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00:30Hello, everybody. Welcome to Countdown.
00:33It is Thursday, March the 21st.
00:35We're just coming up and halfway through Series 89.
00:39And at the start, I said, wouldn't it be great to have eight octo-champs again in the end of Series Final?
00:43We've got five already.
00:45We've got a brilliant new champion.
00:47Memorable Series.
00:48I look forward to every show, but Rachel Riley, I've done my homework here.
00:53I'm not sure I can even count on you turning up on Monday.
00:56Because while I don't do religion, I do religious festivals because they know how to party.
01:00Every religion always has a big feast.
01:02And I think this weekend is, and I hope I don't say something, is it Purim this weekend, which is one big party night?
01:09Yeah, it is.
01:10It's not one I did growing up, but now I've got little girls.
01:13I want to kind of introduce them to stuff, especially the holidays that have the good food.
01:17For me, the Shabbat, you get just the best feasts.
01:21Yeah, there's some good bread in Jewish cuisine as well.
01:24Great bread.
01:24And this is kind of like a, this goes back to Persia, the story.
01:28So I went last year and had all the kind of dals and split peas and all the Middle Eastern food,
01:33which isn't the stuff that I was brought up with, but it was delicious.
01:36Right.
01:36We'll get the best out of you today and tomorrow.
01:38We'll carry on Monday.
01:39We're a team.
01:40Listen, making sure all our words today are strictly ordered off the menu,
01:44it's our guardian of the dictionary, Susie Dent.
01:47And back again, it's always a lovely week in the company of Neil Delamere.
01:50Well, our champion is Toby Byfield, just 28 years old.
01:57And as we say, a political analyst, so I'm loving our conversations.
02:00But you're also somebody that, you know, outside of work gives up their own time
02:04and you're training at the moment to work with the Samaritans.
02:08Why is that important for you?
02:09Why did you choose the Samaritans?
02:11During the COVID pandemic, we saw an increase in mental health issues of people.
02:15And so, yeah, I'm just sort of hoping I can give back, I guess.
02:18Yeah, great work.
02:19Any time we can mention it, we like to have an open conversation
02:22and we should be doing that about mental health as much as we can.
02:26Thank you, Toby.
02:27Well, you're going up against Nigel Gardner today.
02:30Nigel's a Welshman in exile in England, yeah?
02:33Yeah, long exile.
02:35A long one, yes.
02:36And you love your sport, talking about long distances.
02:38You love running your marathons.
02:40You love watching them.
02:41You were at Super Saturday at London 2012.
02:43For people that don't know, tell them why it was so special.
02:46OK. Well, Britain had won loads of medals during the day
02:51and it was all building up.
02:54And on that Saturday, they won three gold medals.
02:57Yes.
02:57All within the space of about an hour and ten minutes.
02:59So we're looking at Jessica Ennis,
03:01Greg Rutherford,
03:03Mo Farah.
03:04Yes, and it was like bang, bang, bang.
03:06Yeah.
03:07Well, forget Super Saturday.
03:08Hopefully, you will have a thunderous Thursday.
03:10Best of luck to you, Nigel, and Toby.
03:15Hi, Rachel.
03:17Hi, Toby.
03:17Can I get a consonant, please?
03:19You can indeed start today with H.
03:21And a vowel, please.
03:22A.
03:23And a consonant, please.
03:25L.
03:26And a vowel.
03:28E.
03:28And a consonant.
03:30S.
03:32And a consonant, please.
03:34R.
03:34And a vowel.
03:35U.
03:38And a consonant.
03:40G.
03:41And a final consonant, please.
03:45Final N.
03:46At home and in the studio, let's play Kind Down.
03:49TRIAT dependency muy Friends departments.
03:52Good night.
03:52U.
03:53And a consonant.
03:54We'll see you soon.
03:54It's time to go.
03:58DRIVE
03:58And a consonant.
04:00That's a whisper.
04:03We'll see you then.
04:04TRIATиков
04:05Un 안돼.
04:05fondo
04:06team
04:07One
04:07One
04:07Two
04:08One
04:09Two
04:10One
04:12Two
04:12One
04:13One
04:13One
04:14One
04:15Two
04:15Two
04:16One
04:16One
04:17One
04:17One
04:18Toby? A risky eight. OK, and Nigel? A risky eight. OK, let's risk it for a
04:26biscuit. Toby? I'll try laughers. Laughers, are you going for that? Yeah. OK, is the
04:31last laugh on them? No, it's an absolutely fine person who laughs, but also in North
04:35American English it's a sporting match that is so easily won by one side it's
04:40absurd. Nice start. We'll just be holding on to the coattails I think today, Neil.
04:44What is a laugher? Someone who laughs? Yeah, I just never heard it, I've never heard that.
04:49I mean, I'm familiar with the concept. No, we can't beat it, I'm afraid. Done, done. More letters please, Nigel.
04:58Have a consonant please, Rachel. Thank you, Nigel. D. And another. R. And could I have a vowel, please?
05:08E. And another consonant? P. And a vowel, please? I. And a consonant? W. And a vowel, please? U. And a consonant, please? G. And another consonant, please?
05:37And a final S. 30 seconds.
05:39MUSIC PLAYS
05:43Well, two risky eights to start.
06:11Nigel, what about this time?
06:12Just a six.
06:14A safe six.
06:15Tobi?
06:16A seven.
06:17OK, Nigel, what have you got?
06:18Right.
06:19And to take an early lead, Tobi?
06:20Pudgier.
06:21Pudgier.
06:22Yes, indeed.
06:23Well done to you, Tobi.
06:24Anything else, Neil?
06:25There's another seven.
06:26Guiders.
06:27Guiders.
06:28But I don't think we can do any better than seven.
06:29No, we can't.
06:30That just means the same as a guide.
06:32Right, first numbers round of the day.
06:34Six from Tobi.
06:35I think I lost my nerve from yesterday.
06:37Can we just go for one large?
06:39Oh, dear.
06:40That early?
06:41Put you off too soon.
06:43Maybe you'll go back to them.
06:44Let's see.
06:45For today, the first one.
06:46Seven, nine, two, five, eight.
06:50And just one big one, 25.
06:53The target, 628.
06:55628.
06:56Numbers up.
06:57$ nível.
06:58Transportation.
06:59The target, 985.
07:00The target, 969.
07:01Alarm.
07:02tiles.
07:03They've buried their rest.
07:04They've buried their 크�וד today.
07:06The target, 170.
07:08The target andrel you to encourage in the world.
07:09Tiffany Howard?
07:10Yeah.
07:11The target, 383.
07:12The target, or whoever.
07:13The target, 343.
07:14The target, 151.
07:15That hold down for women after a month, fitness.
07:16Too old.
07:17click, reception,選 stiffly.
07:18New cent, exploits.
07:19coalitions andceptions.
07:20For now, whoever is getting wrecked itself,
07:22the hashtag for nothing.
07:24628, the target.
07:30Toby?
07:31628, not written down.
07:32And Nigel?
07:33No, blank.
07:34Blanked that.
07:35OK, well, Toby, off you go.
07:362 times 9 is 18.
07:382 times 9, 18.
07:39Plus 7.
07:4125.
07:41Times 25.
07:43625.
07:44Then 8 minus 5 is 3 to add on.
07:46Lovely.
07:47628.
07:51Well done, Toby.
07:52First teatime teaser of the afternoon is Claim 10.
07:56Claim 10.
07:57Jack Spratt could eat no fat and it showed.
08:00Jack Spratt could eat no fat and it showed.
08:18Welcome back.
08:19Jack Spratt could eat no fat and it showed.
08:22And Claim 10 becomes masculine, Susie.
08:25Yes, it means thin or lean.
08:26It's a relative of emaciated.
08:28Thank you, Susie.
08:30Back to the game.
08:31Let's get stuck in.
08:32Nigel, more letters.
08:33Consonant, please.
08:34Thank you, Nigel.
08:35G.
08:36And another one, please.
08:39M.
08:40And a vowel.
08:41A.
08:42A.
08:44And another consonant, please.
08:46L.
08:48And a vowel.
08:49O.
08:51And a consonant.
08:53T.
08:55And a vowel, please.
08:58A.
09:00And a consonant.
09:02D.
09:02And another consonant, please.
09:06Lastly, R.
09:08Thanks, Rich.
09:09Thanks, Rich.
09:10Thanks, Rich.
09:10Thanks, Rich.
09:11Thanks, Rich.
09:12Thanks, Rich.
09:12Thanks, Rich.
09:13Thanks, Rich.
09:13Thanks, Rich.
09:14Thanks, Rich.
09:14Thanks, Rich.
09:15Thanks, Rich.
09:15Thanks, Rich.
09:16Thanks, Rich.
09:16Thanks, Rich.
09:16Thanks, Rich.
09:17Thanks, Rich.
09:17Thanks, Rich.
09:18Thanks, Rich.
09:18Thanks, Rich.
09:18Thanks, Rich.
09:19Thanks, Rich.
09:19Thanks, Rich.
09:20Thanks, Rich.
09:20Thanks, Rich.
09:21Thanks, Rich.
09:21Thanks, Rich.
09:22Thanks, Rich.
09:22Thanks, Rich.
09:23Thanks, Rich.
09:24Thanks, Rich.
09:25Thanks, Rich.
09:26Thanks, Rich.
09:27Thanks, Rich.
09:28Thanks, Rich.
09:29Thanks, Rich.
09:30Thanks, Rich.
09:31Thanks, Rich.
09:39How many, Nigel?
09:41Seven.
09:42And Toby?
09:43Just a five.
09:44The five is?
09:45Glute.
09:46And the seven to make back some points, Nigel?
09:49Tarragon.
09:50Tarragon.
09:52Tarragon is two R's, sadly.
09:54Paragon's got one, but Tarragon has got two.
09:57It's very mean.
09:57Sorry, Nigel.
09:58Goodness me.
09:59Over to you, Neil.
10:00I was excited to see analogue there,
10:02but I'm sure that it is the American spelling,
10:05so we don't get analogue,
10:06but there is a seven,
10:07gonadal, as in gonads.
10:10Yes.
10:10So how would something be gonadal?
10:12So it's relating to,
10:13so you might have a gonadal complaint, for example,
10:16so relating to the testicle.
10:17Yes, something relating to the testicle.
10:19Yes.
10:19All right, thank you.
10:21At 30, plays eight.
10:23Plenty of road ahead here, Nigel.
10:25Toby, your choosing.
10:26Can I get a consonant, please, Rachel?
10:28Thank you, Toby.
10:29S.
10:30And a vowel.
10:32O.
10:32And a consonant.
10:34D.
10:35And a vowel.
10:36I.
10:38And a consonant.
10:39N.
10:40And a vowel.
10:42O.
10:43And a consonant.
10:45Y.
10:46And a vowel.
10:49E.
10:51And a final consonant.
10:54Final B.
10:55And half a minute.
10:55And a vowel.
10:57And a vowel.
10:58And a vowel.
10:58And a vowel.
10:58And a vowel.
10:59And a vowel.
10:59And a vowel.
11:00And a vowel.
11:00And a vowel.
11:01And a vowel.
11:01And a vowel.
11:01And a vowel.
11:01And a vowel.
11:02And a vowel.
11:02And a vowel.
11:02And a vowel.
11:02And a vowel.
11:03And a vowel.
11:03And a vowel.
11:03And a vowel.
11:03And a vowel.
11:04And a vowel.
11:05And a vowel.
11:05And a vowel.
11:05And a vowel.
11:05And a vowel.
11:06And a vowel.
11:06And a vowel.
11:07And a vowel.
11:07And a vowel.
11:07And a vowel.
11:08And a vowel.
11:09And a vowel.
11:09And a vowel.
11:10And a vowel.
11:11Toby? Just five.
11:28Five from you. Nigel? I'm a seven.
11:30Toby? Bound.
11:32Come on, Nigel. Beyond?
11:35Beyond! Pluralise beyond, Susie?
11:38Yes, instinctively, this makes me wince,
11:41because I think we'd always talk about the beyond,
11:43but it's not listed as a mass down, so according to our rules, it's absolutely fine.
11:46So the seven points, that one's in. There you go.
11:49Closes the gap considerably. And Neil?
11:52There is an eight, though. I have to admit, I didn't get this.
11:55Susie? Obviously got this.
11:57Well, it's just... Yeah, it's a lovely one, and it's obvious when you see it.
12:01Nobody's... Oh, my goodness.
12:03Yeah. Right, numbers, then.
12:04Nigel, your first time picking.
12:06We'll just have one large, please, Rachel, and then five small.
12:10Five little ones coming up.
12:12And the small ones for this round are ten, eight, four, seven,
12:18and five. And the large one, 100.
12:20And the target to reach 825.
12:23It's two-five, numbers up.
12:25There she can sell.
12:26Boo!
12:27Mike Davis!
12:27Bye for now!
12:27So, as we
12:39ask you this,
12:39the bigger thing?
12:40Bye.
12:42So, if
12:43owers pleased with
12:43the Games
12:44and the cores!
12:46Can you see?
12:488, 2, 5.
12:56Nigel? 8, 2, 7.
12:58Toby? 8, 2, 5. Off you go.
13:00100 plus 4. 104.
13:02Times 8. 832.
13:04And take 7. That's it. 8, 2, 5.
13:06Well done. Well done.
13:10All right, let's take a little break.
13:12I have a chat with Neil after Buffalo, Buffalo, Buffalo.
13:14I'm not even going to predict what we're talking about today.
13:16I just hope it doesn't come with a demonstration.
13:19There's no boards, there's no markers.
13:21It is just another fact that I thought you'd like,
13:23because I know you love your film.
13:25I forgot to tell you my favourite film fact.
13:27And this popped into my head because, well, the back story is
13:29I went and got a haircut last week because it's Countdown, right?
13:32Yes.
13:32And he had a lovely Turkish barber.
13:35I don't have a lot of Turkish.
13:36He didn't have a lot of English.
13:37He had all these pictures of celebrities, film stars on his wall,
13:40and you could point and get that haircut.
13:41And he had Daniel Craig, right?
13:44So he went Ian Fleming, and I went.
13:46Ian Fleming, and he went Ian Fleming, and I went Ian Fleming,
13:48because I thought he was referring to the writer of James Bond.
13:52He wasn't saying Ian Fleming, he was saying Ear Fleming.
13:56Yeah, now, have you ever had this?
13:58If you don't know what this is,
13:59a Turkish barber gets some cotton wool,
14:01he dips the inflammable liquid,
14:02he sticks it at the end of a stick,
14:04and he taps it off the hair in the inside of your ears
14:06to burn out the hair in your ears.
14:07And if you're not expecting that, it's terrifying.
14:10Like, you're expecting a chat about James Bond,
14:12and a man set your head on fire
14:14with an improvised explosive device.
14:17But anyway, there was all these film stars on the wall,
14:19Daniel Craig was one of them,
14:19and I started thinking about my favourite film fact,
14:21which I think you'll like.
14:22There is one film star
14:24whose every picture he ever made
14:26was nominated for best picture.
14:27OK, but that's like, you know,
14:30he was unbeaten in such and such,
14:32or she was unbeaten in such and such,
14:34and you go, yeah, but how many times?
14:36So it doesn't count, obviously,
14:37if they only made one film, right?
14:39So they had to make multiple films.
14:41Every film they made.
14:42I kind of want to lean towards, like, a Tom Hanks,
14:44but it couldn't have been every one.
14:46No.
14:47And they weren't nominated, just the film.
14:48Yes, for best picture.
14:50Five films in a row,
14:53the only films you made.
14:54And then, shh.
14:55Yeah.
14:55His name is John Cazale,
14:57and you'll know him
14:57because he was Fredo in The Godfather.
14:59Nice.
15:00So this is the run.
15:01The Godfather, The Conversation,
15:03The Godfather 2,
15:04Dog Day Afternoon,
15:05and Deer Hunter.
15:06Oh.
15:07And then he died.
15:07He was young.
15:08He was only 42.
15:09He used to go out with Meryl Streep,
15:10who's nursed him to the end.
15:12And he actually...
15:14It's a lovely little story
15:15that when they were doing Deer Hunter,
15:17they wouldn't cover his insurance
15:18because he was very ill,
15:19and Robert De Niro stepped in
15:20and covered the insurance
15:21so he was able to do it.
15:22You mentioned he passed away all too young.
15:25The first posthumous Oscar,
15:27and I think all the way through
15:28in terms of for an actor or actress,
15:29actually all the way through
15:30until Heath Ledger,
15:31he was the second, of course,
15:33was an actor called Peter Finch,
15:35and it's a movie called Network,
15:37which I don't think is hugely well-known.
15:39It's well-known enough amongst film buffs,
15:40but it's a wonderful film.
15:42And have you seen it all?
15:44Isn't that...
15:44I'm mad as hell
15:45I'm not going to take it anymore.
15:46Just for that scene
15:47of watching him sort of mentally decompose
15:50live on television,
15:52sensational.
15:54Just one of the greatest
15:54five or six minutes in all of cinema.
15:57I'll re-watch it, actually.
15:58Yeah, really good.
15:59Well, who would have thought
16:00we could go from...
16:01Turkish barbers.
16:02Turkish barbers to Oscar history.
16:04That's why we love Neve.
16:09Back to the game,
16:10back to the letters,
16:11and back to Toby.
16:12Consonant, please, Rachel.
16:13Thank you, Toby.
16:15D.
16:16And a vowel.
16:17I.
16:18And a consonant.
16:20T.
16:21And a vowel, please.
16:23A.
16:24And a consonant.
16:25S.
16:26And a vowel.
16:27E.
16:28And a consonant.
16:30B.
16:31And a vowel, please.
16:33U.
16:34And a final consonant.
16:37Final T.
16:38And here we go again.
16:42Time's up.
17:11Toby.
17:12Risky eight.
17:13And Nigel.
17:14Er, reasonably safe seven.
17:17OK.
17:17Not entirely safe here.
17:19We're on the roller coaster.
17:20Right, what's reasonably safe?
17:22A butted.
17:23A butted.
17:24And what is risky?
17:26A bawdiest.
17:27A bawdiest.
17:28Over to Susie for both.
17:29Oh, I think you will find it has a W
17:31rather than a U, Toby.
17:32Sorry.
17:33And a butted.
17:34Butt is absolutely fine, yes.
17:35A butt something is to sort of, you know,
17:38adjoin it in some way
17:39and lean against it.
17:40What about you, Neil?
17:41Er, if you did put something besides something,
17:44it would be,
17:44if it was a butted,
17:45it would be situated there.
17:47And situated is eight.
17:49Yes, well done.
17:50Situated.
17:50Good work.
17:51APPLAUSE
17:51All right, more letters, please.
17:55Nigel, you're on the charge, mate.
17:57You're on the charge.
17:57OK.
17:58Well, Rachel, I'll have a consonant, please.
18:01Thank you, Nigel.
18:02C.
18:03And another one, please.
18:05P.
18:05And a vowel.
18:08O.
18:09And a consonant.
18:11M.
18:13And another consonant.
18:16S.
18:17And a vowel, please.
18:19E.
18:21And another vowel.
18:23I.
18:25And a consonant.
18:28T.
18:28And another consonant, please.
18:34A final W.
18:35Start the clock.
18:36MUSIC PLAYS
19:06How many, Nigel?
19:09I've misread one of the letters, so I'm going to blank on that one.
19:12No worries. So an open goal, Toby?
19:14A seven.
19:15And a seven for seven points.
19:17Mopiest.
19:18Mopiest, yes, which Nigel is.
19:20After those 30 seconds, Neil?
19:22There is an Australian word which means the most English person,
19:25and it's pommiest.
19:27Unfortunately, it's not in any dictionary ever recorded by a man.
19:31Poetics is there for seven, but we can't beat seven.
19:33Beautiful word, but same as Mopiest in terms of the score.
19:36Lovely. Well done, Toby.
19:38Third numbers round of the day.
19:40It's been a maximum for you so far, Toby.
19:42Let's see if you can continue.
19:43Let's go back to four large, please.
19:44Yes, you couldn't stay away for too long.
19:47They always draw you back in.
19:48Four large, two little.
19:49Two little ones this time.
19:50Nine and ten.
19:51Oh, dear.
19:52Big ones.
19:54125, 50 and 75.
19:58And the target, 213.
20:00213. Numbers up.
20:03Two, one, three.
20:33Toby.
20:34213, but not at all written down.
20:36Nigel.
20:37Just 210.
20:38210, three away.
20:39Toby, not at all written down.
20:40Off you go.
20:41Nine times 25.
20:43Nine 25s are 225.
20:45Minus 10.
20:46Minus 10 is 215.
20:49And 100 over 50 is two.
20:50Yep.
20:50Take it away.
20:51Lovely.
20:52Well done.
20:53Well done.
20:53Nice spot.
20:57And, you know, there's not writing it down, then there's not at all writing it down.
21:00So you deserve those ten points.
21:02Let's get our second Tea Time teaser this Thursday afternoon.
21:05Basement.
21:06Basement.
21:07Basement.
21:07No.
21:08They spend all their time at ground level.
21:10Basement.
21:11No.
21:11They spend all their time at ground level.
21:13Basement becomes beast men.
21:35Beast men.
21:36Not a nice thought at all.
21:37And I tell you what, with a steward's inquiry, because when Susie's not sure something's
21:42in the dictionary, she goes like this.
21:46That's what you did.
21:47Thanks.
21:47Yes.
21:48So are we all good with beast men?
21:49Yeah, it's actually quite a nice thing, as long as they look after them.
21:52It's a person who tends to cows.
21:55Really?
21:55Yeah.
21:55So not nasty individuals.
21:57Not scurry at all.
21:58Beast men.
21:59Well, I'm glad we had this conversation.
22:01Six rounds to go.
22:02Nigel, your letters.
22:03OK.
22:04Consonant, please, Rachel.
22:05Thank you, Nigel.
22:06P.
22:07And another one, please.
22:10D.
22:11And a vowel.
22:13U.
22:15And another consonant.
22:18M.
22:19And a vowel, please.
22:22E.
22:24And a consonant.
22:25S.
22:27And another consonant.
22:30R.
22:31And a vowel.
22:33I.
22:35And...
22:36A consonant, please.
22:38And a final T.
22:40Good luck, everybody.
22:40Do you think,
22:41we're all in the way?
22:44Yeah,
22:45you know,
22:46利,
22:46isoque єwell,
22:48for maybe two weeks.
22:48I know we're going to be right away.
22:49We'll be right back if we'll be right back.
22:52Take care.
22:53The one I know.
22:54I know we will be right back.
22:54And a mascot.
22:55I know you,
22:56but we got some dirt somewhere and a Bee.
22:57Give meTH bitterly to the front.
22:58I know we're going to be correct to get thisanno.
22:59It's definitely right back,
22:59but we got some sort of a note
23:03and that's really good to get it.
23:04And aON mattress is more likely.
23:05It'sша-
23:06And you know we're going to have some notes.
23:07We're calling them back there.
23:08I hope to do you.
23:08Nige.
23:13Eight.
23:14Tobes.
23:15Risky eight.
23:16Go for eight.
23:16Dumpiest.
23:17Dumpiest.
23:18And Toby?
23:19I'll try rumpiest.
23:20Dumpiest and rumpiest.
23:22We've got a bit of rumpy dumpy going on here.
23:25Dumpiest is in the dictionary.
23:27Rumpiest isn't.
23:29So dumpiest is there, rumpiest isn't.
23:31So Nige, very well done to you.
23:34Any other eights or dare I say beyond?
23:37Beyonds.
23:38Dumpster is eight.
23:40Yes.
23:40And stumpier.
23:42Stumpier.
23:42Also eight, but no nines that we know of.
23:44Not that we could see.
23:45So there you go.
23:47Let's get more from you now, Toby.
23:49Can I get a consonant, please, Rachel?
23:50Thank you, Toby.
23:51H.
23:52And a vowel, please.
23:54E.
23:55And a consonant.
23:56G.
23:57And a vowel.
23:59A.
24:00And a consonant.
24:01T.
24:02And a vowel.
24:04I.
24:05Another consonant.
24:06S.
24:07And a vowel.
24:08A.
24:11And a vowel consonant, please.
24:12And a vowel.
24:13C.
24:14Let's play.
24:15And a vowel.
24:15And a vowel consonant, please.
24:17And a vowel consonant, please.
24:18And a vowel consonant, please.
24:19And a vowel consonant, please.
24:20And a vowel consonant, please.
24:20And a vowel consonant, please.
24:21And a vowel consonant, please.
24:22And a vowel consonant, please.
24:22And a vowel consonant, please.
24:23And a vowel consonant, please.
24:24And a vowel consonant, please.
24:25And a vowel consonant, please.
24:26And a vowel consonant, please.
24:27And a vowel consonant, please.
24:28And a vowel consonant, please.
24:29And a vowel consonant, please.
24:30And a vowel consonant, please.
24:31And a vowel consonant, please.
24:32And a vowel consonant, please.
24:33And a vowel consonant, please.
24:34And a vowel consonant, please.
24:35And a vowel consonant, please.
24:36And a vowel consonant, please.
24:37And a vowel consonant, please.
24:45Toby, give me a number.
24:47Another risky seven.
24:49And Nigel?
24:50OK, I'll have to go with a risky seven as well.
24:53You can have to, my friend.
24:54I will.
24:55Five's not going to get you anywhere.
24:56Toby?
24:57H's.
24:59H's.
25:00And Nigel?
25:01Cage-iest.
25:02Oh, well, listen, cage-iest, I'm not going to be cagey about.
25:05We've had that.
25:06We have had that.
25:06It's absolutely fine.
25:07And the letter H, spelt A-I-T-C-H, you can pluralise that.
25:12So H is absolutely fine.
25:13Wonderful stuff, then.
25:14Seven points each, Mr. Delamere?
25:17Achiest is there for seven, but I don't think we can beat seven.
25:20And that's it.
25:21All right, four rounds to go.
25:23Nigel just refuses to be beaten.
25:25He's just been hanging in there, tigerish.
25:27Love it.
25:27Absolutely love it.
25:28Origins of words today, Susie.
25:30Yes, a question from one of our regular correspondents, Helen, Helen Brown.
25:34Where on earth, she says, does that's a turn-up for the books come from?
25:39We all understand it.
25:39We've heard it, contextualised it from early childhood.
25:41But when you stop to look at it, she says, it's a strange one.
25:45And it is, really.
25:46What's the turn-up?
25:47Well, the origin is in horse racing and in betting.
25:51And the book was simply a record of the bets that a bookkeeper would keep.
25:55The bets that were laid on a race.
25:59Not a bookkeeper, a bookmaker, I should say.
26:01So when a horse performed in a way that nobody expected, so that most bets lost, it was something
26:06that benefited the book.
26:08So it turned up that way, and then it's for the books.
26:11It benefits the books because the bookmaker will make his or her money.
26:15So it's really the rank outsider that does incredibly well, and that becomes the turn-up for the books.
26:21And then it slipped into more general use after that.
26:24But it made me also think of another, it's predominantly, I would say, used, or was used, within horse racing.
26:31And that's a dead ringer.
26:33Somebody is a dead ringer.
26:35Nowadays, obviously, a brilliant radio show with lots of fantastic impressionists, including John Coleshaw, who we know.
26:40So what is a dead ringer?
26:43Well, the story attached to this normally is that it involved people who, in Victorian times, would be buried alive.
26:51So it was a real phobia in those days.
26:53So the idea is that they would be buried with a bell within their coffin, and they would be saved by the bell if they rang it
27:01and were a dead ringer by someone who was doing the graveyard shift, somebody who sat by the grave.
27:06No evidence for that whatsoever.
27:08Instead, we need to look for ringer as a horse that was entered into a race fraudulently, because it looked like the real article.
27:19So this would be a horse that was, again, a rank outsider that would have a much better horse substituted for it,
27:25because it looked like the one that was the outsider.
27:28And then it would do incredibly well.
27:29Then it would, again, be a turn-up for the books.
27:31And the dead here is the same as in dead simple, just very exact, very sort of precise, if you like.
27:38It was absolutely like the horse that it was copying.
27:41And there were lots of rings involved in similar expressions.
27:45To ring in the grey was to exchange a double-sided penny for a genuine one.
27:49And we think it possibly goes back to the idea of ringing the changes.
27:53But anyway, dead ringer, definitely from horse racing, as was, turned up for the books.
28:02Robert, right, 64-37, four rounds to go.
28:05Nigel, as I say, he refuses to be beaten, doesn't he?
28:09So let's see, let's see.
28:10Never give up, here we go.
28:11We'll have a consonant, please, Rachel.
28:13Thank you, Nigel.
28:14K.
28:16And another one, please.
28:18L.
28:18And a vowel, please.
28:22E.
28:23And a consonant?
28:25T.
28:27And a vowel.
28:29U.
28:30And a consonant?
28:32R.
28:34And another consonant, please.
28:37N.
28:38And a vowel.
28:41O.
28:43And another consonant, please.
28:47Final Q.
28:48And Countdown.
28:49And Countdown.
29:19Nigel. Just a six. And Toby. Six. Yeah. Difficult round. Nigel. Quota. Quota. I'm the same. Toby the same. Yeah. Two quotas, that's all we have. No, we have torque for six as well. That's very good. That's very good. Yeah. Twisting rotational force. Very good. Great guns if you manage to get one of those. All right. Last letters, Tobes. Can I have a consonant, please, Rachel? Thank you, Toby. R. And a vowel. E. And a consonant.
29:49N. And a vowel. I. And a consonant, please. S. And a vowel. A. And another vowel. E. And a consonant. T. And a final consonant, please. And a final P. Last letters.
30:41Toby. An eight. Nigel. An eight. An eight. What have you got, Toby? Trainees. Trainees and Nigel. Pertains. Oh, there you go. Two different eights. Fantastic. Two lovely eights. Yeah.
30:52Wow. Very nice indeed. We knew it was going to be high there. Those letters are just spitting words out at you. But any other eights are, dare we say it?
31:00Spitting words out like a pantry, which is ace, pantries. Yeah. There is a nine.
31:04It feels like there should be a nine there. There are, yes. Aperience. A-P-E-R-I-E-N-T-S. They are drugs used to relieve constipation.
31:15Hey! Hey!
31:16APPLAUSE Oh, that's a relief. It really is. There's so many challenges. There's so many. And we will do them all, by the way.
31:23HE LAUGHS
31:25All over is a competition, but really, really good battle today. And Nigel, you're picking our last numbers.
31:30OK, Rachel. We'll just have one large, please, and any five small.
31:35That joke got what it deserved, Colin. Absolutely nothing.
31:39It's an all-time top five, Rich.
31:40Final numbers of the day. Eight, six, eight, seven, three, and a large one, 100.
31:48And the target, 962.
31:51962, last numbers.
32:22Big last target, 962. Nigel.
32:2696.
32:29Out of time. Got a rule you out there. Toby?
32:32962.
32:33Oh, that didn't matter anyway. Off you go, Toby.
32:35100 plus 7.
32:37107.
32:386 plus 3.
32:399.
32:40Times them together.
32:42963.
32:42And 8 over 8 for the one to take off.
32:44That'll do it. Ten points.
32:46Yeah.
32:49Well, there you go. Well done to you, Toby.
32:52Big on the numbers today.
32:5488 plays 51.
32:55Nigel, a bit of pressure off.
32:57You've already got the half a century, so that's good.
32:59And we still get ten points up for grabs.
33:01Let's get your fingers on the buzzers this Thursday afternoon,
33:04as we reveal today's Countdown Conundrum.
33:09Go on, Toby.
33:10A dandelion.
33:11Ha-ha!
33:12A dandy answer, yes.
33:16Well done.
33:17You got the 98.
33:18You pulled away at the end.
33:19But listen, hats off, Nigel, because I think he's a really strong, strong champion.
33:24You played him the right way.
33:25You took risks early on.
33:26You pushed the envelope.
33:28And I think that's the only way you could have got near him.
33:30And he was afraid for a while.
33:31Well done.
33:32Well done.
33:33Thank you, mate.
33:34Lovely to have you.
33:35And, Toby, you will be back tomorrow.
33:37Great.
33:38Well done, you.
33:38Well done.
33:39Thank you, Neil.
33:40Thank you, Susie.
33:42You know, you're funny, those childish jokes that when you're a kid make you giggle,
33:46giggle, no matter how many times you hear them.
33:48But in terms of the maximum nine you got, you must have known it growing up, about the
33:55constipated mathematician.
33:57He worked it out with a pencil.
33:58It still makes me laugh.
34:00I'm 47 years old.
34:01And it still makes me giggle.
34:03You've got to have a bit of child, haven't we, still?
34:06Right, Rachel, Susie and I back again last show of the week tomorrow.
34:09Neil will be here as well.
34:10You can count on us.
34:13You can contact the programme by email at countdown at channel4.com.
34:17You can also find our webpage at channel4.com forward slash countdown.