Search found 14530 matches

by Gavin Chipper
Tue Mar 10, 2026 12:00 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdowners in the news
Replies: 330
Views: 374606

Re: Countdowners in the news

Do you all remember this? I wasn't sure where to put this, but I might as well use the de facto Richard Brittain thread. Does Richard Brittain have a brother? Go to this week's Question Time at about 12:56. This is a brilliant shout. I urge people to check it out. I would send a screencap but it's t...
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Mar 09, 2026 3:45 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Joke Items
Replies: 263
Views: 201018

Re: Joke Items

Crufts.
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Mar 09, 2026 3:10 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Monday 9th March 2026 (Series 93, Heat 46)
Replies: 4
Views: 395

Spoilers for Monday 9th March 2026 (Series 93, Heat 46)

On at 3:40 today. Why did no-one tell me?
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Mar 09, 2026 3:07 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Unpopular opinions you genuinely hold
Replies: 553
Views: 656954

Re: Unpopular opinions you genuinely hold

Whatever one thinks of people like Ian Huntley and Ian Watkins (or anyone called Ian), prisons should be able to protect them from other prisoners. I always think smoking gun evil murders or paedos should get the option of lethal injection or run the risk of being murdered Either way the taxpayer b...
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Mar 09, 2026 11:01 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Unpopular opinions you genuinely hold
Replies: 553
Views: 656954

Re: Unpopular opinions you genuinely hold

Whatever one thinks of people like Ian Huntley and Ian Watkins (or anyone called Ian), prisons should be able to protect them from other prisoners.
by Gavin Chipper
Sun Mar 08, 2026 9:03 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Politics in General
Replies: 1789
Views: 3810095

Re: Politics in General

Marc Meakin wrote: Sun Mar 08, 2026 6:55 am I see Kier Starmer is really running with this stop the boats idea....by not involving tge royal navy in Trumps war.
(Yes I know The Royal Navy has ships mainly)
Ships are just big boats.
by Gavin Chipper
Sun Mar 08, 2026 9:03 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Politics in General
Replies: 1789
Views: 3810095

Re: Politics in General

Ok so if you've been caught doing something bad at home to try and deflect attention away from that you pick a fight with one of your enemies. Isn't this exactly what Trump is doing ? Well yeah. Start an illegal war with no particular objective. Just make it up as you go along. And all the right wi...
by Gavin Chipper
Sat Mar 07, 2026 2:07 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The Dead of 2026
Replies: 21
Views: 4452

Re: The Dead of 2026

by Gavin Chipper
Fri Mar 06, 2026 10:30 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdowners in the news
Replies: 330
Views: 374606

Re: Countdowners in the news

That's a good point. When I saw the solution I didn't see it that way!
by Gavin Chipper
Fri Mar 06, 2026 1:13 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdowners in the news
Replies: 330
Views: 374606

Re: Countdowners in the news

It still involves doing 618 × 75 / 50 to get 927 (and then adding 25). And because you're not allowed intermediate fractions (like 1.5), you still end up going to 46,350. In any case I'd say it's unlikely that a contestant not versed in 4 large would have seen that.
by Gavin Chipper
Thu Mar 05, 2026 2:38 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Coincidence
Replies: 247
Views: 202116

Re: Coincidence

Fucking hell.
by Gavin Chipper
Tue Mar 03, 2026 10:28 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Unpopular opinions you genuinely hold
Replies: 553
Views: 656954

Re: Unpopular opinions you genuinely hold

To follow up on that, we have:

Buzz Aldrin (96)
David Scott (93)
Charles Duke (90)
Harrison Schmitt (90)

So we probably don't have that long to get someone to the moon if we want there to continuously be a living person who has been to the moon.
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Mar 02, 2026 3:49 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Unpopular opinions you genuinely hold
Replies: 553
Views: 656954

Re: Unpopular opinions you genuinely hold

I don't think we will ever a man walk on the moon, this century I was just going through this thread and came across this. While I'm still not sure about your claim, it seems likely now that there will be a time quite soon when there are no living people who have walked on the moon. Given the age o...
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Mar 02, 2026 1:40 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: the Countdowners Outside Co:Event Meet-ups game (COCMEAT)
Replies: 99
Views: 160891

Re: the Countdowners Outside Co:Event Meet-ups game (COCMEAT)

I'm going to rewrite my list: Jon O'Neill (various, probably the first time was at Chelmsford parkrun) Mark Deeks (various, probably the first time was on election night in 2015, and he also came to mine with Jen) Matt Morrison (various, been to his flat several times) Heather Badcock (various, bee...
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Mar 02, 2026 1:27 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The Dead of 2026
Replies: 21
Views: 4452

Re: The Dead of 2026

Fartlek is when you're alternating running hard / easy, rather than actually walking.
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Mar 02, 2026 1:26 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 13th January 2026 (Series 93, Heat 7)
Replies: 13
Views: 3358

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 13th January 2026 (Series 93, Heat 7)

It's also a bit like MERER, MEREST. No-one ever says MERER but it's just valid because MERE is one syllable.
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Mar 02, 2026 10:42 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 13th January 2026 (Series 93, Heat 7)
Replies: 13
Views: 3358

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 13th January 2026 (Series 93, Heat 7)

We've discussed all this before. MINUTEST is in as its own thing for emphasis when something is really small. It's not there as superlative, even if it happens to take that form. (It's arguably a bizarre stance but that's why they've skipped the comparative.) As for the not enough time thing, it doe...
by Gavin Chipper
Sat Feb 28, 2026 8:20 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The Dead of 2026
Replies: 21
Views: 4452

Re: The Dead of 2026

Runner Jeff Galloway who "Jeffing" (meaning run/walking) was named after.
by Gavin Chipper
Sat Feb 28, 2026 6:29 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: Introducing... the H2H-o-Matic!
Replies: 40
Views: 38717

Re: Introducing... the H2H-o-Matic!

Ian Volante wrote: Sat Feb 28, 2026 6:07 pm Elo, rather than ELO
Yes, because it's from Arpad Elo rather than Electric Light Orchestra.
by Gavin Chipper
Sat Feb 28, 2026 2:20 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Words and expressions that grind your gears
Replies: 135
Views: 86822

Re: Words and expressions that grind your gears

On e.g. a Facebook post "Love this!" as a response seems to have become a thing and there's something quite grating about it that's hard to fully explain.
by Gavin Chipper
Fri Feb 27, 2026 10:44 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 27th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 40)
Replies: 5
Views: 531

Re: Spoilers for Friday 27th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 40)

Oh yeah. Just watched it back. I think I was having a conversation over that bit.
by Gavin Chipper
Fri Feb 27, 2026 5:41 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The Dead of 2026
Replies: 21
Views: 4452

Re: The Dead of 2026

Co-creator of Red Dwarf Rob Grant!
by Gavin Chipper
Fri Feb 27, 2026 3:29 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 27th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 40)
Replies: 5
Views: 531

Spoilers for Friday 27th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 40)

Luke becomes the 4th octochamp of the series and it's still only February. 0 points from the last 2 rounds means 913 instead of potentially 933 but he's still number 1 seed. Did they give him a nickname? But as an MI6 spy (keep it quiet though) surely Luke the Spook. Maybe they didn't choose that be...
by Gavin Chipper
Fri Feb 27, 2026 3:11 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Stand-up comedy
Replies: 111
Views: 77776

Re: Stand-up comedy

I'll check this out.
by Gavin Chipper
Thu Feb 26, 2026 10:48 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: C4C downtime
Replies: 33
Views: 35241

Re: C4C downtime

It's terrible at the moment. It's had its ups and downs but it's never been good for a prolonged time since the start of this thread. It would be a shame for the forum to die of neglect.
by Gavin Chipper
Thu Feb 26, 2026 10:30 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Politics in General
Replies: 1789
Views: 3810095

Re: Politics in General

According to oddschecker, the Greens are odds on to win this by-election. I'd consider this to be very good. Obviously negligible in terms of the make up of parliament, but if they win, more people are likely to see them as electable and worth voting for. And pressure from the Greens would hopefully...
by Gavin Chipper
Thu Feb 26, 2026 10:26 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: CO:parkrun Recaps
Replies: 754
Views: 3944337

Re: CO:parkrun Recaps

Cool. Good info.
by Gavin Chipper
Thu Feb 26, 2026 5:02 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Politics in General
Replies: 1789
Views: 3810095

Re: Politics in General

Here's a thing. I think the term anti-Semitic (or antisemitic) is generally not a good one to use. If someone is racist against black people, they are racist. If they are racist against Asian people, they are racist. But if they are racist against Jewish people, they are anti-Semitic. Why does it m...
by Gavin Chipper
Wed Feb 25, 2026 6:41 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Politics in General
Replies: 1789
Views: 3810095

Re: Politics in General

What do people think of the whole thing about the BBC broadcasting the N-word from the BAFTAs ? Personally I think (as you may have guessed) it's a bit of a non-event. The guy has Tourette's. It's what he does. You could argue the opposite and say that it's bad that they would try to hide the realit...
by Gavin Chipper
Wed Feb 25, 2026 1:05 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Monday 23rd February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 36)
Replies: 5
Views: 539

Re: Spoilers for Monday 23rd February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 36)

Some discussion about BRANDIES being allowed but not LAGERS in the olden days.
by Gavin Chipper
Wed Feb 25, 2026 1:02 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdowners in the news
Replies: 330
Views: 374606

Re: Countdowners in the news

James Martin Ox?
by Gavin Chipper
Wed Feb 25, 2026 10:56 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Monday 23rd February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 36)
Replies: 5
Views: 539

Re: Spoilers for Monday 23rd February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 36)

It does seem crazy but I think it was originally because some nouns listed as mass nouns had plurals given because they were "irregular" plurals which led to an asymmetry. I think BRANDIES was valid because plurals of nouns ending in Y were listed, whereas it wouldn't have been valid if BR...
by Gavin Chipper
Tue Feb 24, 2026 6:18 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 24th February 2026
Replies: 3
Views: 402

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 24th February 2026

Seems a fairly straightforward mass noun. Not sure how it got into Apterous in the first place.
by Gavin Chipper
Tue Feb 24, 2026 2:09 pm
Forum: Other game shows
Topic: New Quiz Shows for 2026
Replies: 18
Views: 5424

Re: New Quiz Shows for 2026

When was Formula 1 on? I need to check the iPlayer for this.

Edit - oh sorry I see, not on Mastermind. On The Floor whatever that is!
by Gavin Chipper
Tue Feb 24, 2026 1:06 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdowners in the news
Replies: 330
Views: 374606

Re: Countdowners in the news

I remember looking through his games before and his solve rate was quite low. I think he probably just had the basic idea that you could split the multiplication / division to subtract 2 or whatever and he happened to hit the jackpot in that round.
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Feb 23, 2026 3:45 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Monday 23rd February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 36)
Replies: 5
Views: 539

Spoilers for Monday 23rd February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 36)

Susie said geezer could probably have stuck an S on QUINOA for QUINOAS. It's not valid on Apterous. Should it be allowed? What are the rules these days? Is there not a restaurant rule or something? People eat this stuff don't they?
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Feb 23, 2026 10:17 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdowners in the news
Replies: 330
Views: 374606

Re: Countdowners in the news

Jon O'Neill wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 8:44 pm Not really the News, and it's also 11 years ago, but at about 10:50 James Martin talks about his epic 952.
Nice find, but how did you suddenly encounter this now?
by Gavin Chipper
Sun Feb 22, 2026 7:31 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Coincidence
Replies: 247
Views: 202116

Re: Coincidence

Me and Jono did Raphael parkrun in Romford before COLON yesterday (well Jono didn't do COLON) and there was an Adam Gillard in the results. Not the Adam Gillard it would appear though (unless he has more than one profile, runs on Saturdays etc.).
by Gavin Chipper
Fri Feb 20, 2026 5:27 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Coincidence
Replies: 247
Views: 202116

Re: Coincidence

Having done the Doddington Hall parkrun on the day of COLIN, I went on my Sunday long run the day after. I decided in advance to do 18km and just run to Doddington Hall and along the path the parkrun uses until I hit 9km and go back. The turnaround point was basically exactly the same place as the t...
by Gavin Chipper
Fri Feb 20, 2026 5:23 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: REALLY obvious things you've just realised
Replies: 755
Views: 753717

Re: REALLY obvious things you've just realised

Adam Gillard wrote: Fri Feb 20, 2026 10:16 am Art Attack is likely a play on words on "heart attack".
Had you read the thread on Tony Hart's death, you likely would have made the connection.
by Gavin Chipper
Thu Feb 19, 2026 3:24 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 19th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 34)
Replies: 2
Views: 633

Spoilers for Thursday 19th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 34)

I didn't get it, but HATORADE was in round 12. Also that final numbers that Rachel got late by doing 473 + 100 = 573, I got two completely different (and I would argue much more straightforward) ways in the time: 100*(4+1)+9*7+10 = 573 (100+9*10+1)*(7-4) = 573 Her way was (9*4+7)*(10+1)+100 = 573. I...
by Gavin Chipper
Wed Feb 18, 2026 6:20 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: CO:LON 2026 - Countdown in London - 21st February 2026
Replies: 7
Views: 5745

Re: CO:LON 2026 - Countdown in London - 21st February 2026

Me and Jono are currently planning on doing Raphael parkrun in Romford.
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Feb 16, 2026 5:51 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 13th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 30)
Replies: 5
Views: 810

Re: Spoilers for Friday 13th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 30)

John Garcia wrote: Mon Feb 16, 2026 5:20 pm
Gavin Chipper wrote: Mon Feb 16, 2026 5:09 pm Probably shouldn't put spoilers for later episodes without hiding it in some way. But I'm taking the points anyway.
Oops. Have amended. That's the closest I could get for hiding, unless someone has a better way?
I think that's quite a good way.
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Feb 16, 2026 5:09 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 13th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 30)
Replies: 5
Views: 810

Re: Spoilers for Friday 13th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 30)

Probably shouldn't put spoilers for later episodes without hiding it in some way. But I'm taking the points anyway.
by Gavin Chipper
Sun Feb 15, 2026 10:52 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Countdowners in the news
Replies: 330
Views: 374606

Re: Countdowners in the news

Recent octochamp Callum Ridley talks about his difficulties in getting a job.
by Gavin Chipper
Fri Feb 13, 2026 4:34 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Interesting things that aren't necessarily completely obvious
Replies: 66
Views: 70401

Re: Interesting things that aren't necessarily completely obvious

Hello Kitty is not a cat. I saw that on the BBC. I mean, if it looks like a cat and quacks like a cat... Edit - It just seems meaningless. It even has "Kitty" in the name. It would be like "revealing" that Scooby Doo was just another human character in the show. Edit 2 - OK, jus...
by Gavin Chipper
Thu Feb 12, 2026 5:12 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 12th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 29)
Replies: 2
Views: 549

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 12th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 29)

(75-8×50/25)×9+100 = 739 in that numbers.

I didn't get it but it wasn't that hard really. If the target isn't divisible by 9 you can always get a number divisible by 9 by adding or subtracting one of the large numbers. Useful when there's a 9 in the selection.
by Gavin Chipper
Thu Feb 12, 2026 10:27 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The Dead of 2026
Replies: 21
Views: 4452

Re: The Dead of 2026

I never watched it, but James Van Der Beek from Dawson's Creek. We've not had too many this year it seems so far.
by Gavin Chipper
Wed Feb 11, 2026 5:31 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 10th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 27)
Replies: 6
Views: 1051

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 10th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 27)

I hadn't noticed the warning. Specifically it says "Dangerous times". I think the particular wording needs to be highlighted.
by Gavin Chipper
Wed Feb 11, 2026 3:18 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 11th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 28)
Replies: 2
Views: 470

Spoilers for Wednesday 11th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 28)

Some good rounds today. I scored 113 without the conundrum and getting 7 for that impossible last numbers. So 126 was potentially on at one point. A "par" score of getting 7 in all the letters and 10 everywhere else gets you 120, so that would have been 6 above par. With all 7s and 8s, tha...
by Gavin Chipper
Wed Feb 11, 2026 8:48 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 10th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 27)
Replies: 6
Views: 1051

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 10th February 2026 (Series 93, Heat 27)

Yeah, I noticed the WOMBLED and PILOTAGES thing. Also got PEAKIER. And NOURISH and ANCHORS in round 4.
by Gavin Chipper
Sun Feb 08, 2026 10:39 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
Replies: 1839
Views: 2377238

Re: Questions you've always wanted answered

Country names seem to be used as they are in English as standard except for rare exceptions like Côte d'Ivoire and Timor Leste (instead of Ivory Coast and East Timor). I think it's to do with countries requesting it or something.
by Gavin Chipper
Sat Feb 07, 2026 5:01 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: People you shouldn't trust
Replies: 929
Views: 877786

Re: People you shouldn't trust

People who creep at the traffic lights until their car is completely over the line and then stop and wait. You've already gone through the red light. You might as well just go now.
by Gavin Chipper
Thu Feb 05, 2026 3:12 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 5th February 2026 - (Series 93, Heat 24)
Replies: 0
Views: 932

Spoilers for Thursday 5th February 2026 - (Series 93, Heat 24)

Dr Ranj: "I went to see a psychic..."

Erm, OK.

When Les Dennis mentioned that geezer had applied to go on a show previously, our survey says 99% of people predicted The Apprentice.
by Gavin Chipper
Mon Feb 02, 2026 3:26 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Monday 2nd February 2026 - Les Dennis returns as host
Replies: 6
Views: 1349

Re: Spoilers for Monday 2nd February 2026 - Les Dennis returns as host

Rachel was talking about some guy who owns a private train and being the only person in Britain to do so without naming him. The only person I found was Jeremy Hosking and he seems a dubious character to say the least. Also Callum seems OK at the numbers but doing (100-3)-7×3 and 50x8+9×8, wasting a...
by Gavin Chipper
Sat Jan 31, 2026 9:09 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: CO:parkrun Recaps
Replies: 754
Views: 3944337

Re: CO:parkrun Recaps

It probably beats James Cleverly coming to my local parkrun once, but on the other hand, James Cleverly is following me on Strava.
by Gavin Chipper
Sat Jan 31, 2026 6:54 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: CO:parkrun Recaps
Replies: 754
Views: 3944337

Re: CO:parkrun Recaps

Prince Charles (or whatever he styles himself as these days) was at Sandringham parkrun today. I couldn't see him in the results, but I have it on good authority that he's the unknown in position 75.
by Gavin Chipper
Sat Jan 31, 2026 7:34 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The Dead of 2026
Replies: 21
Views: 4452

Re: The Dead of 2026

Catherine O'Hara from Home Alone etc.