c4countdown

I was just thinking, having an 'Introduce yourself' thread on the main forum is fine, but people might want to talk a bit more about themselves, with it being relevant to Countdown.

I'm Martin Gardner and I was a semi-finalist in Series 49. I'm currently doing a BA Hons in French and Politics, as my partner is French. I'd like to be a primary school teacher and I currently work 3 hours a week in a high school. I'd say I'm an intellectual rather than an academic; I struggle with the academic style but I like reading and learning in general. I'm quite a good analyst and I think you can do well in almost any degree if you can analyse things; physics, biology, chemistry, maths, English literature, history, it's all about writing essays or essay-style exam answers and if you can analyse the content - whatever it may be. My plan is to finish this year, have a rip-roaring year in France as an English tutor, complete my final year and do a PGCE specialising in primary in the 8-11 age group, and become a qualified teacher.

Hi Martin, my name's Jon from Rainham, I'm 19, tall with an athletic build, a superiority complex, a GSOH, and I like my pet kittens and walks on the beach.

Martin Gardner wrote:I'm currently doing a BA Hons in French and Politics, as my partner is French.

That's an interesting reason to do a degree....

Hi, I am Kai, I am 12, quite small, always go around wearing a Chelsea shirt, play the double bass, love randomness, hate some people on this forum.

Kai Laddiman wrote:play the double bass

Awesome, me too. I trust you get the regular comments about your size and the size of your bass (not to mention the endless "I bet you wish you'd played the flute/violin/any other instrument that people think is small).

I'm Dinos, 19, from Sheffield where I'm doing MChem with Maths. Enjoy all sorts of games, karate, cinema (which comes in handy cause I work at one) and spending time with family and friends. Non-musical (unless you count Guitar Hero) I also enjoy randomness and eating lots of food. My favourite person to do all the above with is my Emma, girlfriend with whom I'm moving in next year. Oh yeah I'm a Countdown Triochamp and current Weakest Link shortlister.

Dinos Sfyris wrote:I'm Dinos, 19, from Sheffield where I'm doing MChem with Maths. Enjoy all sorts of games, karate, cinema (which comes in handy cause I work at one) and spending time with family and friends. Non-musical (unless you count Guitar Hero) I also enjoy randomness and eating lots of food. My favourite person to do all the above with is my Emma, girlfriend with whom I'm moving in next year. Oh yeah I'm a Countdown Triochamp and current Weakest Link shortlister.

Which modules are you doing? I'm doing straight maths at Sheffield (first year).

Loving randomness? omg lol dats lyk so rndm lol


WTF does it mean? You sit at home rolling dice and marvelling at the unpredictability of the outcome?

Jon Corby wrote:WTF does it mean? You sit at home rolling dice and marvelling at the unpredictability of the outcome?

The word "random" has acquired a new meaning in the last 5-10 years which elderly gents such as yourself may not be familiar with. It's now roughly synonymous with "unexpected" (The most random thing happened on the way to the bus stop.) or "surreal" (A bus with no windows? How random!) It has also spawned a new inflection, RANDOMER, meaning a person (usually a stranger) who behaves in an unexpected way (e.g. "Some randomer sat next to me on the bus today.") Knowing how lexicographers like to follow every linguistic fad, I'm sure these meanings will be coming soon to a dictionary near you.

Ugh.

Glad you explained randomness to Corby, Charlie. I can understand how such meanings have escaped an elderly gent like Corby. I think I'd heard the word used once or twice in the past in an unfamiliar context, but always put it down to my mishearing, which is what I put most of my mistakes down to.

Thanks for asking, Corby. I shall now work out how best I can startle people by dropping it into conversation.

Charlie Reams wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:WTF does it mean? You sit at home rolling dice and marvelling at the unpredictability of the outcome?

The word "random" has acquired a new meaning in the last 5-10 years which elderly gents such as yourself may not be familiar with. It's now roughly synonymous with "unexpected" (The most random thing happened on the way to the bus stop.) or "surreal" (A bus with no windows? How random!) It has also spawned a new inflection, RANDOMER, meaning a person (usually a stranger) who behaves in an unexpected way (e.g. "Some randomer sat next to me on the bus today.") Knowing how lexicographers like to follow every linguistic fad, I'm sure these meanings will be coming soon to a dictionary near you.

I think the "omg lol dats lyk so rndm lol" quip attested to Jon's knowledge of the above (and betrayed a slightly alarming familiarity with internet youth culture), and his assertion that Kai sits at home rolling dice was merely his way of expressing his disgust for this semantic shift.

Ben Hunter wrote:I think the "omg lol dats lyk so rndm lol" quip attested to Jon's knowledge of the above (and betrayed a slightly alarming familiarity with internet youth culture), and his assertion that Kai sits at home rolling dice was merely his way of expressing his disgust for this semantic shift.

I was only kidding, I'm sure Corby is up to date with street lingo, but it's an interesting development all the same.

Charlie Reams wrote:I was only kidding, I'm sure Corby is up to date with street lingo, but it's an interesting development all the same.

While this new meaning of 'random' slightly annoys me, I utterly hate with a passion all the rest of the "txt speak" shit which people (ppl) seem to use to "communicate" (such that it is) with each other on sites like Facebook. Is it to save time? To look cool?

Jon Corby wrote:

Charlie Reams wrote:I was only kidding, I'm sure Corby is up to date with street lingo, but it's an interesting development all the same.

While this new meaning of 'random' slightly annoys me, I utterly hate with a passion all the rest of the "txt speak" shit which people (ppl) seem to use to "communicate" (such that it is) with each other on sites like Facebook. Is it to save time? To look cool?

ololol n00b

Jon Corby wrote:Is it to save time? To look cool?

It grew from text messaging, where it was quite a resourceful way to save money (and time, given the restrictive input method.) From there it became trendy by association, and, for people familiar with texting, it was quite a natural progression to write the same way in other mediums, even where the original motivations no longer applied. Personally I don't see any point in getting all upset by it, every generation has some particular verbal shibboleths and this generation happens to have a written one too. Certainly some people will use it to communicate idiotic or banal messages, but that isn't a shortcoming of the shorthand (and textspeak is nothing more than shorthand, it's hardly a new language.) If older people find it harder to interpret then, well, that's pretty much the point.

I guess Julie was right when she called me 'intolerant' then, seeing as I want to kill them all with a spade.

Obviously I understand (understood) the need to abbreviate messages when mobile phones and text messaging were in their infancy, but now that every phone has predictive messaging and is capable of handling multiple SMS messages invisibly, it's utterly redundant. It's actually more effort to use txt spk. I'll let the occasional abbreviation pass if it is actually an SMS message, but if I see txt speak being used anywhere else it instantly tells me that the person is a cretin, and the message contained therein (if there even is one) is without importance.

Jon Corby wrote:but if I see txt speak being used anywhere else it instantly tells me that the person is a cretin, and the message contained therein (if there even is one) is without importance.

I'm forced to conclude that this message is without importance, and the work of a cretin.

Jon Corby wrote:I guess Julie was right when she called me 'intolerant' then, seeing as I want to kill them all with a spade.

Obviously I understand (understood) the need to abbreviate messages when mobile phones and text messaging were in their infancy, but now that every phone has predictive messaging and is capable of handling multiple SMS messages invisibly, it's utterly redundant. It's actually more effort to use txt spk. I'll let the occasional abbreviation pass if it is actually an SMS message, but if I see txt speak being used anywhere else it instantly tells me that the person is a cretin, and the message contained therein (if there even is one) is without importance.

Chill out, kid

Ben Hunter wrote:I'm doing straight maths

Why are mathematicians so homophobic?

My name is Jason Larsen. I discovered Countdown, interestingly, after the death of Richard Whiteley when somehow finding clips of Countdown with him as host on Youtube. Then, I saw clips of Countdown with Des Lynam and Des O'Connor, respectively. It was then that I found a great interest in Countdown.

So, I was born in Seattle, Washington in the US. I was 3 months premature on a respirator and I remember watching game shows all day long in my hospital bed. Most game shows have been a lifelong interest for me. I think it's because they are so much fun to watch.

Some of my favorite game show hosts are Drew Carey, Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek, (You can search for Pat and Alex on Google if you don't know who they are.)

I only get angry if I am provoked. I do make social mistakes here and there, but only when I am communicating online. I am very positive because of my intelligence. It has been my pleasure to bring some cultural flavor to this forum!

Jason Larsen wrote:Some of my favorite game show hosts are Drew Carey, Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek, (You can search for Pat and Alex on Google if you don't know who they are.)

Doesn't Google get any hits what you use it search for Drew Carey, then?

Jason Larsen wrote: It has been my pleasure to bring some cultural flavor to this forum!

Jason Larsen wrote: It has been my pleasure to bring some cultural flavor to this forum!

Sorry Jason, the American spelling of 'flavour' is not allowed on Countdown

Howard, you should know who Drew Carey is!

David, why are you so shocked?

And Chris, you're kidding!

I sort of agree with Corby. If I see someone using rampant text speech, I get the impression that they sort of want to be seen as stupid, low and degenerate, which they clearly are, and this makes them even more worthy of ridicule.

Jason Larsen wrote: And Chris, you're kidding!

No Jason, he isn't. American words are allowed (e.g diaper), but not American spellings (e.g. flavor, color etc).

Dinos Sfyris wrote:I'm Dinos, 19, from Sheffield where I'm doing MChem with Maths. Enjoy all sorts of games, karate, cinema (which comes in handy cause I work at one) and spending time with family and friends. Non-musical (unless you count Guitar Hero) I also enjoy randomness and eating lots of food. My favourite person to do all the above with is my Emma, girlfriend with whom I'm moving in next year. Oh yeah I'm a Countdown Triochamp and current Weakest Link shortlister.

Ha! Im also a current weakest link shortlistee!
How funny would it be if our stars were to collide again (almost)?

Oh yeah, and Im also appearing on an audience with Take That in a couple of weeks. At this rate Im gonna get more TV exposure than Jeremy Kyle

Im Matthew, I like football, listening to music and watching episodes of Eastenders from the mid-90s that centre on Mark Fowlers AIDS battle.

I dont care for randomness, I think chaos is just order that we dont have the maths for yet.

Pretend we dont know each other Matthew, we'll vote the others off alphabetically and don't look conspicuous!

As for maths, Ben, I'm currently doing MAS103 with Istvan Ballai (do you do that one?), SOM201 and SOM202. Last year did various ghastly PAS modules (shudder)

As for this term randomness, I'd never heard it used in any alternative way until I saw it in this thread. After reading the thread, I asked a couple of teenagers yesterday, what they understood by randomness. And neither of them, boy 14 or girl 13, had heard of the sense used here. Maybe it's not reached into the part of England where I live. Alternatively, maybe they were both so tuned into the probability and statistics that we'd been discussing, that their minds had blanked anything else.

Later on yesterday evening, I was reading my paper, and there was a letter referring to teenage talk, and random came up amongst other things.

I think I may start using it myself and confuse people, myself included probably.

Kai Laddiman wrote:Hi, I am Kai, I am 12, quite small, always go around wearing a Chelsea shirt, play the double bass, love randomness, hate some people on this forum.

Kai,

You're certainly one of the people I was hoping to see post on this thread, I was wondering how you got in Countdown, at what age, and do you play Scrabble so that when you get knocked out of or win the CofC, your Countdown career will be effectively over, apart from specials. Would you ever want to learn to play Scrabble to keep the anagramming skills going, or would you just play on Apterous and do CO- events?

Jon Corby wrote:I guess Julie was right when she called me 'intolerant' then, seeing as I want to kill them all with a spade.

I thought we'd got past that little contretemps with our PMs!
If you're happy to see yourself as a young fogey, though, it's up to you.

Now that I'm sort of used to you, Jon, I find your wit rather amusing.

Dinos Sfyris wrote: Pretend we dont know each other Matthew, we'll vote the others off alphabetically and don't look conspicuous!

As for maths, Ben, I'm currently doing MAS103 with Istvan Ballai (do you do that one?), SOM201 and SOM202. Last year did various ghastly PAS modules (shudder)

Yep, I'm in his lectures. He's the guy who pronounces "theta" as "teeter", right?

Martin Gardner wrote:

Kai Laddiman wrote:Hi, I am Kai, I am 12, quite small, always go around wearing a Chelsea shirt, play the double bass, love randomness, hate some people on this forum.

Kai,

You're certainly one of the people I was hoping to see post on this thread, I was wondering how you got in Countdown, at what age, and do you play Scrabble so that when you get knocked out of or win the CofC, your Countdown career will be effectively over, apart from specials. Would you ever want to learn to play Scrabble to keep the anagramming skills going, or would you just play on Apterous and do CO- events?

I do play Scrabble (and I'm not bad) but I've never been to a CO- event.

Hi, my name's Richard Brittain and I don't like mince pies.

Richard Brittain wrote:Hi, my name's Richard Brittain and I don't like mince pies.

You do seem to like creating duplicate accounts on apterous though. I'm sure you have some excellent rationalisation for this childish behaviour, which I'd love to hear.

I'm Joseph and I am 26 years old. I was on Countdown back in series 52 and when I can finally get a job, I would like to organise a one-off Countdown event in Liverpool.

I like playing Poker and Scrabble. I also like solving Masyu, Hashiwokakero and Shikaku puzzles and I am also do origami (I have a current collection of 74 origami models).

Charlie Reams wrote:

Richard Brittain wrote:Hi, my name's Richard Brittain and I don't like mince pies.

You do seem to like creating duplicate accounts on apterous though. I'm sure you have some excellent rationalisation for this childish behaviour, which I'd love to hear.

You only just found out that Ecclesiastes Myanmar was me? Most people have already asked me about that and I didn't deny it. Yes, I created a few false personages with mighty names like Mishkin Zion and used anagram solvers just because I thought it would be cool to see characters with such names beating the likes of Conor Travers and Paul Howe, and I was learning new words in the process. However, I got bored of it quite quickly and also realised that it would soon start to piss people off. Then I created an account called Bryan Rickman, which isn't dissimilar to Richard Brittain, and started playing the game properly, and most people knew that was me. Then I decided to actually create an account with my name so that everyone knew it is me, and obviously I don't cheat with this account because there would be no humour or point to that.

I blame Jon O'Neill for putting ideas in my mind when he originally impersonated me.

Jon Corby wrote:

Charlie Reams wrote:I was only kidding, I'm sure Corby is up to date with street lingo, but it's an interesting development all the same.

While this new meaning of 'random' slightly annoys me, I utterly hate with a passion all the rest of the "txt speak" shit which people (ppl) seem to use to "communicate" (such that it is) with each other on sites like Facebook. Is it to save time? To look cool?

Wow you sound really really old and grumpy.

I thought we weren't talking as though we were on Countdown!

Jimmy wrote:Wow you sound really really old and grumpy.

Haha I know I do, don't I? I thought exactly that too - I must sound just like my dad did when I was young, ridiculing me about the fad/development of our age (rap/house music probably). Funny. I'm only 33 too, but I do have 3 kids. It must be something to do with that!

Jon Corby wrote:

Jimmy wrote:Wow you sound really really old and grumpy.

Haha I know I do, don't I? I thought exactly that too - I must sound just like my dad did when I was young, ridiculing me about the fad/development of our age (rap/house music probably). Funny. I'm only 33 too, but I do have 3 kids. It must be something to do with that!

At first I read that as "I must sound just like my dad did when he was young" which makes me wonder what he'd be like now, except that he posts here anyway so we can see.

Jon Corby wrote:

Jimmy wrote:Wow you sound really really old and grumpy.

Haha I know I do, don't I? I thought exactly that too - I must sound just like my dad did when I was young, ridiculing me about the fad/development of our age (rap/house music probably). Funny. I'm only 33 too, but I do have 3 kids. It must be something to do with that!

Wow - 33 with 3 kids. Have you heard of a condom?

Kirk Bevins wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:

Jimmy wrote:Wow you sound really really old and grumpy.

Haha I know I do, don't I? I thought exactly that too - I must sound just like my dad did when I was young, ridiculing me about the fad/development of our age (rap/house music probably). Funny. I'm only 33 too, but I do have 3 kids. It must be something to do with that!

Wow - 33 with 3 kids. Have you heard of a condom?

Kirk Bevins wrote:Wow - 33 with 3 kids. Have you heard of a condom?

I don't really like them as a rule, but that's unconnected to having kids. I just hate that moment afterwards when you look down and see that horrible wrinkly bit of latex hanging off your cock. Particularly if you weren't wearing one when you started.

Jon Corby wrote: I just hate that moment afterwards when you look down and see that horrible wrinkly bit of latex hanging off your cock. Particularly if you weren't wearing one when you started.

DebbiF wrote:

Jon Corby wrote: I just hate that moment afterwards when you look down and see that horrible wrinkly bit of latex hanging off your cock. Particularly if you weren't wearing one when you started.

That is really gross




but very funny all the same



As this is supposed to be a bio topic, and this forum is fairly unusual for having father/son postings, I will give you a couple of examples of the three year old Jonathan. The second one still makes me smile because it works on a number of levels......

1 Uncle pays us a rare visit and looks at Jonathan and says "Hello Handsome". He replies, "Hello Gretel".

2) He was always reading and learning words and as he saw them he spoke them aloud which made walking along quite interesting as he read the road and street signs as we passed them. This was back in the days before digital cameras and you took your film into a chemists to be processed and this was advertised on the window. As we passed he said, "And Printing", seemingly ignoring the first word, until he added, "I am not old enough to read 'Developing'"

Full credit for the condom gag (ew) goes to Frank Skinner I'm afraid The next line is something like "oh, it's true - those ribbed ones can stay up there for weeks. It's like knocking a fucking Rawlplug in."

From those examples I think it's also fair to say that I've gone backwards both humour and intelligence wise over the last 30 years

Stop with the 'Jonathan' too

You were Jonathan at the age of three.


Now you have let everyone know that calling you 'Jonathan' winds you up. Unwise.

Kirk Bevins wrote:

Jon Corby wrote:

Jimmy wrote:Wow you sound really really old and grumpy.

Haha I know I do, don't I? I thought exactly that too - I must sound just like my dad did when I was young, ridiculing me about the fad/development of our age (rap/house music probably). Funny. I'm only 33 too, but I do have 3 kids. It must be something to do with that!

Wow - 33 with 3 kids. Have you heard of a condom?

I know someone on the Internet Scrabble Club who is 36 and has had 7 kids, two of which are no longer with us. But she spends about 12 hours a day on the ISC, so a lot of people think she's talking bollocks.

Jon Corby wrote:

Kirk Bevins wrote:Wow - 33 with 3 kids. Have you heard of a condom?

I don't really like them as a rule, but that's unconnected to having kids. I just hate that moment afterwards when you look down and see that horrible wrinkly bit of latex hanging off your cock. Particularly if you weren't wearing one when you started.

Phew - I'm actually quite relieved you replied to my message with a comical response as I nearly didn't drop my comment in, but I knew you'd have a sense of humour.

Kirk Bevins wrote:Phew - I'm actually quite relieved you replied to my message with a comical response as I nearly didn't drop my comment in, but I knew you'd have a sense of humour.

Yeah, you very nearly crossed the line there. But I just about managed to contain myself.

I want to know what you're up to Charlie - PHD in computer science, isn't it? Do you know what you want to do afterwards?

Jon Corby wrote:

Jimmy wrote:Wow you sound really really old and grumpy.

Haha I know I do, don't I? I thought exactly that too - I must sound just like my dad did when I was young, ridiculing me about the fad/development of our age (rap/house music probably). Funny. I'm only 33 too, but I do have 3 kids.

I had my fifth (and definitely last) child when I was 33. Don't think it makes me grumpy, though.
Although I ocassionally have to bite my tongue to stop myself saying "when I was your age..." when they complain about something!

To Ian Volante: Hi Ian, I noticed you're from Edinburgh, my home town. Had a look through your posts and Wiki for info on you (in a non-stalkerish way) but couldn't find any. (Adopts Cilla Black voice) So, if you don't mind saying, how old are you and where are you from?

I'm 37 and grew up in the high flats in Oxgangs which were demolished a couple of years back. I left in 93 though when I met my husband. But still, Edinburgh is home, and where my ashes will be sprinkled one day in the v-e-r-y (*fingers crossed*) distant future.

Lesley Jeavons wrote:To Ian Volante: Hi Ian, I noticed you're from Edinburgh, my home town. Had a look through your posts and Wiki for info on you (in a non-stalkerish way) but couldn't find any. (Adopts Cilla Black voice) So, if you don't mind saying, how old are you and where are you from?

I'm 37 and grew up in the high flats in Oxgangs which were demolished a couple of years back. I left in 93 though when I met my husband. But still, Edinburgh is home, and where my ashes will be sprinkled one day in the v-e-r-y (*fingers crossed*) distant future.

Aye, my wiki profile is sadly lacking in detail! I'm 32, from Dewsbury (not Dewsbury Moor where the kid-nappers and fiddlers reside(d) however), and I've been in Edinburgh since '95. I remember the block getting demolished, but I don't usually get up that end of town. In fact, the only time I've ever specifically gone to Oxgangs was after pulling some lass in the MIssion. Did you ever go to that club? I know it wasn't you that night

Veteran of numerous TV quizzes and a spectacular junior rugby career, I'm now in charge of a korfball club and a most excellent pub quiz. All the rest is details...

Thanks for allowing me to indulge in one of my favourite hobbies, talking about myself!

Do you ever get back up here then? I know there's quite a crowd from Brighton that come up for the festival, I've worked in a venue with the Komedia people a few times.

Going on Apterous keeps me from joining street gangs.

Ian Volante wrote:I'm now in charge of a korfball club

Is that korfball, as in the sport mostly played in (and thus dominated by) the Netherlands and Belgium? If so, I didn't even know the game was played in Scotland.

Ian Volante wrote:Aye, my wiki profile is sadly lacking in detail! I'm 32, from Dewsbury (not Dewsbury Moor where the kid-nappers and fiddlers reside(d) however), and I've been in Edinburgh since '95. I remember the block getting demolished, but I don't usually get up that end of town. In fact, the only time I've ever specifically gone to Oxgangs was after pulling some lass in the MIssion. Did you ever go to that club? I know it wasn't you that night
Veteran of numerous TV quizzes and a spectacular junior rugby career, I'm now in charge of a korfball club and a most excellent pub quiz. All the rest is details...
Thanks for allowing me to indulge in one of my favourite hobbies, talking about myself!
Do you ever get back up here then? I know there's quite a crowd from Brighton that come up for the festival, I've worked in a venue with the Komedia people a few times.

Ah so you're not a native, and moved there after I left. Did you go there to go to uni then, or did your family move there?
I go up as much as I can, but less and less over the years, espec after having a kid at school re school hols etc. I would never have left but I met my husband in 92 when he was up playing sax in a Blues Brothers style band during the festival, so moved south to be with him as he had two young kids. We got married in Leith Town Hall in 95 (and were in the Daily Record as I wore red!)
The three Oxgangs flats were knocked down in two phases - one block a few years back (which was shown live on National Geographic) and then mine and another two years ago. My brother (who lives in London) and I went up to watch and I was devestated. But I've submitted some pics and stories to the Oxgangs archive. I don't know the Mission nightclub, so yup, it wisnae me! lol
Most of my family have moved to the outskirts, my Dad died last January, and my Mum moved to Dumbartonshire last year so it's a bit odd not having any parents there. Was last there last week, dropping my Nana home. How silly to not stay up for Hogmanay! Last time I did Princess Street Hogmanay was when Blondie played Princess Street Gardens a few years back - my son's first gig - how cool!
Haven't been to the festival for years, but should do! The Komedia peeps are no doubt good types, it's a good venue. Not been there too many times but saw Midge Ure doing an accoustic set last year which was great. Whet the appetite for the Ultravox tour.
Nice to get to know you, espec if you like talking about yourself. Kiss the soil for me!