Search found 1489 matches
- Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:22 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Oxford API - tech help needed!
- Replies: 1
- Views: 2077
Oxford API - tech help needed!
Any techie folk out there who are bored... I'm putting something together to return a short definition of a word using the Oxford API . (Happy to supply more details to anyone who needs some motivation to help with this problem!) You can get an API key for free that gives you 3,000 requests per mont...
- Fri Sep 08, 2023 8:31 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 482466
Re: People you shouldn't trust
All is right with the world again
- Fri Sep 08, 2023 7:54 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 482466
Re: People you shouldn't trust
I give kudos (essentially likes on Strava for those who have no idea what's going on) to pretty much everything in my feed, but if I come across something like "Evening activity" with nothing to explain what might have happened, it goes unkudosed. I did a run yesterday and Gev hasn't kudo...
- Tue Sep 05, 2023 10:46 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: I want to live long enough to see.......
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1810
Re: I want to live long enough to see.......
World peace.
- Mon Sep 04, 2023 1:38 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Southern event for May 2024
- Replies: 6
- Views: 4267
Re: Southern event for May 2024
Haha sounds fun!Adam S Latchford wrote: ↑Mon Sep 04, 2023 1:00 pm if it was the weekend 18th and 19th may, could ping the henley tough mudder in afterwards and it'd guarantee me coming
Currently looking towards end of April - watch this space...
- Fri Sep 01, 2023 7:29 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: REALLY obvious things you've just realised
- Replies: 644
- Views: 330866
Re: REALLY obvious things you've just realised
Our atoms live on forever so we're all immortal. We'll just morph into something else.
- Fri Sep 01, 2023 4:53 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Southern event for May 2024
- Replies: 6
- Views: 4267
Southern event for May 2024
Hello :) I'm considering options for hosting an event in 2024 (possibly May). Lesley would be happy to co-host Brighton again, but I was considering doing an event in Reading or Guildford instead - both have good transport connections, and hotels appear to be a lot cheaper than Brighton too, as well...
- Thu Aug 31, 2023 10:30 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO:parkrun Recaps
- Replies: 597
- Views: 379505
Re: CO:parkrun Recaps
Can't get the staff...Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Thu Aug 31, 2023 9:51 pm I still need to do the points for this. And then we had CO:LON, so I need to sort that out too.
- Thu Aug 31, 2023 2:54 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Gender politics etc
- Replies: 5
- Views: 1476
Re: Gender politics etc
Maybe off topic, but brought this story to mind -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-65422489
Slightly different to hiring an escort for your teenager though!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-65422489
Slightly different to hiring an escort for your teenager though!
- Wed Aug 30, 2023 10:49 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: It started with a kiss
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2711
Re: It started with a kiss
3) I'm with you on the idea that you shouldn't be forced to kiss relatives if you don't want to. I'm not sure it has quite the same sexual undertone as this, but yeah kissing relatives is a bit weird. While we're at it, can we also get rid of polite kisses on the cheek when greeting people you bare...
- Tue Aug 29, 2023 10:07 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: It started with a kiss
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2711
Re: It started with a kiss
I know nothing about the guy, and watching the clip it did look as if he got carried away in the excitement of the moment, but that does not make it excusable. You'd expect, on realising the recipient of the kiss was unhappy about it, that he'd apologise genuinely and learn from it. It's not fine to...
- Mon Aug 28, 2023 7:22 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO MSO Sunday 27th August 2023
- Replies: 15
- Views: 10834
Re: CO MSO Sunday 27th August 2023
Thank you Tony, it was a fun event!
- Fri Aug 25, 2023 3:32 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Co:Lon - 26 August 2023
- Replies: 27
- Views: 13045
Re: Co:Lon - 26 August 2023
I'm most likely doing dollis hill parkrun (Gladstone apparently) because it's the nearest to my crappy budget hostel. 500 points each if nobody else joins us I guess Who else is doing mso? I'm signed up (unless I'm not in which case Tony please yell at me) Can't make Co:Lon but hope you all have a ...
- Thu Aug 24, 2023 6:14 pm
- Forum: Other game shows
- Topic: 1% Club series 2
- Replies: 16
- Views: 4791
Re: 1% Club series 2
Tough questions on the zoom call, I cocked up on the 30% question. Tips for anyone auditioning Have a pen and paper handy and don't do your zoom in a noisy garden cafe. Nobody got to the 1%question so fingers crossed they get back to me. Filming end of October /early November Did they carry on, or ...
- Wed Aug 23, 2023 8:32 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Politics in General
- Replies: 1645
- Views: 1801008
Re: Politics in General
What's the difference between refugees from war-torn Ukraine, and refugees from war-torn Syria? (sounds like a joke needing a punchline, but am genuinely confused why one set is welcomed and the other are shunned) edit to add, I'm not genuinely confused - it's bleedin' obvious, but a terrible reflec...
- Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:39 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
As is Shireen Hibs/Ahmed - I believe she does the subtitles for Countdown
- Sun Aug 20, 2023 5:57 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
Nothing is touching. Slapping your hand on a table is simply a demonstration of the repulsion of a large number of atoms not wanting to be any closer to each other because their nuclei share the same charge. Atoms are tiny, and electromagnetic forces extend way beyond the nuclei which contain the p...
- Fri Aug 18, 2023 12:50 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Countdown In Edinburgh (COEDI) - Saturday 7th October 2023
- Replies: 9
- Views: 8877
Re: Countdown In Edinburgh (COEDI) - Saturday 7th October 2023
Gonna cycle from Newcastle to Edinburgh over a few days before the event - in the unlikely event anyone fancies joining me for any of it then shout!
(Route roughly this https://pedal-power.co.uk/holidays/coas ... nd-routes/)
(Route roughly this https://pedal-power.co.uk/holidays/coas ... nd-routes/)
- Fri Aug 18, 2023 12:46 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
I'll be honest, I still don't really get it. It's like when they say that molecules (or atoms or whichever it is) are made up of electrons or whatever orbiting nucleuses through magnetism, meaning they are mostly just loads of empty space. How can everything be made up of mostly empty space! And wh...
- Fri Aug 18, 2023 9:09 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Rachel Riley Post
- Replies: 76
- Views: 18004
Re: Rachel Riley Post
Well if they do reinstate him, presumably they will have to publish the unseen evidence that throws significant doubt on his guilt or there would be a huge backlash
- Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:49 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Rachel Riley Post
- Replies: 76
- Views: 18004
Re: Rachel Riley Post
If Rachel Riley knows more about the case than I do She really does. You can be quite intellectually lazy sometimes, far more willing to give opinions than research them. Like Jono says, the case has taken place very publicly, and there's transcripts/audio files out there from which to draw your ow...
- Tue Aug 15, 2023 6:13 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 15th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 33)
- Replies: 27
- Views: 4284
Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 15th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 33)
Performance may have been genuine up to second TTT. That may have been the point he decided to go for the joint record, if indeed he did - perhaps more understandable "I'm gonna get thrashed - might as well go out with a bang". MFNOIAERT He declared FEAR. Could he genuinely not see miner o...
- Tue Aug 15, 2023 5:18 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 15th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 33)
- Replies: 27
- Views: 4284
Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 15th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 33)
Matey taking the piss. Suggest the wiki write-up kept to the minimum - don't give him the attention he's clearly after. What a tosser. I've seen a couple of people suggest this was a deliberately low score to seek attention, but what makes you so sure of that? Having watched the episode, all I can ...
- Tue Aug 15, 2023 4:49 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 15th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 33)
- Replies: 27
- Views: 4284
Re: Spoilers for Tuesday 15th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 33)
You really think he intended to score 0 all along? I kind of thought he just lost whatever ability he had to perform under pressure and eventually gave up as a way of coping. (Either way I doubt an extensive write-up on the apterous wiki was the thing he had his eye on?) Yeah agreed - he's not gonn...
- Tue Aug 15, 2023 2:17 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Tuesday 15th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 33)
- Replies: 27
- Views: 4284
Spoilers for Tuesday 15th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 33)
Matey taking the piss. Suggest the wiki write-up kept to the minimum - don't give him the attention he's clearly after. What a tosser.
- Sun Aug 13, 2023 7:58 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 9th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 29)
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1108
Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 9th August 2023 (Series 88, Heat 29)
No luminates - one of the most 9ey selections with no 9!Howie Myers wrote: ↑Sat Aug 12, 2023 5:31 am r2: LUMINATES
r7: alt MISLEARN
r9: alt (75+8+7+2)*3=276
- Fri Aug 11, 2023 12:04 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Request for event conundrum setters!
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1864
Re: Request for event conundrum setters!
Two of the player-themed examples I was pleased with, but that's about it. One of these was the appropriate one for Coral: OCTOHEATH > TOOTHACHE, the other being DOWNITMSR > WINDSTORM. I admit, the rest were dreadful. The hilariously bad MAUSUNION > UNANIMOUS was another shite one - I don't even th...
- Fri Aug 11, 2023 10:05 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
- Fri Aug 11, 2023 9:56 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Request for event conundrum setters!
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1864
Re: Request for event conundrum setters!
Please please don't set conundrums with one of the players names in. Lots of people know at least some of the scrambles with their name, and it gives a huge potential advantage to that player. Twice in tournaments I've faced crucial conundrums where the scramble started with my opponent's 6 letter ...
- Wed Aug 09, 2023 8:13 am
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Big Ben
- Replies: 25
- Views: 7375
Re: Big Ben
Fantastic - well done!
- Mon Aug 07, 2023 11:51 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Goat/Co:Brum 2023
- Replies: 15
- Views: 9707
Re: Goat/Co:Brum 2023
It was a fantastic event - congrats to Adam and MSR - couldn't have gone more smoothly. Having a central venue was great, and it worked well with the two rooms. Also enjoyed having the extra round and timings worked well. (Personally I would not want an extra round at the expense of not having time ...
- Mon Aug 07, 2023 9:01 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Request for event conundrum setters!
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1864
Request for event conundrum setters!
Please please don't set conundrums with one of the players names in. Lots of people know at least some of the scrambles with their name, and it gives a huge potential advantage to that player. Twice in tournaments I've faced crucial conundrums where the scramble started with my opponent's 6 letter n...
- Sun Aug 06, 2023 9:13 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO:parkrun Recaps
- Replies: 597
- Views: 379505
Re: CO:parkrun Recaps
Nope - just the two of us. Other people scuppered by trains and soft beds. It was pretty grim weather-wise!Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 9:03 pm I see that that Fiona Titcombe and Stephen Read did Edgbaston Reservoir yesterday, presumably before CO:Brum. Did anyone else?
- Thu Aug 03, 2023 9:17 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: C4C/apto/Countdown Dreams
- Replies: 759
- Views: 479782
Re: C4C/apto/Countdown Dreams
Well add one to Stephen Read and Tom Carey - We were doing Edgbaston parkrun before co:Brum. I'd done it before and remembered the route being fast and flat, so I was surprised as we set off to find it was more like an obstacle course with massive hills. I figured it was too hard, so started to walk...
- Tue Aug 01, 2023 9:15 am
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Big Ben
- Replies: 25
- Views: 7375
Re: Big Ben
No point in playing PM then. Nineteen seems like a good number, or eighteen if you fancy your chances of a nice -ing spotJon O'Neill wrote: ↑Tue Aug 01, 2023 8:23 am Can someone work out when the vowelliest time of the day to play is?
- Sun Jul 30, 2023 9:38 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: REALLY obvious things you've just realised
- Replies: 644
- Views: 330866
Re: REALLY obvious things you've just realised
For those of us who live in an oblivious bubble outside popular culture, what is he doing now?Mark James wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 9:05 am Russell Brand did less harm to society when he was addicted to heroin than whatever it is he's doing now.
- Sat Jul 29, 2023 9:34 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Big Ben
- Replies: 25
- Views: 7375
Re: Big Ben
Haven't got close to Adam's score, but chuffed with an 11 letter word!
#BigBenGame for 22:27:11
324 points
Longest word: SQUELCHINGS
https://vole.wtf/big-ben/
#BigBenGame for 22:27:11
324 points
Longest word: SQUELCHINGS
https://vole.wtf/big-ben/
- Fri Jul 28, 2023 4:18 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Big Ben
- Replies: 25
- Views: 7375
Re: Big Ben
https://twitter.com/mattround/status/16 ... 2920623104
We can all try beat Adam!
We can all try beat Adam!
Looks like it's been fixed - guess we know where he got the bug report fromGraeme Cole wrote: ↑Thu Jul 27, 2023 6:56 pm Incredible that they put so much effort into reproducing Big Ben's iconic clock face, then they put a 7 in the 6 position.
- Wed Jul 26, 2023 9:03 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
Did everyone read that in an increasingly high pitched head-voice?
- Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:08 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Welcome to Fabulous... Co:Vegas?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2262
Re: Welcome to Fabulous... Co:Vegas?
why not 5-6 qualifying games then final between top 2?
- Tue Jul 25, 2023 5:39 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Big Ben
- Replies: 25
- Views: 7375
- Tue Jul 25, 2023 5:22 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Big Ben
- Replies: 25
- Views: 7375
Re: Big Ben
think it's scrabbly - took cid but not dic (that CSW/ODO difference lost me a tournament scrabble game on my final move!) and didn't allow one of the recently expurgated words!
- Tue Jul 25, 2023 12:53 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Big Ben
- Replies: 25
- Views: 7375
- Sun Jul 23, 2023 9:26 am
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: WESPAC 2023
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2803
Re: WESPAC 2023
Current and former Countdowners representing the home nations include our very own Stu Harkness, John Ashmore, Wayne Kelly, Femi Awowade, Harshan Lamabadusuriya, Lewis Mackay, Bob Violett and James Wilkie (apologies if I've missed any of you!) Good luck to all!
- Sat Jul 22, 2023 11:22 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: What is your preferred format for co-events?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2384
Re: What is your preferred format for co-events?
Well I don't feel hard done by from the Newcastle tourney at all and almost certainly placed higher than I would have in a non-divisioned tournement, but I do think 4 games is far too few to then divide players based on performance. Division C was won by Tim Hebbes and division D by Bradley, both of...
- Wed Jul 19, 2023 9:40 am
- Forum: Other game shows
- Topic: Only Connect
- Replies: 169
- Views: 110556
Re: Only Connect
Hurrah it's back, but something seemed off in the first episode Did anyone else feel like there was a massive disparity in the difficulty levels of the 2 walls last night The 2nd one was your standard, run of the mill, easy round one jobby whereas the first one felt more like it was from a semi fin...
- Sun Jul 09, 2023 2:42 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO:parkrun Recaps
- Replies: 597
- Views: 379505
- Thu Jul 06, 2023 6:15 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Countdown adjudication dictionary
- Replies: 103
- Views: 13530
Re: Countdown adjudication dictionary
Someone needs to tell specsavers that cleek is not valid in the countdown dictionary (only there as driving cleek and putting cleek) - it has featured in a couple of their adverts, so your average punter would be forgiven for thinking it was allowable! Maybe they shou... no I'm not doing it. I'll w...
- Wed Jul 05, 2023 9:34 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Countdown adjudication dictionary
- Replies: 103
- Views: 13530
Re: Countdown adjudication dictionary
Someone needs to tell specsavers that cleek is not valid in the countdown dictionary (only there as driving cleek and putting cleek) - it has featured in a couple of their adverts, so your average punter would be forgiven for thinking it was allowable!
- Tue Jul 04, 2023 12:50 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Politics in General
- Replies: 1645
- Views: 1801008
Re: Politics in General
What are people's experiences about waiting for a GP appointment? I was reading this article on the BBC, and it was talking about people waiting more than two weeks. But I thought it was standard these days for appointments all to be on the same day that you make them. Basically you and everyone el...
- Mon Jul 03, 2023 7:23 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
There are an average of 109 cyclist deaths on the roads every year. Most of these involve collisions with other motor vehicles, for which a helmet provides limited protection. There's little doubt that a cycle helmet decreases your chance of a head injury if your head hits the ground. If it's an ar...
- Sun Jul 02, 2023 10:45 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO MSO Sunday 27th August 2023
- Replies: 15
- Views: 10834
Re: CO MSO Sunday 27th August 2023
I may be an 'on the day' decision - I have a family wedding the day before so really depends which side of 3am I get home!
- Sun Jul 02, 2023 10:42 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
From a personal POV, I didn't used to wear a helmet. I started wearing one when we were training for our LeJog back in 2010, and one of the first helmeted rides I did, there was diesel on the road - my friend came off - I braked sharply to avoid hitting her and landed on my head. Helmet broke, I was...
- Sun Jul 02, 2023 3:20 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO MSO Sunday 27th August 2023
- Replies: 15
- Views: 10834
Re: CO MSO Sunday 27th August 2023
I've just signed up for the Scrabble and Im tempted by the Countdown as its Bristol method What makes you think you'd enjoy Bristol more than Lincoln? Having attended last year, it was a very enjoyable event and nice to play proper 15 rounders - definitely recommended, although it is somewhat diffe...
- Sun Jul 02, 2023 3:18 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
I might listen to it then. Oh the irony. I have had an electric bike for 2 months now and today is the first day I forgot to wear my helmet I was far less reckless and even avoided the downhill route on my journey. I am a convert, having never worn one in 40 odd years of cycling mainly because I se...
- Sun Jul 02, 2023 10:46 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
One of the things that's often raised by those who are against mandating the wearing of cycle helmets is that more lives would be saved if everyone wore a helmet all the time. You'd save more lives by mandating the wearing of helmets for walking down stairs than you would for riding a bike. Citatio...
- Sun Jul 02, 2023 9:02 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
One of the things that's often raised by those who are against mandating the wearing of cycle helmets is that more lives would be saved if everyone wore a helmet all the time. You'd save more lives by mandating the wearing of helmets for walking down stairs than you would for riding a bike. (As an a...
- Sat Jul 01, 2023 8:38 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO MSO Sunday 27th August 2023
- Replies: 15
- Views: 10834
- Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:49 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
why did evolution make mossie/midgie/other annoying insect bites itch?
I'd be happy enough for mossies to feed off me if it didn't itch like a bastard afterwards. Must make them much more likely to get killed/swatted
I'd be happy enough for mossies to feed off me if it didn't itch like a bastard afterwards. Must make them much more likely to get killed/swatted
- Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:48 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1615
- Views: 731853
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
Top ten singles in 1984 is better somehow than top 10 singles in 1984 This made me think of another one: why do we not put a comma to separate the thousands when talking about years? I guess because of the way we say them. 19 84 rather than 1,984. But maybe we say them like that because there's no ...