Spoilers for Valentine’s Day 2025 (Series 91, Heat 30)
Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2025 2:38 pm
HETAIRA for 7 to beat WAITER.
A group for contestants and lovers of the Channel 4 game show 'Countdown'.
http://c4countdown.co.uk/
Two-syllable adjective ruleGavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 3:46 pm No gunkiest in round 13 for some reason. GUNKY is in though.
That's why it's disallowed but not why it's not in the dictionary!Johnny Canuck wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 3:55 pmTwo-syllable adjective ruleGavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 3:46 pm No gunkiest in round 13 for some reason. GUNKY is in though.
It depends on usage, I’m afraid!Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 4:57 pmThat's why it's disallowed but not why it's not in the dictionary!Johnny Canuck wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 3:55 pmTwo-syllable adjective ruleGavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 3:46 pm No gunkiest in round 13 for some reason. GUNKY is in though.
(Yeah, I meant that most -IER, -IEST words are in but they seemingly arbitrarily exclude some.)
Agree, and indeed the dictionary says so as indicated by [COUNT NOUN] in the ‘praline’ page and this not being the case for ‘nougat’.Philip Wilson wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 8:34 am There's a rather fine line between PRALINES (praline chocolates) being valid, and NOUGATS x not.
Accepted that in both cases the validity for Countdown was true to the dictionary chosen, but not certain that there can be that much difference between "Oi, you've eaten all the pralines!" and "Oi, you've eaten all the nougats!"Philip A wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 8:58 amAgree, and indeed the dictionary says so as indicated by [COUNT NOUN] in the ‘praline’ page and this not being the case for ‘nougat’.Philip Wilson wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 8:34 am There's a rather fine line between PRALINES (praline chocolates) being valid, and NOUGATS x not.
This is why some regular fans are calling for the restaurant rule to be scrapped as it appears to overrule foods which are only given as an uncountable mass noun. After all, the dictionary chosen is about English as it is used.
It makes much more sense to just go with the dictionary than invent these extra arbitrary subjective rules. But let's be clear, the dictionary is often way off the mark when it comes to usage.Philip A wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 8:58 amAgree, and indeed the dictionary says so as indicated by [COUNT NOUN] in the ‘praline’ page and this not being the case for ‘nougat’.Philip Wilson wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 8:34 am There's a rather fine line between PRALINES (praline chocolates) being valid, and NOUGATS x not.
This is why some regular fans are calling for the restaurant rule to be scrapped as it appears to overrule foods which are only given as an uncountable mass noun. After all, the dictionary chosen is about English as it is used.