Countdown | Tuesday 15th May 2018 | Episode 6826 (C4 broadcast)
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00:00This programme contains strong language and adult humour.
00:05APPLAUSE
00:31Well, good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown studio.
00:34Now, we've all experienced it. Oh, yes.
00:36A song that's stuck in our head and we simply can't shake it free
00:40and how we wish we could.
00:43Experts refer to them as involuntary musical imagery.
00:47Right. OK.
00:48But most people just call them earworms
00:50and apparently 90% of adults report having earworms at one time or another.
00:55Now, I always get them in certain places
00:59and it's always the same ones.
01:01It's really weird.
01:03No sooner... You know we've got this sort of shed down in France.
01:06As soon as I get there, get in the car, what happens?
01:11Some enchanted evening gets stuck in one ear
01:14and songs from Oklahoma get in the other.
01:19I mean, really weird.
01:21I didn't have you down as a show tunes kind of guy.
01:23I'm not.
01:24Are you singing along in your car with you?
01:26No, I'm trying to get rid of them.
01:28It's absolutely weird.
01:30I think the only cure for an earworm is a different earworm.
01:32I guess so.
01:33That's the only thing you can do.
01:35What worms get into your little lug holes?
01:37Oh, lately.
01:39Have you ever seen the Lucas the Spider videos?
01:42Oh, yes.
01:43He's got a little song and they keep sticking in my head.
01:45Oh, dear.
01:46Yeah, he's like a little cartoon and sings about not squishing him.
01:50Yeah. Excellent.
01:51All right. Now, who have we got with us?
01:53Paul's back.
01:54Oh, Paul.
01:55So you're on four wins, then?
01:57Halfway there.
01:58Brilliant. Well done, indeed.
02:00And you're joined by Dickie Bird, retired brewery director from Peterborough.
02:04And were you a director of the brewery when they came in with a big prize?
02:08Oh, yes.
02:09I, along with a couple of other chaps, owned Ellen Brewery for eight years.
02:13And we, in 2013, were crowned camera champion beer of Britain.
02:18With our 1872 porter.
02:21It's nothing to do with me, really. It's everything to do with the brewer.
02:24Excellent.
02:25Thank you. Well, let's have a big round of applause, then,
02:28for Dickie Bird and Paul Harper.
02:34And over the corner, Susie.
02:36And for the last time, until he comes back again,
02:38the wonderful Adrian Childs.
02:42TV and radio presenter par excellence, or should I say,
02:46samperai, without parallel.
02:48Thank you very much, indeed.
02:50And now, Paul, let's have a letters game, shall we?
02:53We shall.
02:54Good afternoon, Rachel.
02:55Afternoon, Paul.
02:56We'll start with a consonant, if I could.
02:58Let's start with S.
03:00And the second?
03:02L.
03:04And the third?
03:06R.
03:08Vowel?
03:10U.
03:12Second vowel?
03:14A.
03:16Third vowel?
03:18E.
03:20Consonant?
03:22Y.
03:24Consonant?
03:26R.
03:28And...
03:30another consonant?
03:32And lastly, T.
03:34And here's the countdown clock.
03:44CLOCK TICKS
04:06Yes, Paul?
04:08Erm, eight.
04:10And eight... Dickie?
04:12Six.
04:14And that six is...
04:16Paul?
04:18Treasury.
04:20Very good.
04:22We can't beat that.
04:24How did we get on over there in the corner?
04:26I got slurry.
04:28You don't want to fall into a slurry pit, that's for sure.
04:30Anything else?
04:32Treasury was our best.
04:34And so we move on, then.
04:36Eight points to Paul, and now it's Dickie's letters game.
04:38Yes, Dickie?
04:40O.
04:42And another?
04:44I.
04:46And another?
04:48U.
04:50And one more?
04:52E.
04:54And a consonant, please?
04:56M.
04:58Another consonant?
05:00N.
05:02Another consonant?
05:04L.
05:06Another consonant?
05:08And finally, O.
05:10Stand by.
05:38CLOCK TICKS
05:44Yes, Dickie?
05:46Absolutely slipped up completely here. I've only got four.
05:48A four and... Paul?
05:50I've only got a five.
05:52So, Dickie?
05:54Erm, monk?
05:56Monk and...
05:58Minor.
06:00And minor. Yes.
06:02A four and a five and over in the corner...
06:04Well, we were struggling as well, but we have come up with a seven.
06:06Er, Monica.
06:08I've never quite known the origin of this.
06:10No, well, you're not alone, cos etymologists don't really know either.
06:13Some people think it's a back formation from eek name,
06:16which is how nickname came about.
06:18It was an eek name, another name, and then it became a nickname.
06:22But it's an epithet or a nickname, or an assumed name.
06:26Monica. Yep.
06:2813 points to Paul, and it's Paul's numbers game. Yes, sir?
06:32I'll have one large and five small, please.
06:35As usual, thank you, Paul. One from the top, five not from the top,
06:38and these five small ones are six, seven, two, one, nine,
06:45and the large one, 25.
06:48And your target, 739.
06:50739.
07:05BELL RINGS
07:25Well, Paul?
07:26Er, 743.
07:28Oh, right. And Dickie?
07:30Nowhere near.
07:31No, let's go with Paul first, then, shall we?
07:34I started with 9 plus 6.
07:369 plus 6, 15.
07:38Times 2.
07:3930.
07:40Multiplied by 25.
07:42750.
07:44And took away the 7.
07:46And the 7 remaining. Yep. 743, 4 away.
07:494 away. 739.
07:51Rachel, can you help us with this?
07:53Yes. If you say 6 divided by 2 is 3, times 25 is 75,
08:00add 7 for 82, times that by 9 for 738, and add on the 1, 739.
08:07Oh, well done.
08:08APPLAUSE
08:10739.
08:14As we turn to our first teatime teaser, which is a cute lion,
08:17and the clue, the doctor cannot box, but he'll certainly give you a jab.
08:22The doctor cannot box, but he'll certainly give you a jab.
08:27APPLAUSE
08:42Welcome back. I left with the clue, the doctor cannot box,
08:45but he'll certainly give you a jab.
08:48The answer to that is he'll inoculate you.
08:51Now, if you'd like to become a Countdown contestant,
08:54you can email countdown at channel4.com to request an application form
08:59or write to us at contestantsapplications, countdownleads, ls31js.
09:0720 points to Paul, plenty of time for Dickie,
09:10and it's Dickie's letters game now. Yes, Dickie?
09:13I'll start with a vowel again, please.
09:15Thank you, Dickie. A.
09:17And another. O.
09:19And another vowel. U.
09:22And another vowel. E.
09:25And then a consonant, please. P.
09:28And another consonant. G.
09:31Another consonant. D.
09:34And another consonant. T.
09:37And finally a consonant.
09:40And finally, L.
09:43Stand by.
09:52CLOCK TICKS
10:14Yes, Dickie?
10:16Just six. Paul?
10:18Seven.
10:20And Dickie's six?
10:22Plated. Plated and...?
10:24Gloated. And gloated.
10:26Yes.
10:27And over in the corner, Adrian?
10:29We've got a seven, not particularly nice word again. Plagued.
10:33Plagued, yeah. Thank you. Susie?
10:36There's a nice tadpole. We'll take it.
10:38All right. Now, then, Paul, your letters game.
10:42I'll start with a consonant, please.
10:44Thank you, Paul. Q.
10:47And a second consonant.
10:49N.
10:51A vowel.
10:53I.
10:54Second vowel.
10:56E.
10:58Third, please.
11:00O.
11:02Consonant.
11:04T.
11:06A consonant.
11:08W.
11:10Consonant.
11:12G.
11:15And I'll finish with a consonant.
11:17And finish with L.
11:19Stand by.
11:45Well, Paul?
11:47I'll risk an eight.
11:49Dickie?
11:51Six.
11:52And that six is...?
11:54Newing. I think I missed a letter.
11:56Yes, Paul?
11:58Toweling.
12:00I have to disallow both, I'm afraid.
12:02Toweling, you would need two Ls.
12:05And you need two Ns for... Was it Newing?
12:07Newing, N-E-W-I-N-G.
12:09So, no consonant.
12:11What can we have?
12:13We've got a couple of sevens here.
12:15Enchantingly winglet.
12:17Yes, a little wing.
12:19And another one?
12:21Towline. Another word for a tow rope.
12:23That would be seven as well.
12:27Now, Dickie, numbers game for you.
12:29Can I have three large and three small, please?
12:32You can indeed. Had that for a while.
12:34Three big, three little coming up.
12:36Thank you, Dickie.
12:39And they are seven, six, nine,
12:43and then the big three, 175 and 25.
12:47And your target, 281.
12:49281.
13:09MUSIC
13:24Yes, Dickie?
13:26I'm afraid I'm nowhere near.
13:28How about Paul?
13:30I've got 282.
13:32One away, that'll do.
13:34And?
13:37Multiply by the 100.
13:39300.
13:41And then 25 minus 7 is 18.
13:44Yep.
13:45And deduct it.
13:46Yep, 282, one above.
13:48Well done.
13:49But 281, Rachel, what do you think?
13:52Well, if you say 9 minus 7 is 2,
13:55times 100 for 200,
13:58then you can just add the 75 and the 6 for 281.
14:02Excellent. Excellent. Thank you.
14:05So, Adrian, last time we should have come back.
14:09So you come back again soon.
14:11But in the meantime, what have you got for us today?
14:14Er, just looking ahead to the World Cup,
14:17I would love to be in Russia.
14:19I'm just thinking back to the last one.
14:21I went to Rio.
14:23But I just do tell people, it's somewhat overrated.
14:27Everyone's supposed to be beautiful.
14:29It's just not the case.
14:31Walking along Ipanema Beach, I felt good-looking.
14:34That's how low the bar...
14:36That's how low the bar was.
14:38Really?
14:39Yeah. Also, the sea was fantastic,
14:42but, I mean, without going into too much detail,
14:45you know, they have sewage problems there,
14:47and you've got to be careful what you're swimming past
14:50in that glorious sea.
14:52However, I did have an amazing experience there
14:55when Gordon Strachan, who's a former Scotland manager,
14:59and he's a friend of mine, he was working with us,
15:02and he came across some kids playing football on the beach,
15:05and they were from a charity called Street Child,
15:08and they were picking kids out of the ghetto,
15:10out of the favelas.
15:12So Gordon joined in with them,
15:14and then they were having training the following day.
15:16They said, calm down. So we all went down.
15:18So there was me, Glenn Hoddle, Ian Wright, Gordon Strachan,
15:21Lee Dixon, and several others playing.
15:24And we played a match, and it was an awesome experience
15:27on that beach, playing football with them.
15:29And no quarter was asked or given.
15:32I remember, I think, Glenn Hoddle, or Ian Wright,
15:35was coming through. He was playing opposite me.
15:37And I did a tackle which I can only say,
15:40I reminded myself of Terry Butcher.
15:43It was a brilliant last gasp tackle.
15:46And those kids must have adored it, too.
15:48They did, and we went back to the favela with them,
15:50and walked around, spoke to their family,
15:52and bought them something to eat.
15:54It was an astonishing experience.
15:56That was, I must say.
15:58Street Child, look out for them.
16:00They have a Street Child World Cup from, you know,
16:02kids with nothing from around the world
16:04meet up and play football in different places.
16:06They're a brilliant organisation.
16:08Ah, well done. Good for you. Well done.
16:10APPLAUSE
16:14Don't expect any Christmas cards from the Rio tourist board.
16:18Now, where are you?
16:20Paul on 34, Dickie yet to score.
16:22But there's time, plenty of time.
16:24And now it's a letters game for you, Paul.
16:26Thanks, Nick. I'll start with a consonant, please, Rachel.
16:29Thank you, Paul. H.
16:31And a second consonant.
16:33P.
16:35A vowel.
16:37I.
16:39Second vowel.
16:40A.
16:42Third.
16:43U.
16:45Consonant.
16:47R.
16:49Consonant.
16:51C.
16:54A vowel.
16:56E.
16:58And a final consonant.
17:00And a final S.
17:02Stand by.
17:23CLOCK TICKS
17:35Yes, Paul?
17:37I've got an eight.
17:39An eight. And Dickie?
17:41Er, probably a misspelt seven.
17:43And the seven, your seven?
17:45Chirrups.
17:47Chirrups. And...?
17:48A purchase.
17:50And purchase.
17:53Adrian.
17:55Well, I had... I think you need two Rs for Chirrup, don't you?
17:58I had one R. I had Chirrups.
18:00I was quite pleased with that.
18:02But we've got an eight, but it's the same eight as yours, purchase.
18:05Thank you. All right.
18:07Dickie, your letters game.
18:09Can I have a vowel, please?
18:11Thank you, Dickie. A.
18:13And a consonant.
18:15N.
18:16And a vowel.
18:18I.
18:19And a consonant.
18:21H.
18:23And a vowel.
18:25O.
18:27And a consonant.
18:29B.
18:31And a consonant.
18:33R.
18:37And a consonant, please.
18:39F.
18:41And a final vowel.
18:43And a final E.
18:47And it's Countdown.
18:49COUNTDOWN MUSIC
19:19Dickie. Eight.
19:21An eight. And Paul?
19:23Just five.
19:25And your five is?
19:27Brain.
19:29And Dickie?
19:31Nose hair.
19:33Oh, that's an O. S.
19:35I've written an S.
19:37It's an F.
19:39I'm afraid it's because you've written it.
19:41If it's any consolation, nose hair isn't one word to me.
19:44I'm not surprised.
19:46That would have been a scorcher.
19:48Adrian?
19:50Talking of scorchers...
19:52We've got the seven, we've got a bonfire.
19:54A bonfire, well done.
19:56Susie and the girls?
19:58No. Originally a bonfire, of course.
20:00But, yeah, that was our best.
20:02Was it really?
20:04Yes, animal bones and human bones sometimes as well.
20:06Do they burn nicely?
20:08Sorry about that.
20:10They would, with all that marrow and so forth.
20:1247 points to Paul now.
20:14Paul, it's your numbers game.
20:16I'll have the white all again.
20:181, 2, 1, 2, please.
20:201, 2, 1, 2 again.
20:22And these five smalls are...
20:244, 8,
20:267, 6,
20:283 and 100.
20:30And the target...
20:32136.
20:34136.
20:46CLOCK TICKS
21:06Yes, Paul?
21:08Yeah, I've got 136.
21:10And Dickie?
21:12I've got 136.
21:143 times 4 is 32.
21:16Yep.
21:187 minus 3 is 4.
21:20It is.
21:22Add them together.
21:2436.
21:26And add the 100 on.
21:28And Dickie?
21:30I've used the 8 twice.
21:32Oh, Dickie!
21:34Oh, dear. That is bad luck.
21:36So, let's turn to a tea time teaser.
21:38Take that pressure off.
21:40Oh, dear.
21:42Here's the clue.
21:44When he sat down, he tore his pants and split his shirt.
21:46He's the biggest person I've ever seen.
21:48When he sat down,
21:50he tore his pants and split his shirt.
21:52He's the biggest person I've ever seen.
21:54When he sat down,
21:56he tore his pants and split his shirt.
21:58He's the biggest person I've ever seen.
22:00Welcome back.
22:02I left you with the clue.
22:04When he sat down,
22:06he tore his pants and split his shirt.
22:08He's the biggest person I've ever seen.
22:10Indeed, he's the portliest
22:12person I've ever seen.
22:14Portliest.
22:16So, Paul on 57.
22:18Dickie, oh, what a poor man.
22:20Dickie, oh, what a poor man.
22:22Paul on 57.
22:24Dickie, oh, what a... That was bad luck, the last one.
22:26Try this letters game.
22:28Vowel, please, Rachel.
22:30Thank you, Dickie.
22:32I.
22:34And another.
22:36A.
22:38And another.
22:40O.
22:42And one more.
22:44I.
22:46Vowel, please.
22:48Consonant, please.
22:50G.
22:52And a consonant.
22:54G.
22:56And a final
22:58consonant, please.
23:00And a final R.
23:02Stand by.
23:20CLOCK TICKS
23:36Er, Dickie.
23:38Just a six. A six and...
23:40A seven.
23:42And a seven. Dickie.
23:44Gropes. And...
23:46A visitor.
23:48Leave that for seven.
23:50Well done. Adrian, what news?
23:52Er, well, we had visitor.
23:54I came up with vista.
23:56Please me. Five letters, but what the hell,
23:58it's something. But we actually have an eight,
24:00don't we? Um, yes.
24:02Not something a woman would want to get.
24:04Ovaritis. Oh, dear.
24:06Which is inflammation of the ovary.
24:08Quite.
24:10No, that would be dreadful.
24:1264 points. Oh, Dickie, I'm sorry about that.
24:14And now, Paul, it's your letters game.
24:16And a consonant, please, Rachel.
24:18Thank you, Paul. V.
24:20And a second one, please.
24:22S.
24:24Vowel.
24:26O.
24:28A vowel.
24:30A. Vowel.
24:32I.
24:36Consonant.
24:38D.
24:40Consonant.
24:42S.
24:44Vowel.
24:46E.
24:48And a final
24:50consonant.
24:52And a final Z.
24:54Stand by.
25:14CLOCK TICKS
25:28Yes, Paul? Er, six.
25:30Er, six. Dickie? Six.
25:32Paul?
25:34Er, avoids.
25:36And Dickie? Same word.
25:38Well done.
25:41Well done. And...
25:43In the corner? Well, we didn't have a six.
25:45We got two fives and a seven.
25:47Oddly, we both came up with voids.
25:49I never thought about putting the A in front of it, did we?
25:51So we could have had a six.
25:53Divas for five. Yes.
25:55And our seven was? Advises.
25:57Advises. Yes.
25:59Thanks, guys. Well done.
26:01It's 70. Dickie's off the blocks.
26:03And it's Susie we turn to now
26:05for her origins of words.
26:07Blow us away, Susie. Thank you.
26:09Well, I'm going to look at a group of words
26:11that may not on the surface
26:13seem to have a connection
26:15and an unlikely one at that, but they do.
26:17They are all siblings
26:19and they all go back to the same root.
26:21And I'm going to start with dismantling.
26:23Its relatives include the mantelpiece,
26:25the manta ray,
26:27the enormous manta rays that you'll find in the oceans,
26:29and portmanteau words
26:31as well, those ones that are formed
26:33by the process of blending,
26:35putting two words together.
26:37I'm going to start with dismantling.
26:39That first originally meant to remove a mantle,
26:41in other words, to remove your cloak.
26:43And Shakespeare and Francis Bacon
26:45used it in this way.
26:47Francis Bacon, the first to use it,
26:49as far as we know,
26:51he must take heed, he shows not himself
26:53dismantled and exposed to scorn
26:55and injury. So he was already using it
26:57in a figurative sense of being uncloaked
26:59and therefore vulnerable.
27:01So that's the cloak.
27:03It goes back to the Latin mantellum
27:05and that is what is behind all the other words as well.
27:07Mantelpieces, originally called
27:09mantle trees, were so called
27:11because the heavy beam or the shelf
27:13sitting above a fireplace looked as if it was
27:15cloaking it somehow, so it was almost shrouding
27:17the fireplace.
27:19Manta rays were so named
27:21by the Spanish sailors who first encountered them.
27:23And they thought they looked like huge
27:25cloaks that were floating in the water
27:27and that's not far off when you think about it,
27:29that's quite nice. It was Lewis Carroll
27:31who invented the word portmanteau.
27:33Portmanteau was slithy, for example,
27:35which came about from lithe and slimy
27:37and putting those two together.
27:39Mimsy, flimsy and miserable
27:41and my favourites always say
27:43chortle, which was a blend of
27:45chuckle and snort.
27:47And the idea of the portmanteau
27:49is that it is a French dual compartment
27:51suitcase, so you can carry,
27:53porter, your cloak, manteau,
27:55again goes back to the cloak,
27:57in the suitcase and the idea was that you had two compartments,
27:59two words and you put them together.
28:01So all of those words go back to the same
28:03root for a very physical piece of clothing.
28:05Superb. One.
28:07APPLAUSE
28:11Thank you very much. Thanks, Susie.
28:13Brilliant stuff.
28:15Now, Dickie,
28:17penultimate letters game for you.
28:19I'll start with a vowel, please.
28:21Thank you, Dickie. A.
28:23Another. O.
28:25And another.
28:27A.
28:29One more vowel.
28:31O.
28:33Consonant.
28:35R. Consonant.
28:37T.
28:39Another consonant, please.
28:41C.
28:43Another consonant.
28:45M.
28:47And a
28:49vowel, please.
28:51And to finish, U.
28:53Stand by.
28:55MUSIC PLAYS
28:59MUSIC CONTINUES
29:25Dickie?
29:27A five.
29:29And Paul? A six.
29:31Dickie?
29:33Motor.
29:35Motor. And... Trauma.
29:37Trauma. Yes.
29:39Not bad. Yep.
29:41And in the corner?
29:43Well, it's funny you should say motor
29:45because we've got auto car,
29:47which is an archaic sort of word for motor vehicle.
29:49Yes. And we also have a musical expression
29:51of which I have never heard.
29:53Yeah.
29:55C-A-T-O.
29:57It's a direction to play something with emphasis.
29:59Thank you. It's an instruction, yeah.
30:01Yeah. Thank you. 76 plays six
30:03and it's Paul's
30:05letters game. Yes, Paul?
30:07I'll start with a consonant, please, Rachel.
30:09Thank you, Paul. P.
30:11And a second.
30:13G.
30:15And a third.
30:17M.
30:19Vowel.
30:21I.
30:23Vowel.
30:25E.
30:27Third vowel.
30:29O.
30:31Consonant.
30:33N.
30:35Consonant.
30:37S.
30:39And a final consonant.
30:41And a final T.
30:45And the clock starts now.
30:53CLOCK TICKS
31:17Well, Paul?
31:19I've got an eight. An eight.
31:21Jicky? Seven.
31:23And your seven is? Posting.
31:25Posting. And?
31:27It's a smelly one. Pongiest.
31:29Yep, very good. Not bad.
31:31APPLAUSE
31:35Well done. And in the corner?
31:37Well, I was quite pleased with pigeons,
31:39be it only seven. Pimentos.
31:41Yep. Is eight.
31:43And also nepotism.
31:45Nepotism.
31:47Well done. And now it's the final numbers game.
31:49Yes, Jicky?
31:51Two from the top, please, Rachel. And four little ones.
31:53Thank you, Jicky.
31:55Two large, four little.
31:57Try and find a nice one for the final one of the day.
31:59And these small ones are four,
32:01nine, one,
32:03and seven. And the large two,
32:0550 and 100.
32:07And the target, 135.
32:09135.
32:19MUSIC PLAYS
32:41Well, Jicky?
32:43135.
32:45135. And Paul?
32:47135, also.
32:49Jicky?
32:51I did. Nine minus four times seven,
32:53plus 100.
32:55Five times 735.
32:57Plus 100.
32:59Yep, 135. Lovely.
33:01There we go. And Paul?
33:03Similar way, I did four plus one equals five.
33:05Yeah.
33:07And times seven plus 100.
33:09Well done.
33:11APPLAUSE
33:13So we run into the final round,
33:15and, well done, Paul.
33:17Fingers on buzzers.
33:19Let's roll today's countdown conundrum.
33:25BELL RINGS
33:27As ever, Paul?
33:29Timetable.
33:31Let's see whether you're right. I have little doubt.
33:33Timetable. And here we go. Well done.
33:35APPLAUSE
33:39Well done, Paul.
33:41A good fifth win. I've got to say, Jicky,
33:43I've got nerves up there, to be honest with you.
33:45Nerves, I think.
33:47You take this goodie bag back, with our very best wishes,
33:49back to Peterborough. Thank you, Nick.
33:51And see you next time. Terrific. Five in a row.
33:53Look at that. 104. Superb.
33:55Thanks, Nick. Well done.
33:57Now, we're not going to see you for a while,
33:59but we'd like you to come back just as soon as you can.
34:01Your stories are great.
34:03I've run out now. I'll have to do something amazing
34:05over the next few months to generate some more material.
34:07Well, you've told some great stories,
34:09particularly your descaling story, which will live with us forever.
34:11OK, thank you for having me.
34:13Susie, see you next time. See you soon, yes.
34:15Brilliant stuff. And Rachel, of course.
34:17See you next time. See you next time.
34:19Same time, same place. You'll be sure of it.
34:21A very, very good afternoon.
34:23You can contact the programme by email
34:25at countdown at channel4.com,
34:27by Twitter at c4countdown,
34:29or write to us at countdown leads ls31js.
34:33You can also find our web page
34:35at channel4.com forward slash countdown.