Search found 1647 matches

by Johnny Canuck
Mon Jun 13, 2016 3:02 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers For Monday June 13th 2016
Replies: 12
Views: 4500

Re: Spoilers For Monday June 13th 2016

GOUTINESS. Show me the money.

Congrats Robin, good luck in the SF in what may be an epic encounter.
by Johnny Canuck
Fri Jun 10, 2016 5:40 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 10th June 2016
Replies: 11
Views: 4037

Re: Spoilers for Friday 10th June 2016

Does anyone know whether the production team checks a conundrum's Apterous difficulty rating and whether it's in Ascension before it is used? This one was an Unobtainium. I actually picked out FIBRE but it never occurred to me to add FILL at either end of the word, mainly because I was picturing the...
by Johnny Canuck
Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:12 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 10th June 2016
Replies: 11
Views: 4037

Re: Spoilers for Friday 10th June 2016

The scores of the two contestants so far are completely disjoint, with 8 points separating any overlap between them. This should be entertaining.
by Johnny Canuck
Wed Jun 08, 2016 5:44 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: New Monthly Countdown Radio Show
Replies: 9
Views: 3938

Re: New Monthly Countdown Radio Show

Another great piece of news! Will there be any opportunity to actually play a few rounds of Countdown on this show or is it only for discussion of Countdown?
by Johnny Canuck
Wed Jun 08, 2016 3:17 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 8 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 84)
Replies: 5
Views: 1308

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 8 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 84)

Tony Atkins wrote:As you say a few alts about today on the words. Glad they both remembered the first round from yesterday.
Looks like John may have learned by watching yesterday's Round 10, too.
by Johnny Canuck
Wed Jun 08, 2016 3:09 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 8 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 84)
Replies: 5
Views: 1308

Spoilers for Wednesday 8 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 84)

"Could these letters rounds BE any flatter?" -- Chandler Bing

An average of 7.9 equal maxes per letters round today. Gotta be a record.
by Johnny Canuck
Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:26 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)
Replies: 13
Views: 3730

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)

I'm still curious as to what they're going to do about David Edgar, who failed to qualify for the finals solely on the basis of having OUTRANG disallowed when it was really OK. He would still be at the studios for the finals as the "reserve" #9 contestant if there is one, but as Tim has me...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:21 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Who Will Win Series 74? (Even More Spoilers... Yadda Yadda)
Replies: 12
Views: 4695

Re: Who Will Win Series 74? (Even More Spoilers... Yadda Yadda)

Good idea -- will follow beginning in the next series. On a personal note, I've been looking forward to these finals for weeks but I have both an assignment due tonight and a huge midterm exam tomorrow, and I don't know, I just somehow wanted a few "new"/"unusual" Countdown-rela...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:52 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)
Replies: 13
Views: 3730

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)

David Williams wrote:
Johnny Canuck wrote:Best of luck as ever to Paul, Robin, Ann, Conrad, Dave, Tim, Sean and Tony!
A logical impossibility.
Wishing someone luck doesn't mean they'll get it.
by Johnny Canuck
Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:12 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Who Will Win Series 74? (Even More Spoilers... Yadda Yadda)
Replies: 12
Views: 4695

Re: Who Will Win Series 74? (Even More Spoilers... Yadda Yadda)

If I was being really picky (and I am) I would say (so I am saying) that this thread shouldn't really exist until the last preliminary has been played because its very existence (regardless of whether you click on it) is a spoiler itself. I see your point and I'm sorry for spoiling people who are b...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:03 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Who Will Win Series 74? (Even More Spoilers... Yadda Yadda)
Replies: 12
Views: 4695

Re: Who Will Win Series 74? (Even More Spoilers... Yadda Yadda)

If I was being really picky (and I am) I would say (so I am saying) that this thread shouldn't really exist until the last preliminary has been played because its very existence (regardless of whether you click on it) is a spoiler itself. I see your point and I'm sorry for spoiling people who are b...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:44 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Who Will Win Series 74? (Even More Spoilers... Yadda Yadda)
Replies: 12
Views: 4695

Who Will Win Series 74? (Even More Spoilers... Yadda Yadda)

The Series 74 preliminaries: here today, gone tomorrow (assuming you're in Kiribati; Thursday everywhere else, of course). As a result of Ollie Heath's triumph today, the finals lineup is now fully determined, barring the unlikely event that one or more finalists will be no-shows. And so, the specul...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:31 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)
Replies: 13
Views: 3730

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)

Oh, and to use a Robbo-ism, WAHEY! The finals lineup is now determined. (Again, I'm assuming that someone in one of the spoilers threads would have warned us long ago if one of the expected finalists wasn't going to turn up.) Best of luck as ever to Paul, Robin, Ann, Conrad, Dave, Tim, Sean and Tony!
by Johnny Canuck
Tue Jun 07, 2016 3:04 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)
Replies: 13
Views: 3730

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)

Why exactly do they televise Rachel saying "I'll have another look" for unsolved numbers games when the editors/producers know very well she isn't going to follow up on them in any way? I'm baffled. ROULADE as a beater in the LOADER/RELOAD round. She normally has a go, I've seen her with ...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue Jun 07, 2016 2:42 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)
Replies: 13
Views: 3730

Spoilers for Tuesday 7 June 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 83)

Why exactly do they televise Rachel saying "I'll have another look" for unsolved numbers games when the editors/producers know very well she isn't going to follow up on them in any way? I'm baffled.

ROULADE as a beater in the LOADER/RELOAD round.
by Johnny Canuck
Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:54 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Ask Graeme?
Replies: 1740
Views: 684171

Re: Ask Graeme?

In Round 1 of this game , the first three letters drawn were QXZ. Have all four of the "difficult" letters (those three plus the J) ever appeared in the same round? If not, how many times have three of them appeared? I also vaguely recall going through the archives, most likely a very earl...
by Johnny Canuck
Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:08 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: Is Apterous down? [DO NOT POST IN THIS TOPIC FOR ANY OTHER REASON]
Replies: 604
Views: 308400

Re: Is Apterous down?

Well, Apterous is currently up but it seems to have not been saving any data in the archives for the past few hours. There are no entries in the chat logs after 10:19pm tonight (Monday) and no games saved in the archives beyond 10:20pm.
by Johnny Canuck
Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:23 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 3 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 65)
Replies: 15
Views: 4197

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 3 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 65)

Actually, it was because the total he was given was 723 points, which means his tiebreak conundrum was added. It only occurred to me to double check after yesterday's show, as I was in the audience, so already knew his score from today..... Whether or not it makes a difference to who he would've pl...
by Johnny Canuck
Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:43 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 3 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 65)
Replies: 15
Views: 4197

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 3 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 65)

He was seeded above Tim in the finals. In that case, they must have caught the mistake with PETTIES, which I believe was his only administrative error. I'm going to update his total on the main Series 74 wiki page accordingly. (The only other way he could have got above Tim is if they've now starte...
by Johnny Canuck
Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:40 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers For Monday June 6th 2016
Replies: 4
Views: 1260

Re: Spoilers For Monday June 6th 2016

By the way, what happens if someone who could have entered the S74 finals had they been unbeaten at the end of S74 is transported to S75 and doesn't have enough wins to make the S75 finals? Has this already happened at least once? I seem to recall an Ask Graeme question regarding the implications of...
by Johnny Canuck
Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:53 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers For Monday June 6th 2016
Replies: 4
Views: 1260

Re: Spoilers For Monday June 6th 2016

Sean Cooke could also end up as #8, if Peppiatt wins the next 3 and loses on Thursday.
by Johnny Canuck
Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:10 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: A Letters Round Quandary
Replies: 10
Views: 7544

Re: A Letters Round Quandary

Charlie Reams wrote:You can try with some easily available wordlist like UKACD and see if it works.
What's John Beresford doing writing a non-Countdown word list :?: :!:
http://www.crosswordman.com/download/UK ... ionary.txt (warning: large file)
by Johnny Canuck
Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:00 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: A Letters Round Quandary
Replies: 10
Views: 7544

Re: A Letters Round Quandary

I agree with Innis that it's highly unlikely that a 10-round solution exists. But perhaps if you dump the worst letters near the beginning you could get close. On the contrary, I would think that putting the worst letters in a cluster at the very end would be more efficient. There are always more c...
by Johnny Canuck
Fri Jun 03, 2016 6:02 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: A Letters Round Quandary
Replies: 10
Views: 7544

Re: A Letters Round Quandary

By the way, I could write a Python script that would solve this problem for me within an hour, but to do so I'd need a list of all the 9s in the dictionary.
by Johnny Canuck
Fri Jun 03, 2016 3:09 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: What books have you been reading lately?
Replies: 58
Views: 19536

Re: What books have you been reading lately?

Has anyone read Ernest Cline's books, Ready Player One and Armada? They've seemed to have become fixtures in 2010s geek culture and I enjoyed them while they lasted (plus Wil Wheaton narrated the audiobooks and he is an awesome dude), but I don't think I'd care to read them again.
by Johnny Canuck
Fri Jun 03, 2016 1:36 am
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: A Letters Round Quandary
Replies: 10
Views: 7544

A Letters Round Quandary

Inspired by the apparent spikes in max scores and 9-letter word frequency on TV during the past weeks, I was pondering the following quandary* during a boring class today: In a standard 15-round game, is there any possible ordering of the letters within the vowel and consonant piles such that all te...
by Johnny Canuck
Thu Jun 02, 2016 3:07 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 2nd June 2016
Replies: 8
Views: 3611

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 2nd June 2016

Maximum scores seem to have made a quantum leap in the previous few weeks, without any recent additions to the dictionary/word list. Is this just by chance or could there be an explanation such as the shuffling algorithm having been made "nicer"?
by Johnny Canuck
Wed Jun 01, 2016 7:06 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Co-Radio Countdown on Radio
Replies: 8
Views: 3497

Re: Co-Radio Countdown on Radio

Mark Mills wrote:please note I will not play any music sang by a Countdown fan...
Oh, dang. No Queen, then.
by Johnny Canuck
Tue May 31, 2016 3:21 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 31 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 79)
Replies: 4
Views: 1757

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 31 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 79)

Can someone, preferably Ray W, please check the validities of these two words, both of which are listed by Lex as maxes? PLOITTER PAROKETS For now, I'm assuming they're out. Or anyone who can use a dictionary. So anyone. Not anyone... only people who want to risk getting told off for being unreliab...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue May 31, 2016 3:01 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 31 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 79)
Replies: 4
Views: 1757

Spoilers for Tuesday 31 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 79)

An excellent ton debut today by Alasdair Haines, who was, I am reliably informed, active on Apterous for several weeks as a trial member. Particular commiserations to Matthew, however, because had CARMINES been ruled OK, as it has been at least once in the past, it would have been a dead heat, finis...
by Johnny Canuck
Mon May 30, 2016 11:01 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 27th May 2016
Replies: 13
Views: 4518

Re: Spoilers for Friday 27th May 2016

Really? Lexplorer seems to disagree. Only 8s to be had today as far as I know. It's a shame because only being the spoilers thread, we can never find out what this nine is to verify/unverify it. Sorry wrote the selection down wrong in the Pastor round (an A for the second O)! So AAAFOPRST then? Sti...
by Johnny Canuck
Mon May 30, 2016 8:36 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Bank Holiday Monday 30 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 78)
Replies: 3
Views: 976

Re: Spoilers for Bank Holiday Monday 30 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 78)

Thanks very much Robbo!

Well done Matthew and unlucky John -- I've never whitewashed a TV contestant before.
by Johnny Canuck
Sun May 29, 2016 11:38 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Bank Holiday Monday 30 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 78)
Replies: 3
Views: 976

Spoilers for Bank Holiday Monday 30 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 78)

Of the 8 people in the series finals, 7 are now confirmed following Robin McKay's mastery of the 6th octochamp run of the series. A minimum of 5 wins will be needed to reach the finals at this point, and they will need to be achieved within the 4 preliminaries (3 June -- my birthday -- being given o...
by Johnny Canuck
Sat May 28, 2016 5:59 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Co-Radio Countdown on Radio
Replies: 8
Views: 3497

Re: Co-Radio Countdown on Radio

What format will this Co-event be in, exactly? COLIN, CoBris or something else? Has this been determined yet? Great news regardless!
by Johnny Canuck
Sat May 28, 2016 1:44 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Co-Radio Countdown on Radio
Replies: 8
Views: 3497

Re: Co-Radio Countdown on Radio

Yes. Very yes. I'm in like Flynn.
by Johnny Canuck
Fri May 27, 2016 3:16 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 27th May 2016
Replies: 13
Views: 4518

Re: Spoilers for 27th May 2016

I was pleased to get a studio-max game, but then found there are three beaters including an obscure 9... Really? Lexplorer seems to disagree. Only 8s to be had today as far as I know. Two very nice 8-letter beaters for PEWTER/REPENT, including the futuristic-sounding POWERNET, which sadly just turn...
by Johnny Canuck
Thu May 26, 2016 6:54 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 26 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 76)
Replies: 6
Views: 2609

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 26 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 76)

You're quite welcome. Oh, the one other thing was I was slightly surprised you didn't try to fish for a final A in R1 (and it would have been there), but what you found with the final consonant turned out to be even more impressive.
by Johnny Canuck
Thu May 26, 2016 3:06 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 26 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 76)
Replies: 6
Views: 2609

Spoilers for Thursday 26 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 76)

Utmost kudos to the RIGHTEOUS Robin McKay on his seventh victory today. Until very near the end it was looking like he was going to be shutting his opponent into yet another record low score for a male new 15-rounder contestant. The leaderboard looks like it might be veeerrrry close between Robin an...
by Johnny Canuck
Thu May 26, 2016 11:23 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Where did you go to on your last holiday, and where are you going next?
Replies: 10
Views: 3376

Re: Where did you go to on your last holiday, and where are you going next?

Went to Montreal two years ago during a two-week break from uni (which is the maximum I typically get). The two main highlights of the trip for me were the Biosphère, an eco-friendliness / sustainability museum built by the architect Buckminster Fuller and shaped like a giant golf ball, and the Biod...
by Johnny Canuck
Wed May 25, 2016 9:50 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: How British people pronounce foreign place names, particularly Spanish stuff. This one is confusing me.
Replies: 26
Views: 5280

Re: How British people pronounce foreign place names, particularly Spanish stuff. This one is confusing me.

Mark Deeks wrote:There's a Spanish basketball player called Sergio Llull. Never quite sure what to go for there so I've always gone for Yooey.
Though I (nearly) always try to use pronunciations as close to the native ones as possible, I think I'd pronounce this one as spelt just for the llullz.
by Johnny Canuck
Wed May 25, 2016 3:19 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)
Replies: 16
Views: 3668

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)

Question for statistics buffs: Based on the average maxes of his games so far (and the premature yet virtually certain assumption that Robin will complete an octorun), is Robin on track to become the octochamp with the highest potentially available octototal ever?
by Johnny Canuck
Wed May 25, 2016 2:55 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)
Replies: 16
Views: 3668

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)

Tony Atkins wrote:SLOW DOWN!
I can do better than that now... I can stop. Thanks so much again.
by Johnny Canuck
Wed May 25, 2016 2:50 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)
Replies: 16
Views: 3668

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)

And anyone catch the first TTT? (By the way, I caught the challenger's full name, so I could have added the game to the main Series 74 page regardless.)
by Johnny Canuck
Wed May 25, 2016 2:47 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)
Replies: 16
Views: 3668

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)

Thanks a proverbial million, Tony. Just FYI, if you don't have any of these data, Ray or JR could probably fill in the rest.
by Johnny Canuck
Wed May 25, 2016 2:36 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)
Replies: 16
Views: 3668

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)

Yep. Just what I was carefully trying to avert for the past five hours happened. Seems my Windows Recorder abruptly, and despite my never having touched it in any way, thought it received a "stop" signal during Fifteen to One, and it skipped recording the first four rounds entirely (the FO...
by Johnny Canuck
Wed May 25, 2016 1:02 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)
Replies: 16
Views: 3668

Spoilers for Wednesday 25 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 75)

Wiki recap today will be delayed by about an hour; I'm in a school quiz during the first portion of today's show, up until Round 6 or so, and have to use the Windows Recorder on my screen to capture it and watch it later. Good luck to Robin in his sixth game regardless.
by Johnny Canuck
Wed May 25, 2016 12:41 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)
Replies: 12
Views: 4049

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)

Screw it, you've swayed me. I'm re-adding THEORIKAS. Made the decision after I looked up one of the other inflected "also" forms that were discussed in Aptomail ("ALTERATE, also ALTERATED") and discovered that ALTERATEDED had in fact been added to aptodic. I had previously though...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue May 24, 2016 6:31 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)
Replies: 12
Views: 4049

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)

Gavin Chipper wrote:And we should really go by the dictionary even if the dictionary is "wrong".
Is this the universal standard used by Susie / the decision-makers on the show, though?
by Johnny Canuck
Tue May 24, 2016 3:13 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)
Replies: 12
Views: 4049

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)

Personally, I would rule that THEORIKA is the plural of THEORIKON, and so can't be pluralised itself. I don't know how Susie would do it though. Ah thanks for that tip, never would have thought to look up the -ON form. In the entry for THEORIKON, "'also' THEORIKA" is listed, but I think w...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue May 24, 2016 3:07 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)
Replies: 12
Views: 4049

Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)

In the HOARIEST round, Lexplorer gives THEORIKAS as a 9, but it seems to be one of those junked variant spellings. However, if it were to have been kept, the max for the show would be 166 -- the highest so far in this format and second highest ever. Can someone please confirm for me that THEORIKAS i...
by Johnny Canuck
Tue May 24, 2016 11:48 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)
Replies: 12
Views: 4049

Spoilers for Tuesday 24 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 74)

On yesterday's show, Apterite Robin McKay rounded off the first half of what we can only assume will be a magnificent octorun. Today is also a landmark day for Robin as if he wins with at least 93 points, he will be a confirmed finals qualifier. Join Tim Down for the recap later to see whether he ca...
by Johnny Canuck
Mon May 23, 2016 3:02 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers For Monday May 23rd 2016
Replies: 9
Views: 3184

Re: Spoilers For Monday May 23rd 2016

Until the J came up in the final round, I was starting to suspect Countdown had switched its format to Nice.
by Johnny Canuck
Sun May 22, 2016 12:43 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 20 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 71)
Replies: 8
Views: 3073

Re: Spoilers for Friday 20 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 71)

According to the log I keep at home, this is definitely Prelim 72, not Prelim 71. I think the prelim numbers in the spoilers archive have been out of sync for a few weeks, actually.
by Johnny Canuck
Sat May 21, 2016 4:32 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 19 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 70)
Replies: 11
Views: 3665

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 19 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 70)

The max in Round 11 (eulasypid^/updeals^ round) is apparently one of those weird words that Lexplorer says is OK but it's really not, and it's an 8. What is it? Edit - looked it up - PAULDIES. I think it's two separate words! Obviously they've fired whoever was trying to sneak Beatles conspiracy th...
by Johnny Canuck
Fri May 20, 2016 6:27 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 20 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 71)
Replies: 8
Views: 3073

Re: Spoilers for Friday 20 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 72)

James Laverty wrote:Pretty sure it was GRAPES
Good, that's how I heard it too. I inferred that based partially on the fact that DC talked about GRAPIER in a manner that suggested it "built" on GRAPES.
by Johnny Canuck
Fri May 20, 2016 4:48 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday 20 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 71)
Replies: 8
Views: 3073

Spoilers for Friday 20 May 2016 (Series 74, Prelim 71)

So. Yeah. Today's show happened.

Good job to Robin on making it a hat-trick, and commiserations to Mel, who was apparently active on Apterous as a trial member for a few weeks.

Did the rest of you hear Mel saying GRAPES or GRIPES in the RAPIERS round? It's almost impossible to tell.
by Johnny Canuck
Thu May 19, 2016 10:57 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: People you shouldn't trust
Replies: 921
Views: 394787

Re: People you shouldn't trust

Gavin Chipper wrote:People who think the word "literally" is off limits when you're exaggerating. As if saying "I literally died laughing" is any more inaccurate than saying "I died laughing".
Agreed. In my opinion, "literally" has a legitimate figurative use.
by Johnny Canuck
Thu May 19, 2016 2:57 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 19 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 70)
Replies: 11
Views: 3665

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 19 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 70)

The max in Round 11 (eulasypid^/updeals^ round) is apparently one of those weird words that Lexplorer says is OK but it's really not, and it's an 8. Will I need to use Lexplorer to iterate through all possible 7-letter combinations to write the Others words for this round?
by Johnny Canuck
Thu May 19, 2016 1:17 am
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 18 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 69)
Replies: 30
Views: 6846

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 18 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 69)

Another administrative error potentially gains a huge impact as a result of this game. Tony goes onto the seed table two points ahead of David Edgar from earlier this series. However, during one of his prelims, David had the word OUTRANG wrongly disallowed, and if it were to have been allowed he wou...
by Johnny Canuck
Wed May 18, 2016 3:26 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 18 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 69)
Replies: 30
Views: 6846

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 18 May 2016 (Series 74 Prelim 69)

Rob McKay wrote:I did have a little giggle to myself when you said "should be entertaining" in our chat yesterday Johnny.
Haha, entertaining it was indeed! Only realised after the show that you equalled the highest début score ever. Permanent congratulations.