All discussion relevant to Countdown that is not too spoilerific. New members: come here first to introduce yourself. We don't bite, or at least rarely.
Jon told me this yonks ago and it's still friggin' hilarious.
The doubly-hilarious thing is that I now use the adjective "hotely" (and its comparative/superlative) whenever possible (in the company of people who get the joke) and since I'm so freaking great it will probably catch on and end up in the dictionary anyway.
Anyone fancy checking more of the "portions of food and drink"? I'm sure there must be a load of others that lack plurals, I only got round to doing some of them.
I'd do it myself, but you know, I'm really lazy and can't be bothered just now.
Anyone fancy checking more of the "portions of food and drink"? I'm sure there must be a load of others that lack plurals, I only got round to doing some of them.
I'd do it myself, but you know, I'm really lazy and can't be bothered just now.
The portions thing is okay(ish), but surely it's taking the piss to allow any food or drink though - when does anyone order 'an okra' ffs?
Anyone fancy checking more of the "portions of food and drink"? I'm sure there must be a load of others that lack plurals, I only got round to doing some of them.
I'd do it myself, but you know, I'm really lazy and can't be bothered just now.
The portions thing is okay(ish), but surely it's taking the piss to allow any food or drink though - when does anyone order 'an okra' ffs?
I agree, but I think the point of the rule was so that it should include anything that could be found on a menu. Some Indian restaurants do okra curries, so it's sort of plausible...ah fuck it, maybe not, I've talked myself out of it now.
JimBentley wrote:I agree, but I think the point of the rule was so that it should include anything that could be found on a menu. Some Indian restaurants do okra curries, so it's sort of plausible...ah fuck it, maybe not, I've talked myself out of it now.
I know, it's queer and requires somebody to make an arbitrary decision, but surely some fall in the "definitely yes" or "definitely no" camps. I was a little bit sick into my mouth when Susie allowed "FENNELS" on the show a while back, although I did think she had done it because the guy was caned so badly and she felt sorry for him.
JimBentley wrote:I agree, but I think the point of the rule was so that it should include anything that could be found on a menu. Some Indian restaurants do okra curries, so it's sort of plausible...ah fuck it, maybe not, I've talked myself out of it now.
I know, it's queer and requires somebody to make an arbitrary decision, but surely some fall in the "definitely yes" or "definitely no" camps. I was a little bit sick into my mouth when Susie allowed "FENNELS" on the show a while back, although I did think she had done it because the guy was caned so badly and she felt sorry for him.
Susie allowed FENNELS on one of my shows when me nor my opponent offered it arguing you could order two fennels in a restaurant. This should be an addition to Countmax.
This doesn't belong in this thread at all, but it's great to see these neologisms getting the recognition they deserve at last. Only a childish observer would see some connection in the likes of bumhole, dick (v.), hardbody and fudgsicle.
This doesn't belong in this thread at all, but it's great to see these neologisms getting the recognition they deserve at last. Only a childish observer would see some connection in the likes of bumhole, dick (v.), hardbody and fudgsicle.
Ha. Surprised to see footwell (noun) in that list. It's been in the ODE for 10 years. Perhaps a mistake.
Rich Priest wrote:I had FEINTER disallowed in yesterday's duel which I would have thought would be acceptable as it's a comparative of a 1-syllable adjective.
FEINT isn't an adjective.
It is in the relevant dictionary, "denoting paper printed with faint lines as a guide for handwriting; denoting the lines so printed".
Is it? Ah well. It's an odd one, though, since the given sense seems to be attributing a quality that something either has or doesn't have, rather than one that is measurable and hence liable to comparison. Paper that is marked with faint lines is "feint paper". The lines on one such piece of paper may be fainter than on another, but that doesn't make the first piece of paper "feinter". I realise that the rules of Countdown simply say that the comparative and superlative of all one-syllable adjectives are allowed, but in this particular case blind application of the rules seems to result in a non-word.
Im not sure about this one myself, but i thought you were allowed to put -er on the end of any edjective that is one syllable without it being specified. Thus im pondering the validity of WHOLER, as i had is disallowe ealier.
Kirk Bevins wrote: Susie allowed FENNELS on one of my shows when me nor my opponent offered it arguing you could order two fennels in a restaurant. This should be an addition to Countmax.
Old post now, I know, but... as someone who buys plants at nurseries, I agree - I would refer to something like FENNEL in the plural - there they all are, set out in rows in their little pots and I might need 3 of them. 3 Fennels. I recently looked up SHOOTED in the dictionary, again in reference to plants. But is doesn't seem to be there. But I would certainly use it refering to plants , 'don't prune it til after it's shooted.'
Couple of ones. "golder"? If it's one syllable I thought that would be allowed.
Also I don't have ODE to hand but am wondering if "tardive" should be in?
Thanks.
I don't have an ODE2r so I can't check this myself, but I had SUPREMA disallowed a few days ago on apterous, and was a bit surprised. It's used very commonly in maths (singular SUPREMUM)
Dinos Sfyris wrote:I don't have an ODE2r so I can't check this myself, but I had SUPREMA disallowed a few days ago on apterous, and was a bit surprised. It's used very commonly in maths (singular SUPREMUM)
SUPREMUM is given as a noun so the plural will be SUPREMUMS. (SUPERMUMS anyone?) Do you think people just assume it's called SUPREMA on the MAXIMUM/MAXIMA link and they actually made a mistake?
Kirk Bevins wrote:Just missed LOGORRHEA on a conundrum attack. Turns out this is the US spelling so should be deleted.
Yah. I need to update this, there's quite a few changes to make. I'll go through the posts since the last update and sort it aaaht later (but if some kind person wants to summarise them for me, I'll do it a bit quicker).
Dunno what to do with PORNOS, but here's the updated one, with everything Charlie kindly summarised, I think. Holding off on OKRAS and SANDMANS, but that can be easily remedied if need be.
In my first edition OED jack is listed as an adjective, leading me to think that jacker and jackest should both be added to the list of valid words. The word jake was also listed as an adjective, implying that jaker and jakest are valid.
Both these words are followed by [predic.] and then abreviations for other countries, does this mean that they are contraptions from other languages and not valid as a word under the countdown rules?
JackHurst wrote:In my first edition OED jack is listed as an adjective, leading me to think that jacker and jackest should both be added to the list of valid words. The word jake was also listed as an adjective, implying that jaker and jakest are valid.
Both these words are followed by [predic.] and then abreviations for other countries, does this mean that they are contraptions from other languages and not valid as a word under the countdown rules?
I think they should be valid, yeh.
16/10/2007 - Episode 4460
Dinos Sfyris 76 - 78 Dorian Lidell
Proof that even idiots can get well and truly mainwheeled.
I also stumbled across the word YARE listed as an adjective. Im not a master of the phonetic symbols that the dictionary uses yet, but if its pronounced as one syllable, then YARER and YAREST should be in.
JackHurst wrote:I also stumbled across the word YARE listed as an adjective. Im not a master of the phonetic symbols that the dictionary uses yet, but if its pronounced as one syllable, then YARER and YAREST should be in.
I'm not an expert either but YARE is supposed to rhyme with HAIR, which is a diphthong, and so counts as a single syllable for this purpose. So basically, you're right.
JackHurst wrote:I also stumbled across the word YARE listed as an adjective. Im not a master of the phonetic symbols that the dictionary uses yet, but if its pronounced as one syllable, then YARER and YAREST should be in.
I'm not an expert either but YARE is supposed to rhyme with HAIR, which is a diphthong, and so counts as a single syllable for this purpose. So basically, you're right.
+YARER and +YAREST please Jimothy.
It is done (well, JACKER/JACKEST/JAKER/JAKEST/YARER/YAREST anyway). I reckon there's more of these forms still missing though.
Don't think PROPENES should've been added, as PROPENE is listed as another name for PROPYLENE, which is listed as a mass noun. For another example, see OPALINE, which isn't in JimDic either.
And sorry, Alec, you can't have PORNOS, as far as the ODE is concerned, anyway. It's only given as an alternative spelling of PORN, which is a mass noun.
Mike Brown wrote:And sorry, Alec, you can't have PORNOS, as far as the ODE is concerned, anyway. It's only given as an alternative spelling of PORN, which is a mass noun.
That still confuses me because I always thought 'a porno' was 'an item of pornography', as in the question: "Are you watching a porno tonight?"
Mike Brown wrote:And sorry, Alec, you can't have PORNOS, as far as the ODE is concerned, anyway. It's only given as an alternative spelling of PORN, which is a mass noun.
That still confuses me because I always thought 'a porno' was 'an item of pornography', as in the question: "Are you watching a porno tonight?"
Yeah. Or the hi-larious Judd Apatow film "Zack and Miri make a porno"
dictionary corner got JADEITES in one of my games the other day, but its a mass noun i the dictionary. Seeing as though other minerals aren't allowed in, I dont see why this should be either.
JackHurst wrote:dictionary corner got JADEITES in one of my games the other day, but its a mass noun i the dictionary. Seeing as though other minerals aren't allowed in, I dont see why this should be either.
Kirk Bevins wrote:What about the plural of PIVOTMAN. It doesn't suggest PIVOTMEN so surely it's PIVOTMANS? I have no idea on this one.
The plural is given as MEN explicitly (e.g. FIREMAN -> FIREMEN) if it's expected, so yes, I think you're right. But this is really a whole can of worms.
especially when there's perfectly good anagrams of each.
