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00:30Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown studio.
00:33Now, I read an article recently, very odd business, about a man who collects hair.
00:39Hair.
00:40Human hair, apparently it's a big business nowadays.
00:42He claims to have locks, locks of hair from people such as, deceased people such as Napoleon
00:48Bonaparte, Marilyn Manson, Justin Bieber, and apparently he sells them online at £399.
00:55Have you just killed Justin Bieber off?
00:57Per strand, apparently, Justin Bieber.
01:00But that small fry compared to the highest price ever paid for a lock of hair, which
01:05is way back in 2002, and it was a lock of Elvis Presley's hair.
01:09And some lunatic paid $115,000 for it.
01:14Amazing sort of price.
01:16Who's to say it really belonged?
01:18I suppose it came with provenance.
01:20Now, what do you make of all this, Rachel?
01:22I think it's gross.
01:23It's spooky.
01:23It is spooky.
01:24Why would you buy it?
01:25What's wrong with you?
01:26Be careful what you, when you go to the hairdresser, then you sweep it all up, put it in your bag,
01:31take it home with you.
01:32That's the best thing to do.
01:33Now, who have we got?
01:34Well, Tom Cowardsback, well, two-time winner from Finchley.
01:38He's done well on the maths.
01:40I mean, not brilliantly, but you've done very well.
01:44I'll do better, Nick.
01:45And it's the fitting of a financial controller, I should add.
01:49There we go.
01:50Plays hockey, and he's a painter, too.
01:51And you're joined today by Anne Dibbon, company secretary from Hazel Amir in Surrey.
01:56Spent 15 years studying and working in Russia.
01:59How interesting.
02:00You love languages.
02:01Fluent in Russian and French.
02:03Speaks a little German.
02:05And currently learning Latin.
02:07I'm trying to learn Latin.
02:09It's not that difficult.
02:10Yeah, my husband speaks it very well, and he corrects my pronunciation all the time.
02:14How interesting.
02:15And he speaks, he can actually converse in Latin.
02:17Yes.
02:18But who else does he talk to in?
02:20I mean, does he have a group of friends?
02:22No, no.
02:25Who will speak Latin?
02:29Brilliant stuff.
02:30Let's have a big round of applause for Tom and Anne Dibbon.
02:33So fun.
02:35Brilliant stuff.
02:37Well done.
02:38And over there in the corner, Susie, of course, once again, of course, Alice Dermot-Gowan,
02:43are one of our great favourites.
02:45All right, let's get down to business here.
02:46Tom Coward, take it this way.
02:48Hi again, Rachel.
02:49Hi, Tom.
02:50Could I have a consonant, please?
02:52Start today with S.
02:54And another consonant.
02:57W.
02:57A vowel.
02:58A.
03:00And a consonant.
03:02R.
03:03And a vowel.
03:05E.
03:06And a consonant, please.
03:08D.
03:10And a vowel.
03:12I.
03:13And a vowel.
03:15E.
03:16And a final consonant, please.
03:18And the last one.
03:20R.
03:20And here comes the countdown clock.
03:22R.
03:22And a vowel.
03:23And a vowel.
03:24And a vowel.
03:24And a vowel.
03:24And a vowel.
03:25And a vowel.
03:25And a vowel.
03:26And a vowel.
03:26And a vowel.
03:27And a vowel.
03:27And a vowel.
03:27And a vowel.
03:28And a vowel.
03:28And a vowel.
03:28And a vowel.
03:28And a vowel.
03:29And a vowel.
03:29And a vowel.
03:30And a vowel.
03:31And a vowel.
03:31And a vowel.
03:32And a vowel.
03:33And a vowel.
03:33And a vowel.
03:34And a vowel.
03:35And a vowel.
03:35And a vowel.
03:36And a vowel.
03:36And a vowel.
03:37And a vowel.
03:37And a vowel.
03:38And a vowel.
03:39And a vowel.
03:39And a vowel.
03:40And a vowel.
03:41Yes, Tom?
03:55A seven.
03:56A seven.
03:57Another nine?
03:57Just seven, two.
03:59Thank you, Tom.
04:00Readies.
04:02Readies and add?
04:03Readers.
04:07Yes, happy.
04:08E, yeah, we had sevens, didn't we?
04:11Yeah, draws, rewired was in there, and we've got re-arise.
04:16Re-arise.
04:17Re-arise.
04:17Yes, to arise again.
04:19Indeed.
04:19Thank you very much.
04:20The seven points apiece, Anne Dibbon.
04:24Letters game.
04:25Priviato, Rachel.
04:27Priviato.
04:28Ocho, Priyadna.
04:29Can I start with a consonant, please?
04:31You can, indeed.
04:31Spasiba.
04:33Si.
04:34And another consonant.
04:36M.
04:38And a vowel.
04:38O.
04:41And a consonant.
04:43B.
04:45A vowel.
04:47I.
04:48Another vowel.
04:50E.
04:52A consonant.
04:54T.
04:56A vowel.
04:58U.
05:00And a final consonant, please.
05:03And a final P.
05:05Countdown.
05:06A vowel.
05:19Well, Anne.
05:38A seven.
05:39A seven, Tom?
05:40Six.
05:41So you're six?
05:43Uptime.
05:45Anne?
05:46Compute.
05:47And compute?
05:48Compute.
05:49Absolutely excellent.
05:51Uptime is also fine.
05:53Time during which a machine is in use in operation.
05:56Okay.
05:57Now, Alastair McGowan.
05:58I had nothing to match that at all.
06:00No, it was really tough, though, so I thought it was.
06:02Yeah.
06:03Susie?
06:03No, compute here as well.
06:05That's it?
06:05Yeah.
06:06All right.
06:07Fourteen plays Tom's seven, and it's Tom's numbers game.
06:11Tom?
06:12Yeah, you guessed it.
06:13Four big ones.
06:14Your usual.
06:15Thank you, Tom.
06:15Four large ones and two little ones, and the first numbers game today.
06:19is three, one, and the big ones, 25, 100, 50, 75, and the target, 907.
06:299-0-7.
06:30We'll see you next time.
06:31Bye.
06:32Bye.
06:33Bye.
06:33Bye.
06:40Bye.
06:42Bye.
06:46Tom no nothing to farm and even 909 to away let's hear let's hear and so a
07:12hundred plus one is 101 101 75 divided by 25 is three yeah and then 101 times three times the
07:23other three three hundred and three times the actual three nine hundred and nine there we go
07:30two away pretty pretty good shot there but 907 Rachel possible yes I believe so if you bear
07:42with me it could go wrong if we say 75 times by 100 is seven thousand five hundred add the 50 for seven
07:55thousand five hundred and fifty and then times it by three divided by 25 skip out the middle but you
08:06should get 906 and then add the one well done my word 21 plays Tom seven as we turn to our first tea time
08:22teaser which is pear lady and the clue he cuts the lady the stones for a pair of diamond earrings he
08:31cuts the lady the stones for a pair of diamond earrings
08:35I lift you the clue he cuts the lady the stones repair of diamond earrings and the the answer is lapidary
08:59lapidary I guess from that of stone lapis yes absolutely from the Latin lapidarius which meant
09:07a stonecutter in late lapis I think that's that incorrectly did I oh yes I probably did you know the
09:12right now 21 plays seven and it's and letters game now and consonant please Rachel thank you and why
09:30and another consonant G a vowel oh consonant L another vowel a vowel I a consonant S a vowel E and a final consonant please and a final G
09:58Tantan
10:00Tantan
10:00Tantan
10:00Tantan
10:22Yes, and seven seven seven two sevens and goalies and
10:43Yeah, and the girls there's one more and a nice adverb for once soggy Lee
10:49Soggy Lee it's a great word
10:53Soggy Lee, yeah 28 plays 14 and it's Tom's letters game Tom
10:58Can I have a consonant please? Thank you Tom. Oh
11:02And the vowel
11:04Oh
11:05consonant
11:07P
11:08consonant
11:10L vowel
11:12a vowel
11:14I
11:16Vowel
11:18o
11:20consonants
11:21Q
11:22and the consonants and the last one s
11:25Stand by
11:27I
11:31Had
11:32When
11:34the
11:36I
11:38I
11:40And
11:41I
11:42If
11:44Yes, Tom?
11:59Er, say five.
12:01Five and?
12:03Six.
12:04And a six.
12:05Slim pickings here.
12:07Tom?
12:08Pools.
12:09Now, Anne.
12:10Arioso.
12:11So.
12:11How are you spelling that for me, Anne?
12:14A-R-I-O-S-O.
12:17Yep, absolutely brilliant.
12:18In opera and oratorio, it's vocal music that's more melodic but less formal than an aria.
12:25Very, very good.
12:25Arioso, very good.
12:27And Susie?
12:29There's also paroli for six, Nick.
12:31P-A-R-O-L-I, which is a bet in gambling.
12:36Quite a complicated definition, but that's there for six.
12:38Thank you very much.
12:39Well done.
12:4034 plays 14, and it's a numbers game.
12:42Now, let's see how Anne is on numbers.
12:46Anne?
12:46May I have two large and four small, please, Rachel?
12:49You may indeed, thank you, Anne.
12:50Two big ones, four little ones this time.
12:53And these small ones are five, three, eight, and ten.
12:58And the big two, 50 and 100.
13:02And the target, 829.
13:04Eight to nine.
13:05One, two.
13:07And the one.
13:07One, two, one.
13:27The one.
13:28Anne?
13:37829.
13:39829.
13:40And Tom?
13:40829.
13:41Thank you, Anne.
13:43100 plus 3.
13:45103.
13:46Times 8 is?
13:48824.
13:49And plus the 5.
13:50Yeah, nice and straightforward this time, 829.
13:53Well done.
13:54And Tom?
13:54Yeah, in the same way.
13:55There we go.
13:57Well done.
13:59So 44 plays 24, and we turn to Alistair.
14:04And Alistair, I believe that some modern phrases wind you up.
14:10They do.
14:11I was talking yesterday, people were watching, about things I'd like to put in Room 101.
14:15And there are some linguistic habits I'd also like to put in.
14:18A special linguistic edition of Room 101.
14:20The phrase that winds me up is, do you know what, or tell you what, at the start of sentences.
14:24People who said, do you know what, tell you what, do you know what.
14:26Gary Barlow, do you know what, tell you what.
14:28He's one of the worst at it.
14:29Do you know what, I'll tell you what.
14:30Of course, you've got to be careful doing your Gary Barlow impressions, because do you know
14:33what, I'll tell you what.
14:34If you start speaking like Gary and you get any slower than he does, you're just turning
14:37to Dave from the Royal Family, don't you, Barbara.
14:39But he loves it, do you know what, or I'll tell you what.
14:42Another one that bugs me at the moment is when people are unable to just say yes in response
14:46to something you're saying.
14:47They can't just say yes.
14:48They have to go, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:51It's spreading.
14:52Everyone's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:53Just one enthusiastic yes would be fine.
14:55So, at the start of a sentence, do you hear this repeatedly now, and it's coming in about
15:00the last six months.
15:00People will be asked a question on the news or in life, and they'll go, so, and then they'll
15:04tell you what they do for a living or what they think about something.
15:07First time this happened to me, I was astonished.
15:08A friend of mine, he said, well, how are you, what are you doing?
15:11I was telling him, good couple of minutes, and I said, what about you, how are you?
15:14He went, so, and it was like he'd seized the conversation.
15:17It was like everything up to that point had been utterly pointless.
15:19I've been talking dribble, so, now we can go on with the real issue here.
15:24Can't bear it.
15:25And then we come to the issue of how people say goodbye nowadays, and people just are
15:28unable to say goodbye.
15:29They come out with all these phrases, see you later, you hear, from somebody who you'll
15:33probably never see again in your life.
15:34You have no plans to see this person.
15:36I'll say, see you later.
15:36You think, I don't even know who you are.
15:38Why would I see you later?
15:40And it happens a lot in offices, receptionists.
15:42I'm sure the same thing happens to you.
15:4317-year-old receptionist, female receptionist behind the desk sometimes will say to me, see you
15:47later, quite loud, and I think, I'm a 51-year-old man.
15:49Involved in the entertainment industry.
15:51If people hear you saying that, I may get arrested.
15:57The other goodbye that people say all the time now, it's been in the lexicon for some
16:01time, take care.
16:03Take care.
16:04They say take care.
16:04Now, I'm quite a paranoid person, you know, and I can be easily paranoid, but I'm very
16:08paranoid when people say, take care, because I always think, what do these people know
16:12that I don't know?
16:13What do they think is going to happen to me?
16:15There we are.
16:16A list of linguistic things to go in the Linguistic Room 101, a programme I'm about to start
16:21petitioning for to be on TV.
16:23Quite right.
16:23Well done.
16:29Thanks, Elstair.
16:30Now, 44 plays 24, and it's Tom's letters again.
16:34Tom.
16:35Can I have a consonant, please?
16:36Thank you, Tom.
16:37T.
16:38Consonant.
16:41J.
16:42Vowel.
16:42A.
16:44Vowel.
16:45E.
16:46Consonant.
16:48N.
16:49Consonant.
16:50K.
16:51Vowel.
16:53U.
16:54Vowel.
16:56I.
16:56And a final consonant, please.
16:58And a final T.
17:00Stand by.
17:01Vowel.
17:03Vowel.
17:19J.
17:19yes Tom six six and a six Tom junkie junkie and auntie and auntie that's very
17:43nice junkie and auntie auntie junkie now Alistair possibly the best word in the world kitten
17:51but nothing bigger this side no fixes that's it yes all right so 50 to 30 and it's and letters
18:03game and consonant please Rachel thank you and D and another consonant s and a consonant please
18:12T and a vowel I and another vowel oh and a vowel a and a consonant are a vowel e and a final consonant
18:33please and the last one n counter
18:36so
19:09nine and nine Tom eight eight okay and you're eight rationed rationed and an notarized notarized
19:21absolutely brilliant yes very good well I was patting myself on the back for rationed at eight but Susie
19:32had two other nines as well no D rations is there a nice like twist on rationed and also ordinate
19:39thank you very much indeed 68 to 30 well done and and now we turn to Tom Tom numbers
19:48uh two large just two large moving away from the four large just the two and four little ones coming
19:57up for you and for this round the little ones are ten four six and two and the big ones 25 and 75 and the
20:08target three hundred and eleven three one one
20:15so
20:17well Tom
20:20Well, Tom?
20:423-1-0.
20:443-1-0.
20:46Anne?
20:473-1-1.
20:473-1-1.
20:50Another, Anne.
20:514-75 is a 300.
20:54Yep.
20:55Add the 25, 325.
20:57And then 10 plus 6 minus 2.
21:01Here's 14.
21:02Anne, take it away.
21:02Perfect.
21:033-1-1.
21:03Well done.
21:04Oh, well done.
21:05Well done.
21:06Well done, Anne.
21:08So, 78 to Tom's 30 as we turn to our second tea time teaser of the day, which is Hippo Mad.
21:15And the clue, the hippos will go mad for grass, but you won't find them eating this.
21:20The hippos will go mad for grass, but you won't find them eating this.
21:25Welcome back.
21:42I guess with the clue, the hippos will go mad for grass, but you won't find them eating this.
21:48Eating what?
21:49Eating amphipod, Susie.
21:52Why not?
21:54It's a crustacean from the marine order amphipoda, which includes such things as a freshwater shrimp.
22:04Really?
22:0578 plays 30.
22:06And Anne, it's your letters again.
22:08A consonant, please, Rachel.
22:10Thank you, Anne.
22:11L.
22:12And another consonant.
22:15N.
22:16And a vowel.
22:18U.
22:19And a consonant.
22:21G.
22:22And a vowel.
22:24I.
22:25And another vowel, please.
22:28E.
22:29And a consonant.
22:31S.
22:31A vowel.
22:35O.
22:36And a final consonant, please.
22:39And a final N.
22:41Stand by.
22:41And a vowel.
22:42And a vowel.
22:43And a vowel.
22:43And a vowel.
22:44And a vowel.
22:45And a vowel.
22:45And a vowel.
22:46And a vowel.
22:46And a vowel.
22:47And a vowel.
22:47And a vowel.
22:47And a vowel.
22:47And a vowel.
22:48And a vowel.
22:48And a vowel.
22:48And a vowel.
22:49And a vowel.
22:49And a vowel.
22:49And a vowel.
22:50And a vowel.
22:50And a vowel.
22:51And a vowel.
22:51And a vowel.
22:52And a vowel.
22:53And a vowel.
22:53And a vowel.
22:54And a vowel.
22:55And a vowel.
22:55And a vowel.
22:56And a vowel.
22:56And a vowel.
22:57And a vowel.
22:57And a vowel.
22:58And a vowel.
22:59And a vowel.
23:00Yes, Anne.
23:16A seven.
23:18A seven.
23:19And Tom?
23:20A six.
23:22That's six.
23:23Losing.
23:25Losing, Tom.
23:26And Anne?
23:27Legions.
23:29Legions.
23:29Very nice.
23:31The Roman legions.
23:32Hmm.
23:34And Alistair?
23:36They had lounges.
23:37Another seven.
23:38But nothing larger.
23:40Oh, hang on.
23:41There is.
23:42Susie?
23:43There is, yes.
23:44There is a nine in there.
23:47Ensouling is a slightly unusual word.
23:49E-N-S-O-U-L-I-N-G.
23:52And to ensoul somebody is to endow them with a soul.
23:55So we are ensouled as human beings.
23:58Oh, ensouled.
24:03Of course, the big sort of philosophy is at what age are you ensouled?
24:07Yes.
24:07Is it conception or baptism or what?
24:10Exactly.
24:11There's a big debate about whether a fetus is ensouled or not.
24:15Yeah, exactly.
24:16All right.
24:1785 plays 30.
24:18And Tom.
24:19Tom Coward.
24:20Letters game.
24:21Can I have a consonant, please?
24:23Thank you, Tom.
24:24G.
24:24And a consonant.
24:25T.
24:27And vowel.
24:29A.
24:30Vowel.
24:31E.
24:32Consonant.
24:34Z.
24:35Consonant.
24:37R.
24:38Consonant.
24:40H.
24:41Vowel.
24:43A.
24:44And vowel.
24:44And lastly, you.
24:48Tone Tone.
24:49Tone Tone.
25:06Tone Tone.
25:09Tone Tone.
25:11Tone Tone.
25:13yes Tom size a five from Tom and six and a sick Tom great and ribbon ghetto ghetto
25:31a nice slice of gato and in the corner in order to have your slice of ghetto
25:39the only other six was gather that's it well done all right so Susie to continue our education what
25:49have you got for us today in your wonderful origins of words well I'm going to be talking
25:54about an abbreviation today it's almost become a bit of an acronym and it's all to do with the
26:00United States I thought it was fitting in this year of the American presidential elections of
26:06which we've obviously been hearing a lot and POTUS what I'm going to talk about today POTUS
26:11being the abbreviation for president of the United States it actually began as an abbreviation used by
26:17telegraphic code operators back in the 1880s and 1890s the earliest recorded use of any Otis
26:26there wasn't POTUS it was actually SCOTUS or Scottish S-C-O-T-U-S the Supreme Court of the
26:32United States and that appeared in a book called the Phillips telegraphic code for the rapid transmission
26:38by telegraph and this was one of a large number of code books that allowed people to send inexpensive
26:44or secret messages by telegraph and call telegraphs like telegrams were priced on length so you can
26:51imagine these abbreviations were incredibly popular and scotus appeared between the abbreviations for
26:56scoundrel which was S-C-N-D-R-L and scribble which was S-C-R-I-B-L so a lot of simplified spelling going
27:03on then POTUS came along about the 1890s as I say but it wasn't the first shortening for the president
27:11of the United States because there was a rather strange suggestion in another telegraph code book
27:15which was mortmain M-O-R-T-M-A-I-N and a mortmain actually means dead hand literally and the idea
27:24is that whoever's in this office has absolute ownership of that position in other words you
27:29can't transfer it on to somebody else but scotus and POTUS embedded themselves in our language then
27:36of course we had floaters for the first lady of the United States but whether or not more Otis
27:41words will come along who knows but it's actually a very very old abbreviation I think if Donald Trump
27:45ever gets the knowledge there will be one it'll be God help us yes well done thank you 91 plays 30
27:54excellent stuff there Anne and it's your letters game penultimate letters game a consonant please
28:01Rachel thank you and T and consonant C and another consonant please are a vowel oh another vowel a and
28:18another vowel please E a consonant B a vowel I and a consonant and lastly P and here's the countdown clock
28:33clock
28:40oh
28:45oh
28:48oh
28:50oh
28:51oh
28:52oh
28:54oh
28:56oh
28:57oh
28:58oh
28:59oh
29:00and eight an eight for Antom six and your six boater-boater
29:12and demon operatic operatic
29:20Monday night nine plays 30 and its Tom's last letters game Tom Know could I have a vowel please Thank you Tom A
29:29a and a consonant d consonant r foul e foul i consonant t consonant p consonant
29:46n and vowel please and the last one u countdown
30:16well tom a risky nine good man how about anne i'll try nine too she's trying more confident
30:33now then tom uh unpirated yes there we go yes
30:40i'm really pleased to say it's in from the early 19th century so well done guys very good
30:46very good good stuff 117 to anne debon a terrific score tom 148 not bad at all as we turn to the
30:58final numbers game anne uh two large please rachel and four small thank you and two large four small
31:05and you're on your way to a very high score especially for an opener right the final numbers
31:10of the day are four seven eight one and the big two 25 and 50 and the target 736 736
31:32uh just 742 742 tom 735 let's hear it tom uh 50 minus one
32:0250 minus 149 times 8 plus 7 8 plus 7 15 and 735 one away well done tom well done indeed but
32:11not absolutely on the button on the money 736 rachel can you do it yes it was there if you say 50
32:19minus 4 is 46 and then 8 plus 7 plus 1 is 16 and times them together 736
32:27oh well done well done well done rachel so here we are final round 117 plays 55 fingers on buzzers
32:37tom are down let's reveal today's countdown conundrum
32:40so
32:49so
32:51And Ibn?
33:12I don't think it is, but combinary.
33:15Let's see whether you're right.
33:17Nope.
33:18Rest of time down to you, Tom.
33:22Foxed up here.
33:24Completely foxed.
33:26Who in the audience will offer a brave hand?
33:29Yes, sir?
33:31Embryonic.
33:32Embryonic.
33:33Let's see whether you're right.
33:36Embryonic.
33:37Well done.
33:38Very good.
33:40Embryonic.
33:41Fantastic.
33:42So there you go.
33:43Tom, we must say farewell to you.
33:4655.
33:48But listen.
33:50You got a teapot.
33:52Finchley has got one more teapot, and it's yours.
33:54Well done, indeed.
33:55Thank you very much, indeed, for coming.
33:57Thanks very much.
33:57Good luck with your company, your startup company.
33:59I appreciate it.
34:00Very good fortune with that.
34:01And Eben, 117, first time out.
34:04Fantastic.
34:05Well done.
34:05We shall see you tomorrow.
34:07Well done, indeed.
34:09Very good opening score.
34:11117.
34:12Brilliant stuff.
34:13Alistair, will you join us tomorrow?
34:15Yeah, I think I can manage that.
34:16Thank you very much, indeed.
34:18We look forward to it.
34:18And Susie, too, of course.
34:20Susie, see you tomorrow.
34:20Thanks, mate.
34:21See you tomorrow.
34:21And Rachel, as ever, we see you tomorrow.
34:24See you tomorrow.
34:24Brilliant on the numbers there.
34:25Same time, same place.
34:26You'll be sure of it.
34:27A very warm good afternoon to you.
34:30Contact us by email at countdown at channel4.com, by Twitter at C4Countdown, or write to us
34:39at Countdown, Leeds, LS3, 1JS.
34:42You can also find our webpage at channel4.com forward slash countdown.
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