Countdown Desk Calendar

[Philip Wilson]

Hello
Does anyone else have the Countdown Desk Calendar for 2014 with separate pages for each day which have 2 Countdown puzzles on?
There is a daily conundrum, and the other puzzle is either a numbers game or just a letters selection that doesn't make a nine-letter word.
I have been solving the numbers games when I turn over the new page, there have been 5 so far, and I just leave it by the PC and work on the conundrums while I'm waiting for things etc. So far with 10 days gone I've only solved 4 conundrums - so not very good!
Someone else on here must have one too??

[Andy Platt]

Had them for 2012 and 2013 but nobody bought me one for 2014, it tended to be a token Christmas present. Maybe I'll pick one up if I see one. Any chance of pasting (well, writing) the first 10 here?

[Philip Wilson]

Had them for 2012 and 2013 but nobody bought me one for 2014, it tended to be a token Christmas present. Maybe I'll pick one up if I see one. Any chance of pasting (well, writing) the first 10 here?

Yep ok:
1st
8 10 7 7 6 9 Target 537
Con: W R I T E V E I N

2nd
Puzzle: Z B R E E A N U D
Con: B I R D P O A C H

3rd
Puzzle: S N T I I A L N T
Con: S H O T M A N I C

4th
25 1 5 2 7 2 Target 590
Con: M A R D Y E X I T

5th
Puz: E R F E T Y A N W
Con: D E N Y R O U G H

6th
75 50 2 9 10 10 Target 547
Con: F R E E H E A R T

7th
Puz: R U E S D T N N A
Con: M E E T A N G E R

8th
50 75 25 10 4 8 Target 509
Con: M A D S G O T I T

9th
Puz: A D A C E M T A V
Con: P E A V E R I N G

10th
75 8 5 1 10 9 Target 323
Con: W A N T G E N E S

There you go, I got conundrums 1, 2, 8 and 10.

[Mark Deeks]

I've got it!

[Andy Platt]

Cheers man, didn't get all of them

[Philip Wilson]

I've got it!

Good to know

Cheers man, didn't get all of them

NP - That makes me feel better though when I saw the 7th's again it was so obvious I can't believe I missed it on the day! Got today's conundrum in about 10 seconds, but had it the wrong way round first so may have buzzed too soon if the other person didn't go for it before! Let me know if you want anymore typed up.

[Jon Corby]

I've got it. Trying to work out if all the puzzles are just recycled again. Last year's was a joke, the first few weeks in January were the same as the previous year's December, and even then throughout the rest of the year you're like "this looks familiar". Fucking pathetic tbh, it's not difficult to make up some new puzzles if you're selling them at £10 a pop ffs.

[Ryan Taylor]

I've got it. Trying to work out if all the puzzles are just recycled again. Last year's was a joke, the first few weeks in January were the same as the previous year's December, and even then throughout the rest of the year you're like "this looks familiar". Fucking pathetic tbh, it's not difficult to make up some new puzzles if you're selling them at £10 a pop ffs.

Yep got to say, looking at the post from Philip, the puzzles from this year appear to be recycled from the previous 2 years. I can't be certain, but a lot of those conundrums ring a bell as having been on the Countdown Calendar before. Considering there's only 365 conundrums to come up with and, what, 9000+ conundrums on apterous to pick from, I'd say it's a waste of money. Pisspoor.

[Jon Corby]

I've got it. Trying to work out if all the puzzles are just recycled again. Last year's was a joke, the first few weeks in January were the same as the previous year's December, and even then throughout the rest of the year you're like "this looks familiar". Fucking pathetic tbh, it's not difficult to make up some new puzzles if you're selling them at £10 a pop ffs.

Yep got to say, looking at the post from Philip, the puzzles from this year appear to be recycled from the previous 2 years. I can't be certain, but a lot of those conundrums ring a bell as having been on the Countdown Calendar before. Considering there's only 365 conundrums to come up with and, what, 9000+ conundrums on apterous to pick from, I'd say it's a waste of money. Pisspoor.

And the stand is rubbish this year, the fucking thing is virtually lying flat. And it smells funny.

[David Barnard]

I've got it. Trying to work out if all the puzzles are just recycled again. Last year's was a joke, the first few weeks in January were the same as the previous year's December, and even then throughout the rest of the year you're like "this looks familiar". Fucking pathetic tbh, it's not difficult to make up some new puzzles if you're selling them at £10 a pop ffs.

Yep got to say, looking at the post from Philip, the puzzles from this year appear to be recycled from the previous 2 years. I can't be certain, but a lot of those conundrums ring a bell as having been on the Countdown Calendar before. Considering there's only 365 conundrums to come up with and, what, 9000+ conundrums on apterous to pick from, I'd say it's a waste of money. Pisspoor.

There's over 10,000 conundrums on apto

[Jon Corby]

BTW the letters and numbers games (vast majority, if not all) are definitely recycled from previous years. It's fucking pathetic. I think I'll tell my parents not to buy it next year, it's an absolute pisstake.

[Jon O'Neill]

BTW the letters and numbers games (vast majority, if not all) are definitely recycled from previous years. It's fucking pathetic. I think I'll tell my parents not to buy it next year, it's an absolute pisstake.

So do you like it or not?

[JackHurst]

I don't have it, but have had it in previous years. Good gift for somebody who is a fan of the show but doesn't take it so seriously that they play on apto.

(I think it took me about 20 seconds to solve all 10 of those conundrums in total btw )

[Philip Wilson]

Here are the last 3 numbers games from the calendar. They all seem ridiculously unchallenging to me!

100 10 7 2 4 2
Target: 805

25 4 1 9 7 8
Target: 421! [Huh?!]

1 3 4 5 9 10
Target: 246


I can always put some more conundrums up for you Jack if you wanted to go for a record speed!
For some reason I always seem to see longer words on the actual programme when they're picked at random, rather than when they are made up specially. I guess that's why I failed my audition

[Jon Corby]

Here are the last 3 numbers games from the calendar. They all seem ridiculously unchallenging to me!

Yeah, the standard of the numbers games is appalling. I don't mind having the odd easy one so that everybody gets to win, but there's about one or two proper challenging ones in the year. If I get a numbers game quickly I'll always think "did I just get lucky trying that route? What if I'd started with [x] instead..." and with the calendar ones, it's always "oh no, that would've worked out too. And that. And that. And that..."

[Philip Wilson]

I wonder if some of the calendar numbers games are passed ones neither contestant could solve on the programme.
Here's the one I consider the most difficult of the year so far - it took me a fair while longer than 30 seconds anyway:
50 1 2 4 5 5 -> 903.

[Jon Corby]

I wonder if some of the calendar numbers games are passed ones neither contestant could solve on the programme.
Here's the one I consider the most difficult of the year so far - it took me a fair while longer than 30 seconds anyway:
50 1 2 4 5 5 -> 903.

I got that fairly quickly... but that's subconsciously from memory rather than working it out, because I've already done it about four times before

[Philip Wilson]

I wonder if some of the calendar numbers games are passed ones neither contestant could solve on the programme.
Here's the one I consider the most difficult of the year so far - it took me a fair while longer than 30 seconds anyway:
50 1 2 4 5 5 -> 903.

I got that fairly quickly... but that's subconsciously from memory rather than working it out, because I've already done it about four times before

Damn!!
I eventually did it by a 'slight' variation on a fairly common method I've been trying to improve on recently - splitting the multiplication. Rather cunning though

[Philip Wilson]

Ok, yesterday's numbers on the calendar was well tricky [for me anyway!] but I did get it without cheating - eventually. It took about 6 times too long though.
Try this: 75 50 2 9 8 4 -> Target 903 [again!]

[Andy Platt]

Yeah, outside 30 seconds but got. (50 x 2 - 8) x 9 + 75

[Ian Volante]

Yeah, outside 30 seconds but got. (50 x 2 - 8) x 9 + 75

[50+75+4]*[9-2] in about two seconds

[Gavin Chipper]

Yeah, outside 30 seconds but got. (50 x 2 - 8) x 9 + 75

[50+75+4]*[9-2] in about two seconds

I took quite a while but when I saw that you'd got it in 2 seconds, I immediately saw 75*(50+2)/4-8*9

[Philip Wilson]

Yeah, outside 30 seconds but got. (50 x 2 - 8) x 9 + 75

[50+75+4]*[9-2] in about two seconds

I took quite a while but when I saw that you'd got it in 2 seconds, I immediately saw 75*(50+2)/4-8*9

Kinda like when you see a contestant sit back and take a drink, you know there must be something better than you have, then you find it

[Philip Wilson]

Well yesterday's numbers game on the desk calendar was the first one I haven't managed to solve, so this morning I had to have a look.
It was 4L with a 2 and a 3, and the target 580. Have to admit being a bit mad when I saw the answer! Almost made it to the end of May though!

[Adam Dexter]

|2,3| -> 580

^not a real quote, but I'm a spanner!

Only a few months late with this: (within about 20 secs)

(100-75)*25 = 625
625 - 50 = 575
575 + 3 + 2 = 580