th January (CofC XIII GF)

Thanks to both players for rounding off a brilliant CofC tournament that has emphasised all of the best elements of Countdown - not the least of which is sportsmanship. Absolutely superb. Having overwhelmed myself by finding two 8s that eluded both the contestants and DC in the final (I needed a sti...
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:46 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 30th January (CofC XIII GF)
Replies: 85
Views: 11063

Re: Spoilers for Friday 30th January (CofC XIII GF)

Vikash Shah wrote:
Charlie Reams wrote:Contrary to his slightly nervous on-screen presence, he's a pretty easy guy to talk to and we had a lot of nice chat during the breaks.
I assumed you didn't like him as there was no hug.
...or grope.
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:50 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for 29/01/2009, CofC semi-final #2
Replies: 81
Views: 7303

Re: Spoilers for 29/01/2009, CofC semi-final #2

Two absolutely class acts. One of the very best games I have ever seen.

Thanks for the entertainment, gents.
by Harry Whitehouse
Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:24 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 28th January CofC XIII SF1
Replies: 39
Views: 5033

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 28th January (CofC XIII SF1)

I also had LARIATED, but although LASSO is also a verb, my Chambers gives LARIAT only as a noun.
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Jan 23, 2009 7:57 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 23rd January (CofC XIII QF2)
Replies: 71
Views: 8948

Re: Spoilers for Friday 23rd January (CofC XIII QF2)

David O'Donnell wrote:
David Roe wrote:Charlie - you're education's lacking
LMAO!
Scotty wrote: but obviously that would of been very difficult,
So why couldn't Scotty have set himself up just as perfectly when I happen along? Is there no fairness in this life?
by Harry Whitehouse
Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:13 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 21st Jan 2009 (CoC Heat 8)
Replies: 37
Views: 4287

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 21st Jan 2009 (CoC Heat 8)

This was one of the programmes I attended, and they reshot the sequence in which "STD" came up, and Rachel said: "I don't want to touch that." I'm glad they decided to keep it in, because it allowed Rachel a lighter moment. Being of an age when such matters were referred to as &q...
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:36 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: CofC today!
Replies: 74
Views: 9151

Re: CofC today!

I also think that Rachel is terrific, although I would be delighted if someone would satisfy an old cynic and reassure me that when, on Wednesday, she demonstrated a numbers solution that evaded the contestants, it was authentic. It looked rehearsed. Anyway, I can categorically assure you that Rach...
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Jan 15, 2009 7:26 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: CofC today!
Replies: 74
Views: 9151

Re: CofC today!

In case this wasn't obvious, I think Jeff is damn awesome. Rachel is still growing into the role, as you'd expect, but she's light years ahead of where Carol was 1982. Having seen a recording, I have to say that the broadcast programmes don't show Jeff to his full advantage. Live, I thought he was ...
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:56 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Forum Decorum
Replies: 78
Views: 9910

Re: Forum Decorum

harry wrote:
Michael Wallace wrote:Wait, so a "fit and healy [sic] man" is less likely to be offended/upset by swearing than women/old people/children?
Not at all, but he can look after himself.
Or rather (a) Yes he is less likely to be offended

but (b) He can look after himself.
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:53 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Forum Decorum
Replies: 78
Views: 9910

Re: Forum Decorum

Michael Wallace wrote:Wait, so a "fit and healy [sic] man" is less likely to be offended/upset by swearing than women/old people/children?
Not at all, but he can look after himself.
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:50 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Will an 'ordinary' person ever win a series again?
Replies: 76
Views: 24251

Re: Will an 'ordinary' person ever win a series ag

I'm sure that age does come into this as well. No matter how much time I devoted to practice, I could never consistently approach the standard of the brilliant contestants I have seen in recent years. (Although I did achieve, from my armchair, the distinction of beating in one round an Octochamp who...
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:35 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Forum Decorum
Replies: 78
Views: 9910

Re: Forum Decorum

I know I'm getting pompous here, and I'm sorry, but a reasonable starting point for me is to ask myself about the type of language that I would use in front of my mother, father, wife and children. That, I feel, would be the type of language that I feel it would also be reasonable for me to use in f...
by Harry Whitehouse
Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:43 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Forum Decorum
Replies: 78
Views: 9910

Re: Forum Decorum

I'm somewhere in between on this, because I swear quite a lot but rarely if uever use swear words in prepared writing. And I don't generally think they add much to comedy - gritty dramas can benefit from them, but not if it's just a simple 'we want people to know that this character's edgy/rebellio...
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:51 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Reaction to Carol's farewell programme
Replies: 31
Views: 5364

Re: Reaction to Carol's farewell programme

No idea whether it was thoughtlessness or arrogance, but most significant point about the Carol and Giles cry-in was that the only people who weren't celebrated (or even mentioned) were the contestants.
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:38 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Rachel Riley Unveiled.
Replies: 141
Views: 19082

Re: Rachel Riley Unveiled.

Sorry I provoked some of this. In my defence, there's something that makes some middle aged bores like me get unreasonably irritated by what they see as females' obsessions with primping themselves. Young males clearly react favourably, which presumably encourages the women in their efforts. Carol, ...
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:27 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Damian Eadie- Miracle Worker
Replies: 21
Views: 3897

Re: Damian Eadie- Miracle Worker

I agree that Stelling is a master stroke. I think he's going to be brilliant - let's hope he stays. As for "the new girl", I think the jury has to stay out for a little while longer. She's very relaxed, but she's not yet allowed to introduce the guests, or do much else, really, except make...
by Harry Whitehouse
Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:01 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Championship of Champions - The real draw
Replies: 59
Views: 6913

Re: Championship of Champions - The real draw

And I made it on Monday. What an brilliant run of games at the end of the afternoon. Interesting that the new set isolates the competitors so much from Jeff/DC that they have to pass "same here" slips to each other for checking. It's quite good actually because under the old format DC/Des...
by Harry Whitehouse
Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:56 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Rachel Riley Unveiled.
Replies: 141
Views: 19082

Re: Rachel Riley Unveiled.

Having now seen her in real life, I'm stunned by how slim she is. I just can't imagine how all of the essential plumbing can fit through her waist.
by Harry Whitehouse
Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:53 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: A new set for a new season!
Replies: 58
Views: 7078

Re: A new set for a new season!

One of the changes, which I regret, is that the audience no longer get the chance to answer missed conundrums.
by Harry Whitehouse
Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:51 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Championship of Champions - The real draw
Replies: 59
Views: 6913

Re: Championship of Champions - The real draw

And I made it on Monday. What an brilliant run of games at the end of the afternoon.

Interesting that the new set isolates the competitors so much from Jeff/DC that they have to pass "same here" slips to each other for checking.
by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:05 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Monday 8th December QF3
Replies: 19
Views: 2566

Re: Spoilers for Monday 8th December QF3

The opening story/joke Des read out was possibly the worst/least funny I have ever heard in the whole of Countdown history. I'm pleased to say that I haven't listened to a word of the rubbish with which Des opens the show for at least six months. I just fast forward through his mumbling and cackling.
by Harry Whitehouse
Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:31 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2
Replies: 48
Views: 4917

Re: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2

Thanks Charlie. So just to put an end to my tedious persistence with this (I'm getting a bit self-conscious about pursuing it now)...is there an instance of "identikit" with a lower case initial "i" in the ODE? If you mean in the ODE2r (the one they use on the show), yes. The en...
by Harry Whitehouse
Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:22 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2
Replies: 48
Views: 4917

Re: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2

Thanks Charlie.

So just to put an end to my tedious persistence with this (I'm getting a bit self-conscious about pursuing it now)...is there an instance of "identikit" with a lower case initial "i" in the ODE?
by Harry Whitehouse
Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:56 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2
Replies: 48
Views: 4917

Re: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2

I'm afraid I don't have the ODE - my Collins English and several Oxford dictionaries all capitalize Indentikit [sic] Are you sure? The entry in my Collins Millennium Edition shows the headword as capitalised, but lists two definitions - the second being the adjectival sense that Frank mentioned (ac...
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:02 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2
Replies: 48
Views: 4917

Re: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2

Identikit is a proper noun - a registered trade mark - is that allowed for the conundrum? Actually, it is listed as a noun (trademark), but also as an adjective, so it is allowed, whether or not it is considered a proper noun. Thanks for that. I'm afraid I don't have the ODE - my Collins English an...
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Dec 05, 2008 5:13 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2
Replies: 48
Views: 4917

Re: Spoilers for Friday 5th December QF2

Identikit is a proper noun - a registered trade mark - is that allowed for the conundrum?
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:58 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Best ever contestants
Replies: 509
Views: 352806

Re: Best ever contestants

Dinos Sfyris wrote:
harry wrote:Harry (old enough to be Kai's great-grandfather).
Surely this can be claimed by anyone over 50 if you crank out a kid around 13!
Wow! Too sharp for me!
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Nov 27, 2008 10:58 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Best ever contestants
Replies: 509
Views: 352806

Re: Best ever contestants

Fair point. Still very puzzled though. I'd take a guess that the average age of members of this forum is well under 30yrs old, so doesn't a long-winded debate about choosing the best from the last 25.5 years seem a little absurd? Sally (old enough to be Connors grandmother!) :-) Wow, when the ages ...
by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:45 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: New Host
Replies: 264
Views: 29786

Re: New Host

I'm in the audience a fortnight on Monday, so I'll get an early insight. Then You'll be watching me in action against the worryingly good Peter Davies :) Make sure you come and say hi before/after, it's always nice to meet people who are otherwise virtual apparitions. I'll be sure to do that, Charl...
by Harry Whitehouse
Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:40 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: New Host
Replies: 264
Views: 29786

Re: New Host

I think the choice of Jeff Stelling is a brilliantly imaginative. The guy is just so unaffected and demonstrative that he will bring a very welcome new element to the show. I have hated the Deso run, with his fumbling and mumbling, but I'm really looking forward to Stelling - I'm in the audience a f...
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Nov 20, 2008 6:05 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Parking conundrum
Replies: 18
Views: 3183

Re: Parking conundrum

Dates I've now been offered...will these be the debuts of the new hosts? Sunday 7th December 13.00 – 18.00 Sunday 7th December 18.30 – 21.30 Monday 8th December 10.00 – 13.00 Monday 8th December 13.30 – 18.30 Tuesday 9th December 10.00 – 13.00 Tuesday 9th December 13.30 – 18.30
by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:59 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Parking conundrum
Replies: 18
Views: 3183

Re: Parking conundrum

Just to keep this up to date.

I had an email from the studio, saying that the November recordings had been abandoned for production reasons, and that I'd be hearing from them about new dates in December.

Still waiting...
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:24 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Parking conundrum
Replies: 18
Views: 3183

Re: Parking conundrum

They have afternoon (1pm-6pm) sessions on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, back at the car park, I've just had a look on the Google satellite image, and I see there's a large car park on the left at the end of Studio Road, near its junction with Burley Road, and a linear one opposite, ...
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:17 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Parking conundrum
Replies: 18
Views: 3183

Re: Parking conundrum

There's a car park literally two minutes walk away. If you turn onto Studio Rd from Kirkstall Rd it is on the right, can't remember if you had to pay or how much as it was my dad who parked there. Apparently there's some really fine pizza to be had as well if you look around a bit. Are your tickets...
by Harry Whitehouse
Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:34 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Parking conundrum
Replies: 18
Views: 3183

Parking conundrum

We're got audience tickets for November. Is there any public car parking space at/near the studios?
by Harry Whitehouse
Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:27 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Have you ever cried at Countdown?
Replies: 28
Views: 4632

Re: Have you ever cried at Countdown?

I used to weep over the garbage to which Des O'Connor subjects me at the start of each show, but now that he's going, I sit, suffer and smile.
by Harry Whitehouse
Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:49 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: non-Britons on Countdown?
Replies: 22
Views: 2826

Re: non-Britons on Countdown?

Tom O'Connor always goes down well with the viewers. After lots of lurking, I couldn't help responding to that provocative assertion. As I see from one posting that most people on this message board are felt to be under-30, at 59 I'm clearly atypical as far as far as posters are concerned, but I'm ...
by Harry Whitehouse
Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:33 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Cheltenham racing cancelled
Replies: 11
Views: 2674

Re: Cheltenham racing cancelled

I believe it's a pun on the different meanings of "class". Such japery is probably beyond people of your class. n. & v. n. any set of persons or things grouped together, or graded or differentiated from others esp. by quality (first class; economy class). a a division or order of soci...
by Harry Whitehouse
Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:19 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: An interesting Countdown observation
Replies: 38
Views: 4536

Re: An interesting Countdown observation

Hi Folks, Bear in mind, people like Alan Hansen, Lulu, Gordon Ramsay, The Spice Girls and many others, all appear in TV Commercials without the need for formal identification, because there comes a point where to actually put their names up is almost derogatory. I think the "personality" ...
by Harry Whitehouse
Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:14 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday, 18th March
Replies: 23
Views: 3869

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday, 18th March

When the game started I thought it was a pity that two interesting youngsters were pitted against each other, when for weeks you can get a succession of boring middle aged six-hitters.
by Harry Whitehouse
Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:10 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Cheltenham racing cancelled
Replies: 11
Views: 2674

Re: Cheltenham racing cancelled

Matthew Green wrote:a bunch of slightly handicapped working class people.
Just as a point of interest, in what class do you place yourself, Matthew?
by Harry Whitehouse
Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:04 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: SPOILER ALERT!! Des O Connor and his chatting
Replies: 17
Views: 3227

Re: SPOILER ALERT!! Des O Connor and his chatting

I decided long ago that this happened because Des isn't a good off-the-cuff conversationalist. He gets tongue-tied and says the most banal things. The "chats" with the personalities scream out that they are rehearsed, because they tend to consist of: "Didn''t you once...." and th...
by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:39 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: "...and a better one..."
Replies: 89
Views: 11149

Re: "...and a better one..."

I've decided not to apply until I've thought of something original to say when requesting the numbers.

My favourite request of the existing ones is the "Motown selection".
by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:19 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdown with The Times next week
Replies: 23
Views: 4736

Re: Countdown with The Times next week

Do you know on what specific day the countdown PC game is going to be in Howard? The Times is too high up the socio-economic scale for me :D and I usually buy The sun or The Daily Star! Leaving aside the socio side of this problem for the time being, there's no need for it to be out of economic rea...
by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:10 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdown with The Times next week
Replies: 23
Views: 4736

Re: Countdown with The Times next week

They gave away the 2005 edition of the Scrabble program on Sunday, and I was intending to use it finally to get to grips with Scrabble. Unfortunately, the board of tiles is half way off the screen, which makes life rather difficult. Well impossible, actually.
by Harry Whitehouse
Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:22 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Where were you?
Replies: 26
Views: 3817

Re: Where were you?

The two examples I gave worked for me, because I really could remember where I was.\ Both of those examples were very commonly quoted in their respective eras. I was out walking with three friends, listening to my little transistor radio, when we heard that JFK had been assassinated. That was the he...
by Harry Whitehouse
Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:43 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Where were you?
Replies: 26
Views: 3817

Where were you?

Years ago, it was often suggested that people of my generation would always remember where they were when they heard of John F. Kennedy's assassination. In the late 70s, trivial as it might be in comparison, it was said you would always remember where you were when you first read The Lord Of The Rin...
by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:20 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Mass noun plurals confusion
Replies: 32
Views: 5769

Re: Mass noun plurals confusion

Thanks for that.

It's provided me with a wonderfully diverting half an hour reading the various conflicting offerings of authoritative advice on the internet. Only ten minutes to knocking-off time now. :roll:
by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:04 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Mass noun plurals confusion
Replies: 32
Views: 5769

Re: Mass noun plurals confusion

Corby wrote:
David Roe wrote:
Here's a (possible) oddity: I see ICONIZE in my dictionary but no ICONISE. What gives? (I'm assuming it's a verb along the lines of iconify or something). Any more -IZE words with no -ISE equivalent?
Strictly speaking, doesn't this depend on whether the word is of Latin or Greek origin?
by Harry Whitehouse
Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:01 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Des - varying the routine
Replies: 4
Views: 2353

Re: Des - varying the routine

I think the problem is more fundamental than that - I think that it's become a show with an inbuilt conflict between two completely disparate types of content - variety theatre acts by Des and the guest, and the serious contest involving the competitors, DC and Carol. With a skilled presenter, the o...
by Harry Whitehouse
Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:48 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 30th January 2008
Replies: 33
Views: 5358

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 30th January 2008

After the first three rounds, I decided it must be David's Mum putting on a Wolverhampton accent. Were the tattoos authentic, or were they part of the disguise?
by Harry Whitehouse
Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:44 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Alison/Susie?
Replies: 42
Views: 9988

Re: Alison/Susie?

Alison doesn't have Susie's depth of knowledge, and I find Susie's occasional other-worldliness quite endearing. She will sometimes explain the meanings of words, but have no idea how to pronounce them, despite the fact that they are not excessively obscure. I have also seen Susie mispronounce word...