Cleverclogs

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Wil Ransome
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Cleverclogs

Post by Wil Ransome »

Sorry if this is old hat: I haven't been here for ages and don't intend to wade through all the posts to see if I'm repeating something.

When I was on Countdown I was given a little list of instructions. One of them was: if you have two words of the same length, don't give them both. Nobody likes a cleverclogs.

Has Rachel not been told of this? She frequently says, when the contestants have failed to get an answer to a numbers game, "there were a couple of ways of doing this ...", which must make the contestants feel great.
Zarte Siempre
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Zarte Siempre »

I have no issue with her doing that as compared to people giving multiple letters declarations, or declaring needlessly obscure stuff. But I do recognise your point.
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Gavin Chipper
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Gavin Chipper »

It does come across as rubbing it in when she says that, and I actually think it's intentional. But also quite funny.
Elliott Mellor
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Elliott Mellor »

I think it's just really become one of her catchphrases, I don't think she's trying to rub it in at all. It's a lot different from saying something like "yeah I had that 8, but I also found 6 other 8s" or stuff to that effect.
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Mark Deeks
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Mark Deeks »

There's also a perception issue. Viewers are essentially competing against the contestants, in a way they are not expecting to against Rachel. She's expected to get it and that is implicit in watching the show.
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Ben Wilson
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Ben Wilson »

And also Susie tends to give multiple max-length words in her bit, which I see as the equivalent to when Rachel says 'multiple methods, here's one'.
Gavin Chipper
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Susie says what the words are. It seems far more pointless to just say that there are these methods out there if you're not going to say what they are. There's no equivalence.

She even got pulled up on it on 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown quite recently for doing it, and they all had a good laugh about it. So if she wasn't aware how it could be interpreted, she certainly is now. But as I say, I don't have a problem with it. I think it's quite funny, and I think she sometimes does it in rounds where she's a bit surprised that the contestants didn't get it, and this is her way of communicating it.
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by James Laverty »

I was told that on occasions when both contestants have missed a fairly obvious method, or have started right but made a glaring error, that she goes for a "more difficult" route so the contestants aren't kicking themselves even more, although I can recall her saying "you're going to kick yourself" on occasion, so this may have changed.
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Gavin Chipper »

James Laverty wrote: Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:02 am I was told that on occasions when both contestants have missed a fairly obvious method, or have started right but made a glaring error, that she goes for a "more difficult" route so the contestants aren't kicking themselves even more, although I can recall her saying "you're going to kick yourself" on occasion, so this may have changed.
It makes much more sense for her to correct someone's method than to go a whole new way. Much more satisfying for all concerned, and not to make the contestants feel stupid. Otherwise you're left with the feeling of being left hanging. Like something is unresolved.
Gavin Chipper
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Actually today Rachel said there were a couple of methods but in a more innocent sounding way than on some other occasions. She said something like "There were a couple of methods actually", which doesn't sound as bad as when she says "There were a couple of methods actually".
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Matt Morrison
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Matt Morrison »

What would be your worst single word emphasis Gevin? Where would "There were a couple of methods actually" rank for you?
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Matt Morrison wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:13 am What would be your worst single word emphasis Gevin? Where would "There were a couple of methods actually" rank for you?
Well, you might say it like that if someone else had implied it was impossible.
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Countdown Team »

James Laverty wrote: Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:02 am I was told that on occasions when both contestants have missed a fairly obvious method, or have started right but made a glaring error, that she goes for a "more difficult" route so the contestants aren't kicking themselves even more, although I can recall her saying "you're going to kick yourself" on occasion, so this may have changed.
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L'oisleatch McGraw
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by L'oisleatch McGraw »

Zarte Siempre wrote: Wed Oct 18, 2017 5:04 pm I have no issue with her doing that as compared to people giving multiple letters declarations, or declaring needlessly obscure stuff.
Coming back to an old topic (Thank you Gevin), and re-reading this reminds me of one of Zarte's greatest failings during his lengthy spell as King of the Countdown Community: His hatred of contestants showing personality. So many Apterites who admired him, during his reign, were almost apologetic in their demeanour on TV; terrified to e.g. declare MANTICORE instead of CREMATION, and such.
Since S82, showboating, cheekiness and colour have been firmly back on the agenda, and it is great to see. :)

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Mark Deeks
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Mark Deeks »

Would you say you had a personality?
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L'oisleatch McGraw
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by L'oisleatch McGraw »

Mark Deeks wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 11:00 am Would you say you had a personality?
I was fucking awesome Mark, but you knew.
You were too, to be fair to you.
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Mark Deeks
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Re: Cleverclogs

Post by Mark Deeks »

I didn't watch your shows.
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