Countdown/Apterous Words Used In Real Life

[Karen Pearson]

There are loads of words that we come cross in Countdown and Apterous that we can't imagine ever using in real life. However, every now and then I come across one, and I thought it would be interesting to see which other weird Countdowny words people have come across in real life.

I'll make a start with:
MOIETY - appears on the second page of Sense and Sensibility in relation to Henry Dashwood's first wife's will.
MUUMUU (a popular Unlimited word) - appears in The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner
I recently also came across 'DETRAINED' in a novel although I can't remember either the title or the author (it wasn't a great read!)
And the tennis coach we had in Florida was very fond of explaining that the last action in the serve involves 'PRONATING'.

[Jon Corby]

MUUMUU (a popular Unlimited word) - appears in The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner

Homer also wears one in the Simpsons when he gets fat so he can work at home

[Ian Fitzpatrick]

I'll make a start with:
MOIETY - appears on the second page of Sense and Sensibility in relation to Henry Dashwood's first wife's will.

I won the Moiety Safety Award (about 10 years ago!)

[Charlie Reams]

Previous thread along similar lines (probably a bit late to merge them now).

[Matt Morrison]

[Ben Hunter]

When I was in hospital for a bit loads of Apterous words popped up that I wouldn't normally hear: triage, ampoule, cannula, supine etc...

[Ryan Taylor]

Whilst watching a rerun of WWTBAM the question was:

"Often found on the human skin, what is a lentigo?"

A) Mole
B) Beauty Spot
C) Freckle
D) Tattoo

I got this wrong and I asked Innis too and he didn't know. It was amazing that having used this word a few times and not bothering to look it up could have cost me lots of money if I was on the show. I think it was a question for £125,000 or £250,000 couldn't remember which.

[Ian Volante]

I recently asked a question in a quiz which included the word SFUMATO.

[Ian Volante]

Whilst watching a rerun of WWTBAM the question was:

"Often found on the human skin, what is a lentigo?"

A) Mole
B) Beauty Spot
C) Freckle
D) Tattoo

I got this wrong and I asked Innis too and he didn't know. It was amazing that having used this word a few times and not bothering to look it up could have cost me lots of money if I was on the show. I think it was a question for £125,000 or £250,000 couldn't remember which.

I'd go with freckle.

[David O'Donnell]

I would have went with mole.

[Ryan Taylor]

I thought it was beauty spot based on the reasoning that tattoo is just stupid and a definite wrong answer, I knew a technical term for mole (nevus) and I thought I knew a technical term for freckle, I couldn't remember what this word was but I knew it wasn't lentigo. Anyway, turns out there is more than one word for a freckle and I would have lost a cool £93,000. Freckle was correct, ironic, since I am covered in thousands of the bastards.

[Ian Volante]

I thought it was beauty spot based on the reasoning that tattoo is just stupid and a definite wrong answer, I knew a technical term for mole (nevus) and I thought I knew a technical term for freckle, I couldn't remember what this word was but I knew it wasn't lentigo. Anyway, turns out there is more than one word for a freckle and I would have lost a cool £93,000. Freckle was correct, ironic, since I am covered in thousands of the bastards.

Headful of quiz shit wins the day again.

[JimBentley]

I thought it was beauty spot based on the reasoning that tattoo is just stupid and a definite wrong answer, I knew a technical term for mole (nevus) and I thought I knew a technical term for freckle, I couldn't remember what this word was but I knew it wasn't lentigo. Anyway, turns out there is more than one word for a freckle and I would have lost a cool £93,000. Freckle was correct, ironic, since I am covered in thousands of the bastards.

A naevus can be a mole, but really it's just another term for a birthmark, so a mole that developed (for instance) as a result of cancer wouldn't be a naevus. And when I learned about it (admittedly ages ago) lentigo wasn't a thing at all, it was a medical condition that (generally) old people got (characterised by small brown skin patches which do look like freckles). But I wouldn't say that Ryan had lentigo, I'd say he had freckles. So Chris Tarrant can stick that right up his fucking arse. Unless I'm wrong. Which is possible.

[Ryan Taylor]

I thought it was beauty spot based on the reasoning that tattoo is just stupid and a definite wrong answer, I knew a technical term for mole (nevus) and I thought I knew a technical term for freckle, I couldn't remember what this word was but I knew it wasn't lentigo. Anyway, turns out there is more than one word for a freckle and I would have lost a cool £93,000. Freckle was correct, ironic, since I am covered in thousands of the bastards.

A naevus can be a mole, but really it's just another term for a birthmark, so a mole that developed (for instance) as a result of cancer wouldn't be a naevus. And when I learned about it (admittedly ages ago) lentigo wasn't a thing at all, it was a medical condition that (generally) old people got (characterised by small brown skin patches which do look like freckles). But I wouldn't say that Ryan had lentigo, I'd say he had freckles. So Chris Tarrant can stick that right up his fucking arse. Unless I'm wrong. Which is possible.

Well I was surprised by it. The definition of lentigo does say freckle but I agree more with what you say here and the WWTBAM aren't the greatest quiz writers! Remember the tennis question they got wrong? And the one with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen I think was about Sheridan's middle name. Could be wrong. But yeah with WWTBAM they should make sure there are no dodgy questions at that level of money!

[James Doohan]

But yeah with WWTBAM they should make sure there are no dodgy questions at that level of money!

Seems it a widespread problem for WWTBAM

[Ryan Taylor]

But yeah with WWTBAM they should make sure there are no dodgy questions at that level of money!

Seems it a widespread problem for WWTBAM

Wow, I didn't hear about this one before. I only knew the lunula as the crescent bit on the fingernail so despite being right on the show I would have sort of been wrong. Wonder if anything would have been made of it if he actually went with fingernail.

[James Doohan]

Wow, I didn't hear about this one before. I only knew the lunula as the crescent bit on the fingernail so despite being right on the show I would have sort of been wrong. Wonder if anything would have been made of it if he actually went with fingernail.

Was quite a big deal here at the time especially considering he phoned a doctor for the answer, IIRC the production company only gave him a second chance because of huge public pressure, wankers.

[Martin Bishop]

Wow, I didn't hear about this one before. I only knew the lunula as the crescent bit on the fingernail so despite being right on the show I would have sort of been wrong. Wonder if anything would have been made of it if he actually went with fingernail.

Was quite a big deal here at the time especially considering he phoned a doctor for the answer, IIRC the production company only gave him a second chance because of huge public pressure, wankers.

There was a similar incident on the British version a while back. The question was "what is the minimum number of shots a player has to hit to win a set of tennis?" They gave the answer as 24, when the correct answer was 12. They'd just counted the minimum number of points and forgot that if there's a double fault, you don't hit a shot.

[James Doohan]

There was a similar incident on the British version a while back. The question was "what is the minimum number of shots a player has to hit to win a set of tennis?" They gave the answer as 24, when the correct answer was 12. They'd just counted the minimum number of points and forgot that if there's a double fault, you don't hit a shot.

I remember this actually as I was shouting at the guy not to go for 24 and was then supremely puzzled as to how i'd got the answer wrong

[Ryan Taylor]

There was a similar incident on the British version a while back. The question was "what is the minimum number of shots a player has to hit to win a set of tennis?" They gave the answer as 24, when the correct answer was 12. They'd just counted the minimum number of points and forgot that if there's a double fault, you don't hit a shot.

Dude, don't you read?

Well I was surprised by it. The definition of lentigo does say freckle but I agree more with what you say here and the WWTBAM aren't the greatest quiz writers! Remember the tennis question they got wrong? And the one with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen I think was about Sheridan's middle name. Could be wrong. But yeah with WWTBAM they should make sure there are no dodgy questions at that level of money!