Search found 582 matches
- Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:51 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Thurs 9 April Spoiler Thread
- Replies: 24
- Views: 4197
Re: Thurs 9 April Spoiler Thread
Thought Andrew was going to go far. Not in the field of public speaking, I'll wager. I did actually wonder if Andrew had a slight communication difficulty - he didn't seem to find it easy to express himself at all fluently. Maybe it was just nerves, but I did wonder. It contrasted with what looked ...
- Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:05 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Monday 6th April 2009
- Replies: 25
- Views: 4065
Re: Spoilers for Monday 6th April 2009
I was pleased to get that too, also DOVETAIL in R1Rich Priest wrote:PASTICHE, round 2.
- Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:08 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Feedback on the new Countdown
- Replies: 25
- Views: 3949
Re: Feedback on the new Countdown
Well I have watched every Jeff Stelling episode, and I have never heard him do so. Amazingly my brain must shut off at that exact moment each episode. Yep, definitely no way you could just forget something. Isn't Derek referring to the way DesO used to say things like "well, you're just playin...
- Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:54 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Friday 3rd April 2009
- Replies: 25
- Views: 4361
Re: Spoilers for Friday 3rd April 2009
Women would probably be more accurate in their aim, even if the jumping forward still presents problems.Phil Reynolds wrote:but it's a bit hit-and-miss, and quite difficult to jump forward
- Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:49 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Friday 3rd April 2009
- Replies: 25
- Views: 4361
Re: Spoilers for Friday 3rd April 2009
Yeah, I noticed ORRERY first too. In my case I knew ORRERIES was a word but spent the rest of the round trying to count the Es and Rs I could see on screen to convince myself I had enough. Not helped by the new "improved" Channel 4 Catch-Up which seems much jerkier than the old one. Also,...
- Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:29 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers, Thursday 02/04/09
- Replies: 20
- Views: 2847
Re: Spoilers, Thursday 02/04/09
In my previous post I toyed with the idea of quoting Matt's "anti-emitics" and putting "sic" in brackets afterwards, but it wasn't all that funny so I didn't bother. I'm glad you got that out of your system. (I toyed with the idea of putting that as a reply, but decided that tha...
- Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:19 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday, 31st March
- Replies: 48
- Views: 5351
Re: Spoilers for Tuesday, 31st March
How long before it turns into insofaras™ ? (Do you ever get 'insofar' without 'as'?)Phil Reynolds wrote:insofar™ as
- Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:50 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday, 31st March
- Replies: 48
- Views: 5351
Re: Spoilers for Tuesday, 31st March
I thought I'd done well with a DC-beating CADENCE in R12, but I see that's been beaten here already. It wasn't a vintage DC day today - surprising, given the intellectual capacity and rigour of Jon Gaunt (as evidenced by his cogently argued homilies). I've really warmed to Cate - it would be nice to...
- Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:11 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for March 17th
- Replies: 97
- Views: 11829
Re: Spoilers for March 17th
I finally got to see the game last night after all the problems with channel4.com/catchup Catch-Up still doesn't work for me after the first commercial break. Pooh. Have just rechecked from here, and it's still not working, you're right Phil. I'll have a grrr at C4 for lying to me. Sorry, I had foo...
- Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:22 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers, Friday 20/03/2009
- Replies: 16
- Views: 3315
Re: Spoilers, Friday 20/03/2009
Not so amazingly quick; there was a gap of nearly a month between the recording of Thursday's show and this one. I should have given a wink ... I had actually guessed that it was week's gap, though I haven't studied beard growth rates. Interesting to see Tim Roth's biography - he seems to specialis...
- Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:22 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers, Friday 20/03/2009
- Replies: 16
- Views: 3315
Re: Spoilers, Friday 20/03/2009
Interesting game, even if DC did have a fairly easy ride. But was also surprised about the DC miss of ENFORCES. Thought I must have made a mistake, as usual. Stephen has spoilt the master criminal look though with the amazingly quick beard growth (wow, not even a weekend for it ... he must get throu...
- Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:02 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 19th March
- Replies: 25
- Views: 3491
Re: Spoilers for Thursday 19th March
Or TRACERY.Mike Brailsford wrote:CATERER for 7
I've been thinking that Stephen could convincingly play the part of a particularly cold-blooded criminal, if he were an actor. I'm sure he's actually a really nice person. Nothing personal. Sorry.
- Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:59 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for March 17th
- Replies: 97
- Views: 11829
Re: Spoilers for March 17th
Apparently the whole show is now available at Catch-Up. Here's the email from C4: "Thank you for your email regarding Catch-Up on Channel4.com. I have checked Catch-Up and can confirm that this full episode of COUNTDOWN is now available to stream. You can find this episode along with the other ...
- Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:17 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for March 17th
- Replies: 97
- Views: 11829
Re: Spoilers for March 17th
I hope that they don't blame it on Digital Rights Management. Or Windows Media Player. I remembered you pestering them a couple of weeks ago, Phil. Well, if they try to suggest it's just an individual's problem, let's just send them a link to this page. BTW - am trying downloading from 4oD, but it'...
- Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:51 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for March 17th
- Replies: 97
- Views: 11829
Re: Spoilers for March 17th
Ditto. I hope that they don't blame it on Digital Rights Management.Howard Somerset wrote:I've informed them using the on-line comment form. If I hear back I'll let you know.
- Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:14 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for March 17th
- Replies: 97
- Views: 11829
Re: Spoilers for March 17th
Sadly bloody channel 4 catch up and 4od only show the first 5 rounds and then it cuts off :x Yes, grrrrr indeed. I only get to watch on catch-up, had been really looking forward to it today, then up come these ladies in hair dryers after just five rounds. Even now I know the result (and congratulat...
- Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:03 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
- Replies: 223
- Views: 28092
Re: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
Yes, "to be" is the only verb in English which has a distinct subjunctive, so most of the time you can just ignore it. It's used to denote a kind of uncertainty or hypotheticality, e.g. "If he were to win, he would be the greatest ever." Don't we also use the subjunctive in a si...
- Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:42 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
- Replies: 223
- Views: 28092
Re: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
I haven't read all of that but my understanding was that "I used to" is "standard" and fine, "I did use to" isn't "standard" but is quite common and "I did used to" is just weird. Although I'm not even in the foothills of understanding linguistics (...
- Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:17 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
- Replies: 223
- Views: 28092
Re: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
If nothing else, I am delighted to have discovered (via the second link I posted) that "used to" is "a defective quasimodal verb", a phrase I shall lose no time in dropping into conversation at the Cricketers' Arms. That catchy terminology caught my eye too. It's just the settin...
- Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:38 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
- Replies: 223
- Views: 28092
Re: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
I think that you possibly did use the wrong tense. If you mean by dropping the d of "used to" when used in a clause with "did" (either for emphasis, as in my case, or to form a question or a negative - "did you use to...?", "I didn't use to..."), then not acc...
- Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:55 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
- Replies: 223
- Views: 28092
Re: "Frustrated by the programme marginalising her sexuality."
Oh blimey, sorry Phil, can't resist, but is that a mistake there? Is what a mistake where? I'm not immune to making mistakes (though it's nice to know I have a reputation for infallibility), but having re-read those particular nine words of mine several times, they seem fine to me. It does seem a b...
- Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:02 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoiler(s) for Friday 27/02/2009
- Replies: 35
- Views: 4788
Re: Spoiler(s) for Friday 27/02/2009
After arguing for a couple of days with some jobsworth from C4 (who tried to get me to do everything from reinstall Windows Media Player to reset the time on my PC), I finally managed to convince them that the problem lay at their end rather than mine and Friday's episode is now viewable via Catch-...
- Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:55 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Dictionary Corner Guests
- Replies: 143
- Views: 20189
Re: Dictionary Corner Guests
My ex-GF told me he practised in her home town, which is midway between Bath and Bristol, has 8 letters, and was also the title of an album by the Bonzo Dog Band. Here's your 30 seconds: ding-diggle-iggle-iggle-ing diggle-iggle-iggle-ing... Keynsham. Got it in 2 seconds. Google even gets you the ad...
- Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:18 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Dictionary Corner Guests
- Replies: 143
- Views: 20189
Re: Dictionary Corner Guests
My ex-GF told me he practised in her home town, which is midway between Bath and Bristol, has 8 letters, and was also the title of an album by the Bonzo Dog Band. Here's your 30 seconds: ding-diggle-iggle-iggle-ing diggle-iggle-iggle-ing... Keynsham. Got it in 2 seconds. Google even gets you the ad...
- Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:33 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoiler(s) for Friday 27/02/2009
- Replies: 35
- Views: 4788
Re: Spoiler(s) for Friday 27/02/2009
Me too ...Phil Reynolds wrote:Didn't see this before posting on the other thread but, yes, I'm having the same problem.Tracey Lilly wrote:I am trying to watch today's episode on Channel 4 Catchup but I keep getting a media error sign and it wil not play.
Any one else having problems or is it just me?
- Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:05 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers & Comments, Monday 16/02/2009
- Replies: 46
- Views: 4894
Re: Spoilers & Comments, Monday 16/02/2009
Reading out loud from books, apparently.AnnieHall wrote:Who is the woman on dictionary corner and what is she famous for??
- Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:45 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Drifting semantically
- Replies: 61
- Views: 7764
Re: Drifting semantically
Oh now that is cool! Tough though. I follow a man but I am not a man, I am a woman but I don't follow a woman, I am who I am, but I am not what I follow because if I was what I follow, I would not be who I am. I also follow a car, a train, a dog, and all that moves? Is this at least partly right? Y...
- Fri Feb 13, 2009 1:58 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Drifting semantically
- Replies: 61
- Views: 7764
Re: Drifting semantically
Ah, I remember getting very confused before finding out that suivre was a horrible irregular little verb. "I follow a woman, but I am not a woman"? As for Sartre, "L'enfer, c'est les autres"- he knew his stuff! I've just found a longer version of the riddle on French website: Je...
- Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:30 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Drifting semantically
- Replies: 61
- Views: 7764
Re: Drifting semantically
But you don't need accents (or lack of them) to make ambiguous phrases in French. There was a case of a French teacher (a teacher in France) several years ago who lost his job because he used to set his class riddles. Unwisely, for each time the class got the wrong solution to the riddle, his chosen...
- Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:34 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: How many swear words does Kai know?
- Replies: 68
- Views: 8762
Re: How many swear words does Kai know?
"f***" may be a catch-all word, functioning as a verb, adjective and interjection-style noun, but you can't say precisely what you mean with it I think the script-writers of The Wire might disagree. If you've seen Season 1 Episode 4, you'll know what I mean. Only about 3 different words o...
- Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:46 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers and comments for Thursday 12/02/2009
- Replies: 48
- Views: 6009
Re: Spoilers and comments for Thursday 12/02/2009
I was actually playing crabwise scales while the letters came up ... once the C came up, I was so hoping for an S. Didn't have to wait long.Ray Folwell wrote:My wife got CRABWISE in R1
- Tue Feb 10, 2009 4:48 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Welcome! - Post here first
- Replies: 1961
- Views: 1085782
Re: Welcome! - Post here first
I hope I've removed the offensive bit.Jon Corby wrote:Welcome Brian. Phil Reynolds used to have a very similar-looking avatar by the way, until we lobbied him to change it.Brian Moore wrote:The clues are in the panel to the left - the name's there, and the thing stuck on the front of my face, below my nose, is a trumpet.
- Tue Feb 10, 2009 4:44 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Welcome! - Post here first
- Replies: 1961
- Views: 1085782
Re: Welcome! - Post here first
I have a confession to make - I always practise the trumpet while watching Countdown. I do all the boring routine stuff while I watch, and encourage my pupils to do the same; it's good brain-training, and makes the routine enjoyable. Most of my pupils think I'm odd for playing scales and watching C...
- Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:45 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers and comments for Monday 09/02/2009
- Replies: 73
- Views: 10148
Re: Spoilers and comments for Monday 09/02/2009
I wouldn't want people to think I would actually say something that moronic (to Phil or anyone else) with a straight face. I actually rather hope that you will continue to keep a straight face. One of the joys of good intellects is the quality of invective and insult. Anything other than a straight...
- Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:34 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers and comments for Monday 09/02/2009
- Replies: 73
- Views: 10148
Re: Spoilers and comments for Monday 09/02/2009
I must look up 'irony' in my dictionary. I'm unsure whether you're trying to be funny or if this is the most spectacular joke miss ever, please clarify. I suppose that it must be the former (sorry, yes, it's not) ... the question is, should I stoop to using emoticons to indicate 'attempt at humour'...
- Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:37 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Welcome! - Post here first
- Replies: 1961
- Views: 1085782
Re: Welcome! - Post here first
The clues are in the panel to the left - the name's there, and the thing stuck on the front of my face, below my nose, is a trumpet. I play it and teach it. I've also done things academic in music, and in my life as a herdsman became qualified to do artificial insemination (AI) on cows. I never work...
- Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:19 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers and comments for Monday 09/02/2009
- Replies: 73
- Views: 10148
Re: Spoilers and comments for Monday 09/02/2009
Respect other people, and if they're worthwhile human beings they'll respect you. Phil, I should totally employ you as my full-time apologist. What's the pay like? I have a Cambridge degree, I shouldn't have to pay people like you who haven't even been on the show. I must look up 'irony' in my dict...
- Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:54 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Drifting semantically
- Replies: 61
- Views: 7764
Re: Rachel Riley at the numbers board
And LOUGH and BOUGH and THOROUGH and ....Martin Gardner wrote:For instance, how do you explain the totally different pronunciations of THROUGH, THOUGHT and THOUGH. I suppose you might as well add TROUGH and TOUGH to that list.
- Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:10 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Drifting semantically
- Replies: 61
- Views: 7764
Re: Rachel Riley at the numbers board
What's polysemic mean? My NODE's downstairs, it isn't in my average-size dictionary I keep up here. Polysemy is when the same word has very closely related but different meanings. I'm nicking this straight out of Steven Pinker's 'The Stuff of Thought' (there, I capitalised the nouns, to make it eas...
- Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:42 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Friday February 6th 2009
- Replies: 67
- Views: 8930
Re: Spoilers for Friday February 6th 2009
Ah, well I thought I ought to make a deliberate mistake in my first post. At least the mistake was my own work. At least you have contributed more to the forum already than most people have. Perhaps I ought to post a long list of all the mistakes I make for each programme ... though I have some sor...
- Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:10 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Friday February 6th 2009
- Replies: 67
- Views: 8930
Re: Spoilers for Friday February 6th 2009
SPACERS round: SUNSPACE is a contestant/DC beater (not really my own work, was checking the Stemmer for UNSPACES) I think I got PRANCERS in this round - and it was my own work. Well done. Although the selection only had 1 R Ah, well I thought I ought to make a deliberate mistake in my first post. A...
- Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:36 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Friday February 6th 2009
- Replies: 67
- Views: 8930
Re: Spoilers for Friday February 6th 2009
I think I got PRANCERS in this round - and it was my own work.Matt Morrison wrote:SPACERS round: SUNSPACE is a contestant/DC beater (not really my own work, was checking the Stemmer for UNSPACES)