Tuesday 2 January 1996

[Jacob Sutton]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 2 January 1996.

Another Series 31 game for you.

C1: Challenger Dominic Moyes, a freelance model and photographer from Stratford.
C2: Champion Glyn Wigley (4 wins, 246 points.)
DC: Mark Nyman and Geoffrey Durham.
CV: Carol Vorderman.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: S F M O E I N G E
R02: D H R T I E O I C
R03: T N P E I A C E A
R04: 50, 7, 6, 2, 6, 8. Target: 136.
R05: N S T V U E A E L
R06: Y T L M O A I E P
R07: M D X J A A E O S
R08: 25, 6, 10, 2, 3, 5. Target: 795.
R09: A F U N V I R G O (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: S F M O E I N G E

C1: FEIGNS (6)
C2: SINGE (5)
DC: SEEMING (7)
OT: GENOMES (7) SOIGNEE (7)
Score: 6–0 (max 7)

Round 2: D H R T I E O I C

C1: THRICE (6)
C2: CREDIT (6)
DC: CORDITE (7)
OT: HIDROTIC (8)
Score: 12–6 (max 15)

Round 3: T N P E I A C E A

C1: CAPTAIN (7)
C2: CAPTAIN (7)
DC: PATIENCE (8)
Score: 19–13 (max 23)

Round 4: 50, 7, 6, 2, 6, 8. Target: 136.

C1: 136. ((6/2)x50)-8-6 (10)
C2: 136. (((6/2)+7)x8)+50+6 (10)
Score: 29–23 (max 33)

Geoffrey Durham issues a puzzle to use the digits 9 back to 1 to make 100. RW offers his own effort after the break: (98 + 7 - 6 + 5 - 4 + 3 - 2 - 1). 'Who needs David Hasselhoff anyway!?' he says.

Round 5: N S T V U E A E L

C1: LEAVENS (7)
C2: LEAVES (6)
DC: EVENTUAL (8)
Score: 36–23 (max 41)

Round 6: Y T L M O A I E P

C1: EMPTILY (7)
C2: MOTLEY (6)
DC: PLAYTIME (8)
OT: MAYPOLE (7) MEATILY (7) OPTIMAL (7)
Score: 43–23 (max 49)

Round 7: M D X J A A E O S

C1: EXAMS (5)
C2: DAMES (5)
DC: DOMES (5)
OT: DEMOS (5) MODES (5) MAXES (5) JADES (5) MADOS (5) MAXED (5) OMASA (5)
Score: 48–28 (max 54)

Round 8: 25, 6, 10, 2, 3, 5. Target: 795.

C1: 795. (((10x3)+2)x25)-5 (10)
C2: 795. (((25x3)+4)x10)+5 (10)
Score: 58–38 (max 64)

Round 9: A F U N V I R G O

C1 buzzes on 1 second to say FAVOURING which is correct.
Score: 68–38 (max 74)


Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=31

[D Eadie]

When you do the OT bit for the longest word and work out the so-called max for the game, do you take into account that in 1996 we used the 8th edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, and not the ODE?

[Charlie Reams]

When you do the OT bit for the longest word and work out the so-called max for the game, do you take into account that in 1996 we used the 8th edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, and not the ODE?

Nope, this will be based on the NODE. At some point I would like to fix this but the effort involved is prohibitive, and getting old editions is not easy either.

[D Eadie]

When you do the OT bit for the longest word and work out the so-called max for the game, do you take into account that in 1996 we used the 8th edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, and not the ODE?

Nope, this will be based on the NODE. At some point I would like to fix this but the effort involved is prohibitive, and getting old editions is not easy either.

Cheers for that, just seems like an inordinate waste of time for something that is probably inaccurate.

[Gavin Chipper]

What people could do if they get hold of the dictionary is check the beaters in the old dictionary, but obviously that way you'd still miss beaters that no-one picked up at the time that aren't in the current version.

[David Williams]

You could ask around as to who has copies of pre-NODE dictionaries and would be prepared to check write-ups. I did that with the NODE for a short time, and I've got a COD10 as well! When the NODE was first used they made a big deal of how much bigger it was than the COD, though I suspect most of the difference was down to the inclusion of proper nouns. You would also need a copy of the contestants' guidelines. I think the rules on agent nouns, comparatives and superlatives, plurals of mass nouns etc. have changed over the years.

[D Eadie]

I've a few old COD's here from days gone by. Am happy to give them up for free if somebody wants them.

[Charlie Reams]

I've a few old COD's here from days gone by. Am happy to give them up for free if somebody wants them.

Yes please!

[Kirk Bevins]

I wouldn't mind one too...that would be brill.

[Clive Brooker]

I think the rules on agent nouns, comparatives and superlatives, plurals of mass nouns etc. have changed over the years.

I've just had a glance at my COD7, and the rules for comparatives and superlatives, although far more complex than those governing the current dictionary, are nevertheless explicitly stated and were presumably followed on the show.

I would have thought recreating the exact interpretation of mass nouns at any given time would present a bigger problem. One for Mike Brown?

Presumably the ideal would be to have multiple categories of OT words in the round-by-round summaries, indicating whether words were valid at the time or became valid in a later dictionary. Personally I think it's worth trying, mainly because it would be interesting to see how big an effect the changes have had.

As for acquiring the books, I don't suppose Damian has enough for everyone. I would have thought a full set of Countdown dictionaries (excluding the leather ones) could be assembled fairly quickly by touring charity shops. I'll be in Bristol tomorrow so I will probably try.

[Kirk Bevins]

Maybe a COD could be a prize in COLIN.

[D Eadie]

I'll dig out whatever i can find and let you know what there is.

[Kai Laddiman]

Maybe a COD could be a prize in COLIN.

I thought you said you wanted one?

[Kirk Bevins]

I thought you said you wanted one?

Good point.

[Ian Fitzpatrick]

I thought you said you wanted one?

Good point.

Kirk's obviously expecting to win - be warned.

[Marc Meakin]

I thought you said you wanted one?

Good point.

Make it a second prize then.

[Kirk Bevins]

Kirk's obviously expecting to win - be warned.

Far from it. I've never won one yet and the field is getting ever stronger.

[Clive Brooker]

In the little time I had available today I found a COD5 and a COD6 for a combined £2.49.

So that was a near miss as far as Countdown is concerned. It does suggest that the relevant editions can be found with a little patience and for not too much money, although I would expect the (N)ODE editions to command a somewhat higher price.

[Clive Brooker]

This is a free download of what appears to be a complete COD8 in PDF format.

Any use?

[Gavin Chipper]

This is a free download of what appears to be a complete COD8 in PDF format.

Any use?

Charlie is cihping.

[Clive Brooker]

This is a free download of what appears to be a complete COD8 in PDF format.

Any use?

Evidently not, although I've no idea what Gavin's comment meant.

[Matt Morrison]

This is a free download of what appears to be a complete COD8 in PDF format.

Any use?

Evidently not, although I've no idea what Gavin's comment meant.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cimp, replacing the 'm' for 'my' with an 'h' for 'his'.