Stems

[Jimmy Gough]

Following on from the new apterous feature, I thought I'd start a new thread so people can share any stems they use to remember obscure words. A couple of examples I use is SPRINGY BULL for LOCATES/LACTOSE/ALECOST endings and POW AMUSING for BANISTER endings. I know there's also the 7 letters words that are never the maximum that were on the corral and I remember Dinos saying that you can add any vowel to PRORATES to get a 9 letter word.

I find these really help to improve and I was wondering if you have any others to share or whether you just go about learning any words you come across or you're just good at countdown. I appreciate some people might find this a bit of a boring thread but the reason why I go on here anyway is to try and improve my Countdown skills. Different methods for improving doesn't seem to be a topic that is touched on that often.

Oh yeah, and wasn't there something on the podcast about techniques for 4 large?

Wow this is by far the longest post I've ever done

[Kirk Bevins]

I do use stems but after a while the 8 just jumps out at you and you don't need a stem to spot it. I won't post the stems I've learnt on here as I'm very competitive and I don't want to be giving people any advantage. I told Dinos my TOASTER stem and he memorised it and then I was worried when I played him at CONOT (?) he'd use one. I think Paul Howe mentioned a stem when A. Prime had TAMANDUA over Paul's ADAMANT so I guess he now remembers ADAMANT + U but not the full stem. This is very useful in games of Goatdown.

[Jon Corby]

I told Dinos my TOASTER stem and he memorised it and then I was worried when I played him at CONOT (?) he'd use one.

He also posted it on here, possibly several times. It was IBUSTGRAPH. Bad luck dude.

[Joseph Bolas]

There was a table that was on the Countdown Corral site, that focused on words/anagrams that were never the maximum, because when you picked a 3rd vowel, any of them, would make an allowable 8 letter word.

ARSINGS, BATTERS, BLASTER, CANTERS, DEPARTS, GINNERS, PINTERS, RANDITS, RESTERS, RIDNESS, SPORTED, STORERS, STRIPED, TERCELS, TINTERS, TONNERS.

[Charlie Reams]

There was a table that was on the Countdown Corral site, that focused on words/anagrams that were never the maximum, because when you picked a 3rd vowel, any of them, would make an allowable 8 letter word.

Rehoused

[Kirk Bevins]

RESTERS should have a * by it as it itself is not an allowable word.

[Charlie Reams]

RESTERS should have a * by it as it itself is not an allowable word.

If only it was somehow user-editable!

[Kirk Bevins]

RESTERS should have a * by it as it itself is not an allowable word.

If only it was somehow user-editable!

Haha! I forgot it's a wiki. I'm an idiot. Sorry.