Search found 1268 matches
- Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:55 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Say hello to Susie
- Replies: 67
- Views: 12090
Say hello to Susie
If you look at the real content of the programme, Rachel may average one numbers solution a game. Susie contributes a longer word, an interesting word, a definition, an adjudication, maybe ten times a programme, and she also has her own slot of a couple of minutes. Yet at the start of the show it's ...
- Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:37 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Rachel Riley at the numbers board
- Replies: 19
- Views: 5131
Re: Rachel Riley at the numbers board
Not as outrageous as the way she writes 9's. Starting at the bottom like upside-down 6's. Someone's going to try that at home and dislocate something and then they'll be sorry.
- Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:30 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: My retirement
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3979
Re: My retirement
A long time ago, in a forum far, far removed from this one, I well remember a discussion as to whether your octochamp score was better than mine. (I thought it was.) It's a shame to lose one of the few people here I've actually met, but all the best for the future. Having said that, I have a feeling...
- Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:33 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Something which has been baffling me for ages...
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2253
Re: Something which has been baffling me for ages...
I think the order is immaterial, but I can't understand why anyone would have anything other than four consonants and three vowels for their first seven letters. Those seven are going to be in the final nine whatever order you pick them in, and if you see, say, an unusual eight letter word that just...
- Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:26 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Welcome! - Post here first
- Replies: 1962
- Views: 1103764
Re: Welcome! - Post here first
A phrase has more than one word.
- Sat Feb 07, 2009 11:12 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Paparazzi ALREADY on Rachel's Back.....
- Replies: 15
- Views: 3127
Re: Paparazzi ALREADY on Rachel's Back.....
I'd be a bit surprised if there's a pack of paparazzi following her around 24/7. Seems more likely another Lidl customer saw an opportunity to make a few bob. I'd actually see it as good news that anyone would think this was newsworthy. It won't last, surely.
- Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:45 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Welcome! - Post here first
- Replies: 1962
- Views: 1103764
Re: Welcome! - Post here first
You've lost me. (Which, I guess, means you won. Again.)
- Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:40 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Welcome! - Post here first
- Replies: 1962
- Views: 1103764
Re: Welcome! - Post here first
It takes time. Time is money. Not doing it saves time. So it saves money.
Incidentally "cost-cutting" is not a phrase.
Incidentally "cost-cutting" is not a phrase.
- Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:29 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Welcome! - Post here first
- Replies: 1962
- Views: 1103764
Re: Welcome! - Post here first
There are so many posts here it's almost impossible to ensure you don't say something that hasn't already been said, but surely I remember one of the not-a-clique-at-all-goodness-me-no saying that the audience shot was difficult to do, mikes a problem, whatever. That sounds like cost-cutting to me.
- Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:39 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Historical recaps
- Topic: Recap for second QF of series 40 - 18/06/99
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2699
Re: Recap for second QF of series 40 - 18/06/99
One of the first games I ever saw. I remember wondering about REPASTING, which could either be having a meal or what you do to dried out wallpaper, and then Mark Nyman (I think) coming up with the slightly bizarre TRAPESING. It sticks in my mind because twelve months later I was on, the same letters...
- Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:35 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Dictionary Corner Guests for the new series
- Replies: 276
- Views: 32177
Re: Dictionary Corner Guests for the new series
He's probably not very good at spelling.
- Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:26 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Dictionary Corner Guests for the new series
- Replies: 276
- Views: 32177
Re: Dictionary Corner Guests for the new series
Ditch the lot of them. A complete waste of time and space, every single one.
- Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:06 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Cheating - and spoilers
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2217
Cheating - and spoilers
There seems to be a consensus as to what is cheating on apterous. So is it any different in posting words or numbers missed on the programme itself? The recapper will give a computerised perfect record of the game in due course, so what's the point in posting something unless you found it yourself? ...
- Fri Jan 23, 2009 11:52 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Friday 23rd January (CofC XIII QF2)
- Replies: 71
- Views: 9108
Re: Spoilers for Friday 23rd January (CofC XIII QF2)
No-one seems to have picked up that Susie rejected MESSERS because it was capitalised and has no final E. She was thinking of Messrs (plural of Mr)! It did occur to me that there might be an agent noun lurking under MESS that she hadn't checked.
- Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:38 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: New series, new set, new presenters...same old S4C
- Replies: 16
- Views: 3519
Re: New series, new set, new presenters...same old S4C
Wasn't it you, Martin, who when Richard Whiteley said something along the lines of "You must have been very excited at your win last Friday", replied "I haven't had a wink of sleep since". I can also remember Terry O'Farrell, who'd obviously said he was a horse racing fan, being ...
- Fri Jan 23, 2009 7:30 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Lattices
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2875
Re: Lattices
A
AS AT
SEA SAT ANT
SEAR SEAT ANTS ANTI
RAGES STARE ANTES STAIN PAINT
GRATES ASTERN TISANE PAINTS
STRANGE RETSINA PANTIES
ANGRIEST PAINTERS
TRAPESING
Quite poetic!
AS AT
SEA SAT ANT
SEAR SEAT ANTS ANTI
RAGES STARE ANTES STAIN PAINT
GRATES ASTERN TISANE PAINTS
STRANGE RETSINA PANTIES
ANGRIEST PAINTERS
TRAPESING
Quite poetic!
- Thu Jan 22, 2009 5:31 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Lattices
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2875
Re: Lattices
A AS/AT SAT SEAT/STAR STARE ASTERN/SATIRE RETSINA PAINTERS/ANGRIEST TRAPESING
Just read this properly. Thought it was too easy! Back to the drawing board!
Just read this properly. Thought it was too easy! Back to the drawing board!
- Thu Jan 22, 2009 2:31 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Welcome! - Post here first
- Replies: 1962
- Views: 1103764
Re: Welcome! - Post here first
Welcome, Tony. Nottm Forest Supporting Father of 8. "Football is not a matter of Life and Death.....It's more important than that!!" Brian Howard Clough, OBE (21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) I've disagreed with many things I've read here, but not often with anyone's signature! Bill Shan...
- Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:02 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: How-To Guides
- Replies: 172
- Views: 43199
Re: How-To Guides
Kirk, I'm so sorry about being confusing. Obviously I should have said "about 10" and "about 7", spelled out the numbers in full, referred extensively to my previous post. If you're confused, given the number of times you've contributed to this thread, then everyone else must be ...
- Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:06 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: How-To Guides
- Replies: 172
- Views: 43199
Re: How-To Guides
37 does indeed divide into 111, but I would caution against trying to use that fact. I've said before that factorising is dangerous, as you have nothing at all to declare if it doesn't quite work. And making 37 is going to use at least three of the numbers. If it's an even target you might be able t...
- Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:08 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Equal Scoring Rounds
- Replies: 14
- Views: 2424
Re: Equal Scoring Rounds
I wonder where the ethical cut-off point comes before you ask for an adjudication. Something like LEOTRD - just a slip, forget it? But DIOPTR - could be hedging his bets, unsure whether it's RE or ER at the end? What if he's written DIOPTRE and DIOPTER? What about something like 2+4 x 100 2+3 = 6 59...
- Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:06 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Shuffling
- Replies: 76
- Views: 17978
Re: Shuffling
Yes. But what is the technique? It's not what it was years ago.
- Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:01 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Shuffling
- Replies: 76
- Views: 17978
Shuffling
There have been a couple of references to this (and some bizarre letter selections), and I'd be interested to know the current system. When I first watched it was uncommon to have two letters the same in any selection, apart from an occasional two Es. This had to mean that the selections weren't ran...
- Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:07 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 15 Jan 2009 (CoC Heat 4)
- Replies: 120
- Views: 10385
Re: Spoilers for Thursday 15 Jan 2009 (CoC Heat 4)
Is it just me, or was the conundrum a bit unfair? In a CoC crucial conundrum you have to press immediately you see something, and I would expect nearly every player of CoC standard to "see" CAFETERIA and buzz immediately. If Tony had been just a little slower, I expect Kai would have buzze...
- Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:09 am
- Forum: apterous.org
- Topic: First or second? A demythification
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2978
Re: First or second? A demythification
Suppose you think one from the top gives you 10% chance of winning the round, 10% chance of losing, and 80% chance of sharing the points. Six small you judge as 40% win, 40% lose, 20% draw. I you're 11 points ahead, one from the top gives you 90% chance of staying there. If you're 11 points behind, ...
- Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:46 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Dyscalculia - Or Why I'll Never Be On Countdown...
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1845
Re: Dyscalculia - Or Why I'll Never Be On Countdown...
I'd be interested to know what you (and others) are like at remembering faces. I've heard there's some sort of inverse relationship with maths skills. I'm absolutely hopeless. I don't particularly forget people's names, I simply don't recognise them. I couldn't do an accurate photo-fit to save my li...
- Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:07 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: CofC today!
- Replies: 74
- Views: 9352
Re: CofC today!
I found it all a bit weird - somehow unnerving that these strange people on a strange set had hijacked some well-known contestants and were pretending to present Countdown. Not helped by thinking the numbers and letters boards seemed to be different heights, and wondering if it was always like that....
- Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:37 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: How-To Guides
- Replies: 172
- Views: 43199
Re: How-To Guides
You will be good - eventually. But most contestants know they aren't going to be series champion, and would be more than happy to win just once. They aren't going to commit hours and hours to practising, but they might be helped by a few tips to suggest the most productive use of a bit of spare time...
- Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:33 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: How-To Guides
- Replies: 172
- Views: 43199
Re: How-To Guides
Totally agree. And, unless things have changed, you can't see the score, so keep a note of it. The other thing you can't see is your opponent's name plate. When I was on there was no Green Room, just separate male and female changing rooms. My first show was the first of the day, so the first time I...
- Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:08 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: How-To Guides
- Replies: 172
- Views: 43199
Re: How-To Guides
You see something like this in almost every programme. 100 7 6 5 2 1 target 639 Both contestants go (6x100) + (7x5) + 2 + 1 = 638 CV gives 6x(100+5) + 7 +2 or 6x(100+7) - 2 - 1 Tip 1. Once you've made the 600 the 6 is still available to multiply by any of the other numbers (or combination thereof). ...
- Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:19 am
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Word + Letter = Antonym (a word puzzle)
- Replies: 41
- Views: 3586
Re: Word + Letter = Antonym (a word puzzle)
PHAETON + S = STANHOPE
A crossword compiler's favourite. Many might say that phaetons and stanhopes are pretty much the same thing, but I'm sure that to carriage cognoscenti there are differences so profound that they are complete opposites. A bit like Blair and Thatcher.
David
A crossword compiler's favourite. Many might say that phaetons and stanhopes are pretty much the same thing, but I'm sure that to carriage cognoscenti there are differences so profound that they are complete opposites. A bit like Blair and Thatcher.
David
- Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:36 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Most popular countdown words
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2472
Re: Most popular countdown words
When I started watching, TZIGANES used to come up frequently - a very useful way to use a Z. But it seems to have disappeared completely.
David
David
- Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:13 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Anyone for a slice of pie?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 2728
Re: Anyone for a slice of pie?
At the risk of jeopardising my position in the table, we seem to have a clear demonstration of the inverse relationship between quality and quantity.
David
David
- Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:07 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: [20080530] Friday's game, 30th May 2008, S58 G104
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2474
Re: [20080530] Friday's game, 30th May 2008, S58 G104
An educated guess would be that the target was indeed 851, but the contestants both actually got 853, and CV got 851.
- Sat Dec 20, 2008 6:18 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Putting it on paper
- Replies: 24
- Views: 3620
Re: Putting it on paper
I've never written the numbers down, but it must make sense to do so. While the letters are going up you can start thinking of words, but there's absolutely nothing you can do with the numbers until you know the target. So use the time the only way you can. Now all I need to do is think of a way of ...
- Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:08 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Putting it on paper
- Replies: 24
- Views: 3620
Re: Putting it on paper
After my audition I developed a method of writing down the letters on a sort of invisible grid. Vowels (in order) on the top line, NRST on the next, down to QXZK in the bottom left hand corner. It helped me to concentrate on the most promising lines, not missing likely suffixes and prefixes etc. Mos...
- Thu Dec 18, 2008 4:59 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Forum Decorum
- Replies: 78
- Views: 10081
Re: Forum Decorum
Dominated by a clique? I wasn't keen when "outsiders" like Zef and Gevin seemed to be singled out for trivial things, whereas some of the "insiders" had free rein, but that doesn't seem to be an issue these days. So not a problem. Put off by swearing? Possibly, but in practice I ...
- Fri Nov 28, 2008 9:50 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Alex Horne: funny finalist
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1818
Re: Alex Horne: funny finalist
The pairing to beat is Natascha Kearsey and Pete Cashmore, who met in the series, the series semi-final and the Champion of Champions final. Pete won the semi, Natascha the other two. One of the quirks of Countdown, of course, is that if Pete had won the first game a future Champion of Champions wou...
- Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:42 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Campaign to get Stephen Fry in DC
- Replies: 44
- Views: 5877
Re: Campaign to get Stephen Fry in DC
I think you'll find your job description is quite insistent that you take OFFENCE!Lara Searle wrote:I take offense to that comment I'm afraid.
- Sat Nov 22, 2008 12:13 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Dictionary - or what?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 3190
Re: Dictionary - or what?
The ODE is not a model of consistency. But, to be fair, I think if I was asked the two in isolation, I'd say HAULER/HAULIER were two different words, but ALUMINIUM/ALUMINUM were different spellings of the same word. The chances of anyone noticing that actually the difference is just the same are pre...
- Fri Nov 21, 2008 7:56 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Rachel Riley Unveiled.
- Replies: 141
- Views: 19345
Re: Rachel Riley Unveiled.
Will there be any changes to the format, I wonder? If we are to believe that Rachel is to get the same money as Carol was being offered (surely not - that really would imply they wanted to force Carol out), then presumably she gets second billing and takes over all that Carol did. Or is Susie now &q...
- Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:45 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: CountMax errors
- Replies: 727
- Views: 92482
Re: CountMax errors
Memory can play tricks, but before the NODE words like RAIMENTS and BUTANES were surely regularly disallowed even though the dictionary didn't specifically forbid them. Having mass nouns specified was a big help to DC. Just a shame the OED made such a botch of it.
- Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:36 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Annoying things Carol does
- Replies: 60
- Views: 7344
Re: Annoying things Carol does
Carol essentially has a mundane role where she has done the same task many thousands of times. She somehow contrives to do it so well that she has made herself a star by doing it. Even when she's laughing too loud at some duff celebrity you know it's because her only thought is to make every episode...
- Sat Oct 25, 2008 9:28 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Have I Got News For You
- Replies: 42
- Views: 5653
Re: Have I Got News For You
Anyone worried by the possibility of encountering poor taste might do well to avoid HIGNFY. And the Countdown stuff was all from Hislop and Merton. People do act differently in different situations. Who would ever have seen Jo Brand as a favourite Countdown celebrity? But that's not really my point....
- Fri Oct 24, 2008 8:49 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Have I Got News For You
- Replies: 42
- Views: 5653
Re: Have I Got News For You
It's a veritable Countdown extravaganza, including TWO connections they obviously weren't aware of.
David
David
- Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:57 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Which football team do you support?
- Replies: 84
- Views: 10257
Re: Which football team do you support?
I also used to attend the Goldstone Ground in the late 1950s and early 1960s - 9d to get in, Mike Tiddy and the 3-3 draw with Burnley (top of Div 1 at the time). But I don't remember any paticular rivalry with Portsmouth, or indeed anyone else. I think I'm right in saying that Brighton is the most r...
- Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:41 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Just wanted to say...
- Replies: 19
- Views: 3270
Re: Just wanted to say...
How can they all have good luck?
- Sat Oct 18, 2008 10:18 am
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Quadruple your money
- Replies: 18
- Views: 2903
Re: Quadruple your money
Well, I enjoyed it. It's the going down to a quarter size table rather than trying to cover one large coin with four small ones that's obvious when pointed out, but hard (for me, anyway) to see.
David
David
- Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:22 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Quadruple your money
- Replies: 18
- Views: 2903
Re: Quadruple your money
Paul, All I'm trying to say is that if I have 400 coins and arrange them in a particular way I can completely cover a square of a certain multiple of the radius of one coin. If I could then demonstrate that it's impossible to fit 101 coins into that square without two touching, I'd have solved the p...
- Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:31 am
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Quadruple your money
- Replies: 18
- Views: 2903
Re: Quadruple your money
I don't exactly have a solution, but here's what I've got. "Think like a mathematician". This could mean start from the other end. Find a way of covering a table with 400 coins, then demonstrate that you can't get more than 100 on without two touching. If your coins have radius sqrt(2), th...
- Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:45 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: After Carol
- Replies: 21
- Views: 4862
Re: After Carol
If Arthur Smith found all his own words, then he also found time to write them down for Susie, because whenever he came up with something unusual she had the dictionary open at the right page. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe they did a re-shoot to make the programme flow better. The problem is that ...
- Sat Aug 30, 2008 9:48 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: After Carol
- Replies: 21
- Views: 4862
Re: After Carol
Damian, I'm sure I'd be a lot less restrained than you are if no-hoper bystanders were sitting over my shoulder criticising my work. If you really think that current blockbuster programmes have any relevance to Countdown, a big factor is the humiliation of celebrities. Feed them duff words and ridic...
- Fri Aug 29, 2008 7:22 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: After Carol
- Replies: 21
- Views: 4862
Re: After Carol
I've apparently made 15 posts to this forum of which the last two could be said to be critical. You think they are negative, I'd like to think they were at least a little constructive. In the eight years I've been watching the show's audience has fallen by three quarters, which is doubtless reflecte...
- Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:34 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: After Carol
- Replies: 21
- Views: 4862
After Carol
One thing that we tend to take for granted here is that Carol's on her own, but Dictionary Corner get help. I imagine most regular viewers would suspect that celebrities get given words. I'd guess, however, that lots would assume no help at all is given to Carol and Susie, but equally lots would thi...
- Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:07 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Monday, 25th August
- Replies: 22
- Views: 2913
Re: Spoilers for Monday, 25th August
Wasn't the last numbers game a shambles? Carol has an unfortunate habit of not bothering to listen to the contestant once she thinks she knows what they're going to say. It seemed to dawn on her that something wasn't quite right, but as the solution was pretty obvious she made a big point of saying ...
- Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:23 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Arithmetician Search Begins
- Replies: 58
- Views: 6474
Re: Arithmetician Search Begins
I see the requirement is for "excellent numeric and literacy skills" (sic) which might suggest a change of role. Also that there is no indication of salary. But if you haven't already done so, Damian, why not drop a line to Loz Sands? No-one is going to replicate Carol, but I think Loz wou...
- Wed May 28, 2008 10:57 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Champion of champions seedings
- Replies: 40
- Views: 9298
Re: Champion of champions seedings
When I replied to my invitation for CoC I think I told Mr Eadie there was a drink in it for him if I avoided Mr Wills in Round 1 - with inevitable consequences. I think the only seeding was that all the series champions were kept apart.
David W
David W
- Sat May 10, 2008 1:50 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: How Smart Do You Think You Are?
- Replies: 113
- Views: 11228
Re: How Smart Do You Think You Are?
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.142 Did Magellan get home safely? No, for he was killed in a fight with islanders in the Philippines. He died on 27 April 1521 on Mactan Island, Cebu, the Philippines. So although he had masterminded the first expedition to sail around the world, he did not...
- Sun May 04, 2008 10:46 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Which team do you follow?
- Replies: 38
- Views: 3965
Re: Which team do you follow?
Interested to know what people mean by "support". In my book it means a bit more than feeling pleased when they win. I've been to between forty and fifty Liverpool games a year for the last forty years.
David
David
- Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:07 am
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Con Man's word puzzle
- Replies: 16
- Views: 4241
Re: Con Man's word puzzle
ROMAN
DEN
STOP
DEN
STOP