Countdown words spotted in real life
- Charlie Reams
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9494
- Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:33 pm
- Location: Cambridge
- Contact:
Countdown words spotted in real life
I read an interview with Mark Nyman once in which he said how excited he'd been when, having known ONAGER for years only as an anagram of ORANGE, he'd been to the zoo and seen a real-life onager.
A similar thing happened to me today when I found IKEBANA in the Guardian crossword. The clue was "Japanese flower arranging" and had to fit I?????A. I thought of IPOMOEA and IKEBANA, and had no real idea what either meant, but they looked vaguely like Japanese orthography so I asked a friendly Japanese-speaker (never too far away in the computing world) what they meant. Ikebana fit the bill; it turns out ipomoea is a plant and the word is Greek, but it wasn't a bad guess.
Anyway this made me happy so I wanted to share it. Anyone else seen a tangelo in the wild or been given a television airdate?
A similar thing happened to me today when I found IKEBANA in the Guardian crossword. The clue was "Japanese flower arranging" and had to fit I?????A. I thought of IPOMOEA and IKEBANA, and had no real idea what either meant, but they looked vaguely like Japanese orthography so I asked a friendly Japanese-speaker (never too far away in the computing world) what they meant. Ikebana fit the bill; it turns out ipomoea is a plant and the word is Greek, but it wasn't a bad guess.
Anyway this made me happy so I wanted to share it. Anyone else seen a tangelo in the wild or been given a television airdate?
- Michael Wallace
- Racoonteur
- Posts: 5458
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:01 am
- Location: London
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I think it would be interesting to know who has worn a LEOTARD, ideally with photographic evidence.
(No, not really.)
(No, not really.)
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:09 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
No, the agoutis ate them all.Charlie Reams wrote:Anyone else seen a tangelo in the wild?
- Phil Reynolds
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3329
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:43 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I've slept with a dacoit.
- Joseph Bolas
- Fanatic
- Posts: 2446
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:19 am
- Location: Liverpool, UK
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
MIKADO has appeared a few times on Countdown and there's a packet of biscuits called Mikado
- Michael Wallace
- Racoonteur
- Posts: 5458
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:01 am
- Location: London
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Oh oh, I saw a TABLE earlier.
- Steve Durney
- Acolyte
- Posts: 181
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:53 pm
- Location: Swindon
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I remember in one episode of Friends Chandler offering his new flatmate a tangelo. Only time i've ever heard it mentioned outside of Countdown!
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:29 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
What a good thread!
I lived in New Zealand for a few years and tangelos were common there. I also had a tamarillo plant in the garden and if that hasn't turned up yet it would be a very satisfying nine.
When I was on the show one of the words I got was saltire, which was nice as it was the name of the school magazine at one of the schools I went to, named after the school crest which had a saltire on it.
One day I'm hoping to be able to afford a mansion with pantiles on the roof, a cortile, dripstones galore, and maybe a caryatid or two.
I lived in New Zealand for a few years and tangelos were common there. I also had a tamarillo plant in the garden and if that hasn't turned up yet it would be a very satisfying nine.
When I was on the show one of the words I got was saltire, which was nice as it was the name of the school magazine at one of the schools I went to, named after the school crest which had a saltire on it.
One day I'm hoping to be able to afford a mansion with pantiles on the roof, a cortile, dripstones galore, and maybe a caryatid or two.
- Phil Reynolds
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3329
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:43 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Are they heavy? I just wondered 'cos, you know, there's that song that goes: "Hey sister, weigh a tamarillo..."Heather Culpin wrote:I also had a tamarillo plant in the garden
I'll get me coat.
- Ian Volante
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3967
- Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:15 pm
- Location: Edinburgh
- Contact:
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I wear a sodalite crystal to keep up my hippy credentials. Not yet managed to scratch my backside on a mopane though.
meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:38 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
The tangelo appears in today's Independent crossword (Taste peeled melon and citrus fruit).
- Rosemary Roberts
- Devotee
- Posts: 555
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:36 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
A few years ago my garden was full of godetias. Gardening used to be one of my pastimes.Charlie Reams wrote:Anyone else seen a tangelo in the wild or been given a television airdate?
- Karen Pearson
- Devotee
- Posts: 742
- Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:28 am
- Location: Bromsgrove
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I had dicentras in my old garden (although I don't recall dicentras coming up in Countdown for a while) and I suspect there were a few dipterans around too.
-
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1268
- Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:57 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
The other side of the coin. Has anyone ever seen any evidence that CIGARET, regularly trotted out as the American spelling, is actually used by anyone in the colonies?
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 13317
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I don't think crosswords are any more real life than Countdown (in response to a couple of posts). You might as well include Scrabble! (And Apterous)
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I've had my share of idolaters.
Whatever happened to Gentoo? It was the Leotard of the 80's, but hasn't been seen since?
Whatever happened to Gentoo? It was the Leotard of the 80's, but hasn't been seen since?
- Ian Fitzpatrick
- Devotee
- Posts: 620
- Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:23 pm
- Location: Wimborne, Dorset
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I saw Reams come up the other day, but no one mentioned it.
I assume Kirk is smiling at Charlie and Sid in the audience when he scores his points?
I assume Kirk is smiling at Charlie and Sid in the audience when he scores his points?
I thought I was good at Countdown until I joined this forum
- Matt Morrison
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 7822
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:27 pm
- Location: London
- Contact:
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Not to big myself up or anything, but http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/viewtopic. ... sed#p34717.Ian Fitzpatrick wrote:I saw Reams come up the other day, but no one mentioned it.
EDIT: That links to spoilers thread for Wednesday 4th March.
Last edited by Matt Morrison on Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Ian Fitzpatrick
- Devotee
- Posts: 620
- Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:23 pm
- Location: Wimborne, Dorset
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I haven't got that far yet, I'm still catching up from a day out yesterday almost "working" - I don't do that often.Matt Morrison wrote:Not to big myself up or anything, but http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/viewtopic. ... sed#p34717.Ian Fitzpatrick wrote:I saw Reams come up the other day, but no one mentioned it.
I thought I was good at Countdown until I joined this forum
-
- Devotee
- Posts: 876
- Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 4:08 pm
- Location: Eastbourne
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I was at the dentist reading about volcanoes and stuff like that and it had the words LACUNA and CALDERA - two of my favourite Countdown words. It was quite a special moment.
- Tyron Potts
- Newbie
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:48 am
- Location: Kidderminster
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I was browsing the BBC news website at work today and came across this article about toucans' bills, containing a favourite nine - PREDATION. Seems odd for it to be used in relation to birds' nests.
-
- Devotee
- Posts: 799
- Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 5:12 pm
- Location: Kildare, Rep. of Ireland
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
How do you make a soul singer out of A DEAD TOUCAN?Tyron Potts wrote:I was browsing the BBC news website at work today and came across this article about toucans' bills, containing a favourite nine - PREDATION. Seems odd for it to be used in relation to birds' nests.
Answer:Hang it up to dry in the sun unil its bill withers
- Joseph Krol
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1063
- Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:47 pm
-
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1462
- Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:33 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I saw MUUMUU and WAHINE in a book I was reading.
-
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3661
- Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:18 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I come across loads of words that I know just from playing apterous and I'm too lazy to look them up. particularly they appear in the crossword with a recent example being: Oil giant interfered with relief work (8) and I could see an anagram of "Oil giant" was INTAGLIO but had no idea if it fit the rest of the clue so I googled INTAGLIO and it did.
- Kirk Bevins
- God
- Posts: 4923
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:18 pm
- Location: York, UK
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I went to the Czech Republic recently and I didn't know what their currency was (I thought maybe the euro) but it was the KORUNA. I did a little dance when I found out.
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
The ma-koruna?Kirk Bevins wrote:I did a little dance when I found out.
- Kirk Bevins
- God
- Posts: 4923
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:18 pm
- Location: York, UK
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
*like*Jon Corby wrote:The ma-koruna?Kirk Bevins wrote:I did a little dance when I found out.
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
PrahahahahaKirk Bevins wrote:*like*Jon Corby wrote:The ma-koruna?Kirk Bevins wrote:I did a little dance when I found out.
-
- Series 80 Champion
- Posts: 2707
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:07 am
- Location: Sheffield
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I just did a tryout quiz for University Challenge. I did alright on the science and GK quiz scoring 19/50. The arts, music and humanities section was a bit more daunting. Luckily I knew what a MUSTELID was though and it boosted my score by 20% from 5/50 to 6/50
- Michael Wallace
- Racoonteur
- Posts: 5458
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:01 am
- Location: London
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Er, wasn't the deadline for application forms the start of this week?Dinos Sfyris wrote:I just did a tryout quiz for University Challenge. I did alright on the science and GK quiz scoring 19/50. The arts, music and humanities section was a bit more daunting. Luckily I knew what a MUSTELID was though and it boosted my score by 20% from 5/50 to 6/50
-
- Series 80 Champion
- Posts: 2707
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:07 am
- Location: Sheffield
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
No idea mate. I just turned up to the quiz what there just was.
- Michael Wallace
- Racoonteur
- Posts: 5458
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:01 am
- Location: London
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I guess your uni requested extra time or something.Dinos Sfyris wrote:No idea mate. I just turned up to the quiz what there just was.
- Matt Morrison
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 7822
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:27 pm
- Location: London
- Contact:
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Accidentally left the TV on after Something for the Weekend, Flog It! just came on and I caught him saying "Westcountry market town" - thought I might know it, so pressed info on the sky remote and the market they are visiting in Tavistock is described as a "PANNIER market". Not sure what it is more panny than.
-
- Enthusiast
- Posts: 273
- Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 1:53 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I was having lunch with a work colleague recently who told me that her husbands job was clamping cars. While we were walking back to work from the cafe she said the street we were on was where he worked, she said eclampsia.
- Joseph Krol
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1063
- Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:47 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
The guy who sits next to me in Maths is an emulator all right.
-
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1462
- Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:33 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Today's Google Doodle features PIEROGI.
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 13317
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I had a glass of ORANGE juice today.
- Karen Pearson
- Devotee
- Posts: 742
- Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:28 am
- Location: Bromsgrove
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Today I saw both an AGOUTI and a COATI in the rainforest in Costa Rica. The guide couldn't quite understand why I was so excited but he was impressed that I'd even heard of an agouti. The agouti, in case anyone is interested, is like a very large guinea pig and the coati (male, white-nosed coati to be precise) was a bit like a large raccoon.
We also saw masses of other interesting wildlife but none that has a link to Countdown.
We also saw masses of other interesting wildlife but none that has a link to Countdown.
- Joseph Krol
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1063
- Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:47 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Return of the coatis! Some escaped from chester zoo last year.Karen Pearson wrote:Today I saw both an AGOUTI and a COATI in the rainforest in Costa Rica. The guide couldn't quite understand why I was so excited but he was impressed that I'd even heard of an agouti. The agouti, in case anyone is interested, is like a very large guinea pig and the coati (male, white-nosed coati to be precise) was a bit like a large raccoon.
We also saw masses of other interesting wildlife but none that has a link to Countdown.
- Michael Wallace
- Racoonteur
- Posts: 5458
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:01 am
- Location: London
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
*coati envy*Karen Pearson wrote:Today I saw both an AGOUTI and a COATI in the rainforest in Costa Rica.
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Any tanagers?Karen Pearson wrote:We also saw masses of other interesting wildlife but none that has a link to Countdown.
- Karen Pearson
- Devotee
- Posts: 742
- Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:28 am
- Location: Bromsgrove
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Yes! Several scarlet-rumped tanagers. In fact we saw a couple just now at breakfast.Jon Corby wrote:Any tanagers?Karen Pearson wrote:We also saw masses of other interesting wildlife but none that has a link to Countdown.
This is a veritable Countdown wildlife fest!
Doesn't look like they have ortolans here though.
- Kirk Bevins
- God
- Posts: 4923
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:18 pm
- Location: York, UK
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
You bastard. I just spent half an hour trying to unscramble your conundrum and it wasn't oneMichael Wallace wrote:*coati envy*Karen Pearson wrote:Today I saw both an AGOUTI and a COATI in the rainforest in Costa Rica.
- Matt Morrison
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 7822
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:27 pm
- Location: London
- Contact:
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
KIRK U SUCKKirk Bevins wrote:You bastard. I just spent half an hour trying to unscramble your conundrum and it wasn't oneMichael Wallace wrote:*coati envy*Karen Pearson wrote:Today I saw both an AGOUTI and a COATI in the rainforest in Costa Rica.
- Lesley Hines
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1250
- Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:29 pm
- Location: Worcester
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Simpsons last night had the family chasing a Scarlet TANAGER to Machu Picchu after Bart strapped his homing device to it. I was chuffed.
Lowering the averages since 2009
- Ian Volante
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3967
- Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:15 pm
- Location: Edinburgh
- Contact:
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
A Guardian article yesterday mentioned diatoms.
meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles
-
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3661
- Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:18 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I flicked through a geography textbook and I caught sight of RHYOLITE which I had only ever heard from Jon in the TTT thread. Also right next to it was ANDESITE which I'd only ever used on apterous.
- Karen Pearson
- Devotee
- Posts: 742
- Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:28 am
- Location: Bromsgrove
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Sorry Michael but this might make it worse. As well as the aforementioned white-nosed coati, we also came across a dozen or so coatis (different type) just ambling around on the road.Michael Wallace wrote:*coati envy*Karen Pearson wrote:Today I saw both an AGOUTI and a COATI in the rainforest in Costa Rica.
-
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3661
- Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:18 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I hpoe they scarpered before any snakes came.
- Rhys Benjamin
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3107
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:28 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Not really a word as such, but I played Countdown with a piece of paper and a pen on the boring coach trip. Yawn.
I had to get Someone to say the letters - so we had TCAIVISEJ
ME: SEAT (4)
SJ: SAT (3)
OT: CAVITIES (8)
Score 4-0 (max 8)
Then he got bored.
I had to get Someone to say the letters - so we had TCAIVISEJ
ME: SEAT (4)
SJ: SAT (3)
OT: CAVITIES (8)
Score 4-0 (max 8)
Then he got bored.
- Kirk Bevins
- God
- Posts: 4923
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:18 pm
- Location: York, UK
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I was reading over a girl's shoulder who was sat at the bar studying a psychology paper on motion blindness and it was riddled with countdown gems. I can't remember most but AGNOSIA was amongst them but literally every few words they'd be another one. I was all happy and she asked why I was so happy to see agnosia and I explained the whole strings-of-letters-to-make-words-for-points-actually-used-in-real-life thing and she seemed surprisingly interested, rather than scared. Winner.
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 13317
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
If that's the end of the story, then it's not a winner.Kirk Bevins wrote:I was reading over a girl's shoulder who was sat at the bar studying a psychology paper on motion blindness and it was riddled with countdown gems. I can't remember most but AGNOSIA was amongst them but literally every few words they'd be another one. I was all happy and she asked why I was so happy to see agnosia and I explained the whole strings-of-letters-to-make-words-for-points-actually-used-in-real-life thing and she seemed surprisingly interested, rather than scared. Winner.
- Kirk Bevins
- God
- Posts: 4923
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:18 pm
- Location: York, UK
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Step 1 is to craniates/sectarian/ascertain whether she's not bored....step 2 is to find out if she's single. She's not.Gavin Chipper wrote:
If that's the end of the story, then it's not a winner.
- Joseph Krol
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1063
- Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:47 pm
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
Some dipterans feature in a question on Uni Challenge today.
- Graeme Cole
- Series 65 Champion
- Posts: 2042
- Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 9:59 pm
- Adam Gillard
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1763
- Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:42 pm
- Location: About 45 minutes south-east of Thibodaux, Louisiana
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I had TROIKAS on the telly - tasty . Did you see a NORWAY REG on a car (N) and think of GARRYOWEN?Graeme Cole wrote:I was on holiday in Norway all last week, and it turns out they have this chocolate bar.
Mike Brown: "Round 12: T N R S A E I G U
C1: SIGNATURE (18) ["9; not written down"]
C2: SEATING (7)
Score: 108–16 (max 113)
Another niner for Adam and yet another century. Well done, that man."
C1: SIGNATURE (18) ["9; not written down"]
C2: SEATING (7)
Score: 108–16 (max 113)
Another niner for Adam and yet another century. Well done, that man."
- Ian Fitzpatrick
- Devotee
- Posts: 620
- Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:23 pm
- Location: Wimborne, Dorset
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
I have a Troika vase on my window sill, supposed to be worth a few bob!
I thought I was good at Countdown until I joined this forum
- Lesley Hines
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1250
- Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:29 pm
- Location: Worcester
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
OCARINA
Sorry, I've only got the one
Lowering the averages since 2009
-
- Devotee
- Posts: 557
- Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:53 pm
- Location: South Yorkshire
Re: Countdown words spotted in real life
This is Troika from the Lieutenant Kije Suite by Prokofiev....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45xscpiW9pg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45xscpiW9pg