c4countdown

Posted: **Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:45 pm**

It might be a stupid question, but where does one acquire Countmax from?

Posted: **Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:10 pm**

There's a link from http://www.apterous.org/cdb/recapwriter.php (when the site comes back up.) And it's not a stupid question, although Paul did ask the same thing fairly recently.

Posted: **Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:37 pm**

I think the grammar was stupid.

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:03 pm**

Has VERONALS been taken out of the dictionary, I played a classic game against Harvey Freeman and 'beat' 'him' with VERONALS only to have it disallowed.

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:48 pm**

Martin Gardner wrote:Has VERONALS been taken out of the dictionary, I played a classic game against Harvey Freeman and 'beat' 'him' with VERONALS only to have it disallowed.

It lists VERONAL as a noun, so assume it would've been there.

On the subject of plurals, Susie allowed FENNELS today, which I didn't think was in.

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:29 pm**

Joseph Bolas wrote:
Martin Gardner wrote:Has VERONALS been taken out of the dictionary, I played a classic game against Harvey Freeman and 'beat' 'him' with VERONALS only to have it disallowed.
It lists VERONAL as a noun, so assume it would've been there.

It does - but it's another name for BARBITONE which is a mass noun so I don't think they'd allow the plural. The reason I'm being cautious is the same thing occurs with OPALINE (a noun, but its meaning is Milk-Glass and upon checking Milk-Glass it is a mass noun). OPALINES has been disallowed on the show for this very reason, however, I think it was allowed at one point. I don't know - depends how nice you are to Susie before recording.

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:25 pm**

It wouldn't let me have PLIOSAURS there, is that an error?

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:35 pm**

David O'Donnell wrote:It wouldn't let me have PLIOSAURS there, is that an error?

Checked the dictionary and PLIOSAUR is not a mass noun, so it should be there.

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:42 pm**

David O'Donnell wrote:It wouldn't let me have PLIOSAURS there, is that an error?

You sure the letters were there? PLIOSAURS is in countmax.

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:50 pm**

Kirk Bevins wrote:
David O'Donnell wrote:It wouldn't let me have PLIOSAURS there, is that an error?
You sure the letters were there? PLIOSAURS is in countmax.

It was on Countgen, I probably goofed!

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:59 pm**

Kirk Bevins wrote:
Joseph Bolas wrote:
Martin Gardner wrote:Has VERONALS been taken out of the dictionary, I played a classic game against Harvey Freeman and 'beat' 'him' with VERONALS only to have it disallowed.
It lists VERONAL as a noun, so assume it would've been there.
It does - but it's another name for BARBITONE which is a mass noun so I don't think they'd allow the plural. The reason I'm being cautious is the same thing occurs with OPALINE (a noun, but its meaning is Milk-Glass and upon checking Milk-Glass it is a mass noun). OPALINES has been disallowed on the show for this very reason, however, I think it was allowed at one point. I don't know - depends how nice you are to Susie before recording.

I seem to recall DC offering VERONALS before, perhaps I'm getting confused because it's permitted in Scrabble.

Posted: **Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:03 am**

VERONAL is just listed as "n. a sedative drug, a derivative of barbituric acid" in COD9 so there would have been no reason to disallow VERONALS according to that dictionary. The joys of a book without the mass noun tag...

Posted: **Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:45 pm**

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.

Posted: **Sat Nov 08, 2008 8:46 pm**

Lookin at this game and the word Ben Pugh got in round 13:

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=9527

Apparently this is the max according to countmax. Not so - KATSINAM is OK for 8 and so was surprised to see it not mentioned. I'm not sure how this was overlooked.

Posted: **Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:20 pm**

Kirk Bevins wrote:Apparently this is the max according to countmax. Not so - KATSINAM is OK for 8 and so was surprised to see it not mentioned.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS!!!???

Posted: **Tue Nov 11, 2008 4:38 pm**

Dinos Sfyris wrote:
Kirk Bevins wrote:Apparently this is the max according to countmax. Not so - KATSINAM is OK for 8 and so was surprised to see it not mentioned.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS!!!???

That's obvious. KATSINAM: a variant spelling of CATSINAM, which is a shortening of CATSINAMBUSH, when you use cats as bait. Not that hard.

Posted: **Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:24 pm**

Dinos Sfyris wrote:
Kirk Bevins wrote:Apparently this is the max according to countmax. Not so - KATSINAM is OK for 8 and so was surprised to see it not mentioned.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THESE WORDS!!!???

Practice my dear friend. I've learnt loads on apterous (thanks, Charlie) and I learnt KATSINA. As it was new to me I checked it up in ODE2r to see if it could help me memorise it and then I found KATSINAM. Bit like finding TARIQAS and checking it up and noting it can be spelt TARIQATS so that is now also lodged in the brain.

Posted: **Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:38 am**

Not technically a CountMax error, but for lack of a better place to post the conundrum NEIGHBORHOOD, presumably an American spelling, came up in a hypernundrum attack.

Posted: **Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:42 am**

Jono pointed out yesterday that GROUNDEST should probably be in, since GROUND has three adjectival senses.

Posted: **Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:02 am**

I'm not sure about 'groundest', but Paul Howe and I think that 'mattest' should be in. It's a one-syllable adjective, and it sort of sounds right. The mattest finish.

Posted: **Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:56 pm**

Richard Brittain wrote:I'm not sure about 'groundest', but Paul Howe and I think that 'mattest' should be in. It's a one-syllable adjective, and it sort of sounds right. The mattest finish.

Agreed.

Posted: **Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:04 pm**

FANDOM is listed as a noun and so FANDOMS should be allowed but I've just had it disallowed on apterous.

Posted: **Sun Nov 23, 2008 11:00 pm**

Kirk Bevins wrote:FANDOM is listed as a noun and so FANDOMS should be allowed but I've just had it disallowed on apterous.

I was considering NAILERY recently. I think NAILERY is listed under NAILER, and it doesn't specify that the plural is NAILERIES? It's another one of those horrible ones, but shouldn't the plural just be NAILERYS under the actual Countdown rules? Hmm...

Posted: **Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:01 am**

Martin Gardner wrote:
Kirk Bevins wrote:FANDOM is listed as a noun and so FANDOMS should be allowed but I've just had it disallowed on apterous.
I was considering NAILERY recently. I think NAILERY is listed under NAILER, and it doesn't specify that the plural is NAILERIES? It's another one of those horrible ones, but shouldn't the plural just be NAILERYS under the actual Countdown rules? Hmm...

I thought the rules were basically to follow the dictionary guidelines on plurals, which for words ending in -Y is that it will be specified. So I don't think there is a proper answer.

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:00 pm**

How about BENTER and BENTEST? Ugly, I know, but BENT is a one syllable adjective, and as such ought to be allowed the -ER and -EST extensions.

BENTER was available on one of the programmes in the last few days. Although beaten by DC, it would have scored against the contestants.

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:23 pm**

Howard Somerset wrote:How about BENTER and BENTEST? Ugly, I know, but BENT is a one syllable adjective, and as such ought to be allowed the -ER and -EST extensions.

BENTER was available on one of the programmes in the last few days. Although beaten by DC, it would have scored against the contestants.

Is BENT listed as an adjective or just as a past participle?

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2008 5:21 pm**

Charlie Reams wrote:
Howard Somerset wrote:How about BENTER and BENTEST? Ugly, I know, but BENT is a one syllable adjective, and as such ought to be allowed the -ER and -EST extensions.

BENTER was available on one of the programmes in the last few days. Although beaten by DC, it would have scored against the contestants.
Is BENT listed as an adjective or just as a past participle?

It's listed as both.

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2008 5:50 pm**

I did think about that mention as a past participle of BEND, but as Frank says, it's listed as an adjective too. So by the usual reasoning, BENTER should be valid.

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2008 7:36 pm**

Agreed, it should be allowed. BENTEST sounds quite realistic although BENTER seems weird.

Posted: **Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:14 pm**

Can't remember if I've flagged this up before but EIRENICS? EIRENIC is listed as an adjective but it says (also IRENIC). Upon looking at IRENIC it lists EIRENIC as an alternative and indeed it is an adjective. The only sense where an S can be pluralised, it clearly states IRENICS in brackets. This would hint to me that EIRENICS should be disallowed.

Posted: **Thu Nov 27, 2008 2:52 pm**

MEOWING was disallowed as a US spelling in one of Junaid's games round 6. However, CountMax does allow it.

Posted: **Thu Nov 27, 2008 5:42 pm**

Howard Somerset wrote:MEOWING was disallowed as a US spelling in one of Junaid's games round 6. However, CountMax does allow it.

The same with COZIEST^ too.

Posted: **Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:56 am**

I recently had NUTRIAS disallowed. I can't see any sign in the dictionary that NUTRIA shouldn't be pluralised with an S, so why's it not in?

Posted: **Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:27 am**

Ian Volante wrote:I recently had NUTRIAS disallowed. I can't see any sign in the dictionary that NUTRIA shouldn't be pluralised with an S, so why's it not in?

It's listed as a mass noun...

Posted: **Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:43 pm**

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=13911

In R4 of this game FAJITA was disallowed, but FAJITAS was suggested as an acceptable beater. I was going to try FAJITAS but was worried it might be invalid, since foreign food pluralised weirdly.

Posted: **Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:44 pm**

Ben Hunter wrote:http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=13911

In R4 of this game FAJITA was disallowed, but FAJITAS was suggested as an acceptable beater.

Beat me to it.

Posted: **Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:44 pm**

Kai Laddiman wrote:
Ben Hunter wrote:http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=13911

In R4 of this game FAJITA was disallowed, but FAJITAS was suggested as an acceptable beater.
Beat me to it.

I'm too fast for your ass, man.

Posted: **Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:50 pm**

Ben Hunter wrote:http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=13911

In R4 of this game FAJITA was disallowed, but FAJITAS was suggested as an acceptable beater. I was going to try FAJITAS but was worried it might be invalid, since foreign food pluralised weirdly.

FAJITAS is like ENTRAILS; there's no singular.

Posted: **Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:49 pm**

Frank Rodolf wrote:
Ian Volante wrote:I recently had NUTRIAS disallowed. I can't see any sign in the dictionary that NUTRIA shouldn't be pluralised with an S, so why's it not in?
It's listed as a mass noun...

Am I failing to read the dictionary properly? I checked for that

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:35 pm**

BIOSPHERES was disallowed in one of my games. BIOSPHERE is not listed as a mass noun.

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:05 pm**

Kai Laddiman wrote:BIOSPHERES was disallowed in one of my games. BIOSPHERE is not listed as a mass noun.

The Goatdown wordlist is not as accurate as the standard wordlist.

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:08 pm**

David O'Donnell wrote:
Kai Laddiman wrote:BIOSPHERES was disallowed in one of my games. BIOSPHERE is not listed as a mass noun.
The Goatdown wordlist is not as accurate as the standard wordlist.

He means HyperCountdown.

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:14 pm**

I am really stressed because STRESSY isn't allowed. Why not?

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:44 pm**

Hmm CARLING is accepted on apterous and I've checked my ODE2r and I can't find it under CARL or CARLING or even a small CAR. Where is it or is it an error?

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:43 pm**

Kirk Bevins wrote:Hmm CARLING is accepted on apterous and I've checked my ODE2r and I can't find it under CARL or CARLING or even a small CAR. Where is it or is it an error?

It is not even listed with the second definition of CARLINE, of which it would have been an alternative - I am tempted to say it is indeed an error.

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:47 pm**

Frank Rodolf wrote:
Kirk Bevins wrote:Hmm CARLING is accepted on apterous and I've checked my ODE2r and I can't find it under CARL or CARLING or even a small CAR. Where is it or is it an error?
It is not even listed with the second definition of CARLINE, of which it would have been an alternative - I am tempted to say it is indeed an error.

Hmm.... it's in CorbyDic as well, which suggests that it was found somewhere on the HTML pages of the OED website, which I no longer have access to. Alternate spelling of something maybe with no signpost?

Posted: **Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:56 pm**

Carling
n.
One of the short timbers running fore and aft that connect the transverse beams supporting the deck of a ship.

Whether it's allowed is another matter however.

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:57 am**

Kai Laddiman wrote:I am really stressed because STRESSY isn't allowed. Why not?

Probably because STRESS isn't listed as an adjective, only as a noun or verb.

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:02 pm**

Howard Somerset wrote:
Kai Laddiman wrote:I am really stressed because STRESSY isn't allowed. Why not?
Probably because STRESS isn't listed as an adjective, only as a noun or verb.

surely MOOD (from MOODY) isn't an adjective either?

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:56 pm**

Not a Countmax error but did anybody who has the Countdown calendar notice that the conundrum yesterday, MAJORSHIP, isn't in the ODE? Oops!

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:34 pm**

Matt Morrison wrote:
Howard Somerset wrote:
Kai Laddiman wrote:I am really stressed because STRESSY isn't allowed. Why not?
Probably because STRESS isn't listed as an adjective, only as a noun or verb.
surely MOOD (from MOODY) isn't an adjective either?

But MOODY is listed in its own right.

Having got brain into gear, ignore my previous post in this thread; I'd confused adding -Y with turning -Y into -IER and -IEST.

Posted: **Thu Dec 18, 2008 8:58 pm**

I think it might have been mentioned before (can't be arsed to check) but I had MATTEST disallowed in the duel the other day, which I wasn't convinced with. I think I was the only one to go for it, but some went for MATTIEST (also disallowed but that didn't surprise me).

Posted: **Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:19 am**

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=3675

Pouter was disallowed in this one (and thank you Charlie for choosing my best game to kick my arse in :p) despite the fact it's in the ODE2r.

Posted: **Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:39 am**

Ben Wilson wrote:http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=3675

Pouter was disallowed in this one (and thank you Charlie for choosing my best game to kick my arse in :p) despite the fact it's in the ODE2r.

Cus there is no E, you muppet.

Posted: **Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:41 am**

Ian Volante wrote:Carling
n.
One of the short timbers running fore and aft that connect the transverse beams supporting the deck of a ship.

Whether it's allowed is another matter however.

It was listed as a variation of CARLINE (2) in the ODE 2 (as was carlin), removed for the ODE2r. The biographical entry for Will Carling was also removed, on a completely useless note.

Posted: **Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:49 am**

Ben Wilson wrote:http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=3675

Pouter was disallowed in this one (and thank you Charlie for choosing my best game to kick my arse in :p) despite the fact it's in the ODE2r.

In fairness I generously let you come back from 99-32 to 99-60.

Posted: **Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:26 am**

Kirk Bevins wrote:
Ben Wilson wrote:http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=3675

Pouter was disallowed in this one (and thank you Charlie for choosing my best game to kick my arse in :p) despite the fact it's in the ODE2r.
Cus there is no E, you muppet.

Cock-up in the recap then. :p (which admittedly I wrote)

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:28 am**

TRIFECTAS should be in (hence the bug with CRAFTIEST showing up as a conundrum in Apterous.)

Posted: **Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:29 pm**

I believe FAUXER and FAUXEST are missing.

Posted: **Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:35 am**

After seeing it disallowed in quite a few games recently on Apterous, MOHAIRS yay or nay? It's listed as a fabric, so logically should be allowed the plural? Plus the entry strongly suggests that their are different types of mohair.

c4countdown

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