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00:30Well, good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown studio.
00:33And tomorrow, the 30th of May, summertime, of course, the 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup.
00:39Well, they pad up and off they go right here in the United Kingdom, England and Wales.
00:45In fact, Rachel, it's a tournament of one day internationals and it begins with a match.
00:50And I'm going to just read this.
00:52So that's absolutely accurate about it.
00:53England and South Africa at the Oval with the final being contested on the 14th of July.
01:00At Lourdes, lots of cricket coming up there.
01:02And it's one day exciting stuff.
01:04But I know that you're an absolute devotee of the round ball game, the soccer, and your beloved Reds, your
01:12beloved Manchester United.
01:13Have you ever spent a minute watching cricket?
01:17Have you given it a thought?
01:19It felt like more than a minute, Nick.
01:24Really?
01:24Too slow?
01:25I mean, it's fun to play.
01:26And I was in Mumbai in January, in Bombay.
01:28And there's this big park, big square in the middle with kind of what looks like the Indian version of
01:33Big Ben, a gorgeous church in the background.
01:34And they're playing cricket in the middle of the day.
01:37It's lovely.
01:37You know, it's fun to play.
01:38But I'll probably stick to watching Countdown rather than cricket.
01:42And Man United.
01:43And Man United.
01:44Of course, Nick.
01:45All right.
01:45Now, Chris is back, Rachel.
01:48Retired secondary school teacher from Buxton, who's claimed to fame now.
01:51He's on his first game of Countdown.
01:53He came through with 108.
01:55That's a great score.
01:56We expect a lot from you.
01:57No pressure, then.
01:58No.
01:59And you're joined by Clea.
02:01Clea Knight, music therapist from Bristol, who's a singer-songwriter and once named a song after one of Susie's origins
02:09of words.
02:10What was it called?
02:11It was called Welkin.
02:14And, yeah, one day I was just, I was watching Countdown and writing this new song for that evening.
02:19And Welkin came up.
02:22Susie gets a credit on this somewhere, then, perhaps.
02:25Oh, well done.
02:26So let's have a big round of applause for our contestants.
02:28Chris and Clea.
02:36And over in the corner there's Susie, of course, with broadcaster Janet Street-Porter, CBE.
02:42That's right.
02:43That was tremendous.
02:45You got, you were awarded that, which is sort of pretty much a damehood, isn't it, really?
02:49Well, it's not a damehood, but it's a fantastic honour to get, yes.
02:52Yeah.
02:53Yes, and I got it from the Queen, which was even better.
02:56Wonderful.
02:56I was slightly dreading getting it from Prince Charles, because I've written some rather pungent criticisms of him in the
03:03past.
03:04So I was thrilled to get it from the Queen, and I got it for services to journalism and broadcasting.
03:10Quite right.
03:11Well, it's great to have you here, Janet.
03:13As always.
03:14All right, Chris, off we go.
03:15So, afternoon, Rachel.
03:17Afternoon, Chris.
03:18Start with a consonant, please.
03:20Start with P.
03:22And a vowel.
03:24O.
03:26A consonant.
03:28J.
03:29Vowel.
03:31E.
03:32Consonant.
03:34T.
03:36Consonant.
03:36X.
03:38Y.
03:39Vowel.
03:41O.
03:43Consonant.
03:45X.
03:47And a vowel, please.
03:49And the last one, E.
03:51And here's the countdown clock.
03:53Vowel.
04:05Vowel.
04:08Vowel.
04:15Vowel.
04:21In this period, Adam Smith,
04:24Well Chris
04:25Five
04:27And clear
04:27Just the four
04:29Your four clear
04:30Poet
04:31Mm-hmm
04:32Chris
04:32I've got poxy with an E in it
04:35Yeah
04:36Um, no
04:38It has to be without the E I'm afraid
04:40Sorry Chris, P-O-X-Y only
04:42Thank you
04:43What have we got in the corner there?
04:45There is a cactus in it
04:47Which is there
04:48Which will give you a six
04:49And that's peyote
04:51So P-E-Y-O-T-E
04:53Um, small, soft, blue, green, spineless cactus
04:56That you'll find in Mexico
04:57Thank you
04:58Alright
04:58Now, four points to Clea
05:00And it's Clea's letters game
05:01Off we go
05:02Hi Rachel
05:03Hi Clea
05:03Can I have a consonant please?
05:05Thank you
05:05Start with P
05:06And a vowel
05:08I
05:09And a consonant
05:11S
05:12And a vowel
05:14E
05:15Another vowel
05:17I
05:18And a consonant
05:19T
05:22And a consonant
05:23D
05:26And another consonant
05:27S
05:28And a final vowel please
05:31And a final
05:32E
05:33Stand by
05:34T
05:35And a consonant
05:36And a consonant
06:04well clear a seven a seven Chris try an eight clear despite yes Chris dipsy-est
06:16dipsy-est oh it's not there tipsy is obviously obviously but not
06:25dipsy dipsy is only there in the American phrase dipsy-doodle which is
06:29about the quick movement but not dipsy sorry Chris so I've got a spied which
06:37is only six letters but you're not gonna tell me that is a spied a spied is very
06:42good yeah that's good six and there is an eight there sidestep sidestep yeah well
06:53strongly here due to Chris's upsets and now Chris it's your numbers game off we
07:00go I can try two from the top and four of this please thank you Chris too large for
07:05little to kick the day off with numbers and the selection is three ten one seven and
07:12the large ones 25 and 75 and the target 654 654
07:22so
07:34so
07:49well Chris 653 653 clear no not not close enough no Chris 653 okay
08:04sorry Chris time's up let's uh let's go to rich Rachel 654
08:09it was then it could be say 75 times 10 is 750 and then 25 plus 7 is 32 times
08:19it by 3 is 96 and take
08:22it away 654 oh well done very nice thank you Rachel so time for our first
08:33tea time teaser which is count bars and the clue pay attention clear the clue it
08:39wasn't a clear night at all the clouds in the sky were this it wasn't a clear night
08:44at all the clouds in the sky with this
09:03welcome back left with the the clue it wasn't a clear night at all the clouds in the sky with
09:09this
09:09they were obscured obscured obscured how would you define obscurant
09:16Susie having the effect of hindering visibility um essentially so they obscure they obscure your view
09:24they were obscured yeah
09:25all right
09:27sort of clumsy word really clear your letters game
09:30a vowel please thank you clear i and a consonant l and another m and a vowel u and a
09:45consonant b and another v and a vowel i and another vowel
09:57l and a consonant b and a consonant b and another last one t
10:03standby
10:35Clear.
10:36A six.
10:37A six.
10:38Chris?
10:38Six.
10:40Thank you, clear.
10:41Tumble.
10:42Now, Chris.
10:43Tumble.
10:44Well done.
10:46Well done.
10:47Six plays 17.
10:48Cleon, 17.
10:49Over in the corner?
10:51No.
10:52No.
10:52That's us, too.
10:53Yeah, we'll miss the end one that...
10:54That's it?
10:55Leapt out, yeah.
10:55Oh, dear.
10:56All right.
10:58Chris, good luck.
10:59Your letters game.
11:01Consonant, please.
11:02Thank you, Chris.
11:03C.
11:04Vowel.
11:06O.
11:08Consonant.
11:09R.
11:10Vowel.
11:12U.
11:14Consonant.
11:15V.
11:16Consonant.
11:18S.
11:20Vowel.
11:21O.
11:24Consonant.
11:25N.
11:27And vowel.
11:28And the last one.
11:30Aye.
11:32Stand by.
11:33Stand by.
11:39So.
11:47Oh.
12:04Yeah. Chris?
12:06Erm, I'll try a seven.
12:10Thank you. Clear?
12:11Just a six.
12:12And your six is?
12:13Croons?
12:14No. Chris?
12:15I think I've made another one up.
12:16Curshen, C-U-R-S-I-O-N.
12:20Erm, relating to cursive text, perhaps.
12:23Oh, it's not there.
12:23You're not having much luck to say, Chris.
12:24It's not in. I'm sorry.
12:26Mmm.
12:27Bad luck.
12:28No. Janet, Susie?
12:30No, only out of five. Scorn.
12:32One more six to add to Croons is Orison.
12:35O-R-I-S-O-N, which is an old term for a prayer.
12:38It's linked to oration.
12:39Orison. Oh, yeah.
12:40Yeah.
12:41Orison.
12:43Or a pro nobis. Wasn't that it? Pray for us?
12:46Yeah.
12:46Orison, same sort of stuff, I suppose.
12:47So, it's 23 plays six.
12:50Clear on 23.
12:51Clear, your numbers game.
12:53Can I have one larger and five small, please?
12:56You can, indeed. Thank you.
12:56Clear one from the top row.
12:58Five not.
12:59And these five little ones are five, eight, one, ten, and four.
13:05And the big one, 100.
13:06And the target, one, 105.
13:12So, that'll be 105.
13:13And the last one, seven, 10, and five.
13:46Yeah, 105. Yes, Chris. 105. Off we go. Yeah, 100 plus five. Thank you. So it's 16 to 33. Chris
14:00on 16 as we turn to Janet. Janet, what have you drummed up for us today?
14:06Well, a headline caught my attention in the papers recently because it seemed to be targeted at my generation, the
14:15baby boomers, and it said over 60s to be handed free condoms.
14:21Oh, really?
14:23Now, there was a serious reason for this, and that's because the amount of sexually transmitted infections in the UK
14:33has gone up.
14:35And it has gone up in my age group.
14:38But when I investigated these figures, I discovered that the number of people involved is relatively small out of the
14:48overall total.
14:50Anyway, more older people are having sex, and as a result, more elderly people are getting sexually transmitted diseases.
14:59But what I ask is, is it really necessary to hand out free condoms?
15:05And I also ask, is it necessary to call this campaign Jiggle Wiggle?
15:14How patronising is that?
15:17Anyway, this is being trialled in Derbyshire.
15:21Ah, Derbyshire.
15:22And it's, if it's, I appreciate it.
15:24Now, people of Derbyshire, are you more sexually active and naughty than any other part of the country?
15:31Well, you're being targeted with a Jiggle Wiggle campaign.
15:35So if we see people walking about in Derbyshire looking a bit perky, you know they've been jiggling and wiggling.
15:43Well...
15:44I mean, answers on a postcard, please.
15:46I think, Janet, sorry, you really rather caught being unaware of that.
15:54It's extraordinary.
15:55Yes.
15:56Anyway, I'll be straight on to it.
15:57We're not that far from Derbyshire, actually.
16:00They're going to hand out the condoms, in case you're interested and in the area, Nick.
16:04Er, GP surgeries and food banks.
16:08So if you can have a tin of beans, you can get a Jiggle Wiggle condom.
16:12I don't know how to thank you for all this, Janet.
16:15I really don't.
16:16It's fine.
16:17Hugely important to not only me, but also to many in our audience.
16:21Thank you very much.
16:26Amazing.
16:27Amazing.
16:28Anyway, I would have thought that people in their 60s and 70s should have developed a sense of responsibility by
16:35now.
16:35I certainly haven't.
16:3733 plays 16.
16:39Chris on 16.
16:40It's Chris's letters game.
16:41Good luck, Chris.
16:42Consonant, please.
16:43Thank you, Chris.
16:44F.
16:45Another consonant.
16:47L.
16:49A vowel.
16:50A.
16:52Consonant.
16:53N.
16:55Vowel.
16:56I.
16:58Consonant.
16:59B.
17:00Vowel.
17:02A.
17:04Another vowel.
17:07I.
17:08And a consonant.
17:09And the last one.
17:10L.
17:12Stand by.
17:13Stand by.
17:14Stand by.
17:43Well, Chris.
17:45five of five clear five Chris labia labia thank you and clear banal no Janet
17:59anything to add a finial in your mice yes Susie that's very good and you can
18:07add an L to labia and have labial relating to the lips yeah and that could
18:12be another six but six was our best thank you all right 21 to 38 now clear off we
18:18go let us go confident please thank you clear G and a vowel a consonant s and
18:28another n and a vowel a and a consonant F and a vowel I and a consonant K and a
18:47final
18:48please a final off stand by
18:55so
19:26six and your six is asking now clear fingers yeah
19:33very good very good and in the corner there isn't it they're freaking freaking
19:40out that's a real 60s word isn't it freaking freaking out yeah all right 21
19:53page 45 clear on 45 Chris it's your numbers game now off we go one large and
19:59five small please thank you Chris one from the top and five little ends and this time around
20:06they are one one ten five ten and twenty five and the target four hundred and thirty six four three
20:17six
20:21so
20:33so
20:34so
20:49Chris.
20:51435.
20:53And clear.
20:55435.
20:56Chris.
20:5710 plus 5 plus 1 plus 1.
21:0110 plus 5 plus the two ones for 17.
21:04Multiplied by 25.
21:06Is 425.
21:09Add 10.
21:10And the other 10.
21:11435, one away.
21:12Well done.
21:13Clear.
21:13Same way.
21:15There we are.
21:17And Rachel, 436.
21:19A couple of ways for one away, but that was actually the best.
21:22Impossible this one.
21:23That was it.
21:24So well done to our contestants as we move to our second Tea Time teaser,
21:28which is Ginger Dad.
21:30And the clue.
21:30People would make unkind remarks about Dad's ginger hair,
21:34which he found to be this.
21:36People would make unkind remarks about Dad's ginger hair,
21:40which he found to be this.
21:57Welcome back.
21:58I left with the clue.
21:59People would make unkind remarks about Dad's ginger hair,
22:03which he found to be this.
22:04He found it to be degrading.
22:08Degrading.
22:0928 to 52.
22:11Clear still in the lead.
22:12And it's Clear's letters game.
22:14Off we go.
22:15Consonant, please.
22:16Thank you, Clear.
22:17C.
22:18And a vowel.
22:20O.
22:21And another.
22:22I.
22:24And a consonant.
22:25P.
22:26And another.
22:27R.
22:28And a third.
22:30Q.
22:31A vowel.
22:33O.
22:34Another vowel.
22:37U.
22:39And a final consonant, please.
22:42A final C.
22:44Stand by.
22:46– We'll be right back.
22:47– açıkantly.
23:06–
23:15Clear.
23:17Five.
23:18Chris?
23:19Also five.
23:20No, clear.
23:21Creep?
23:22Yes.
23:24Occur.
23:25Occur.
23:27Fives.
23:28Janet and Susie?
23:30Nothing better from me.
23:32I only had quip.
23:32Um, yeah, curio for five was about the best that we could do.
23:38Sorry.
23:39There we are.
23:4057 to 33.
23:42Chris, there we go.
23:44Your letters came.
23:47Consonant, please.
23:48Thank you, Chris.
23:49N.
23:50Vowel.
23:52E.
23:54Consonant.
23:56C.
23:57Vowel.
23:59A.
24:00Consonant.
24:01T.
24:02Consonant.
24:04W.
24:05Consonant.
24:07R.
24:09Fowel.
24:11I.
24:13Consonant, please.
24:15And the last one, D.
24:17And here's the countdown clock.
24:50Chris, what do you think?
24:52Six.
24:53A six clear.
24:54And a six.
24:55Chris?
24:56Direct.
24:57And dancer.
24:59And dancer.
25:02How did the corner do?
25:03You can push it to a seven with tranced, to be in a trance-like state.
25:07He was tranced?
25:09Yes.
25:10Really?
25:11All right.
25:12All right.
25:13So, 63 to 39 clears, holding on to that lead of hers.
25:18Let's turn to Susie now and see what she's produced for our delectation today.
25:23Susie's origins of words.
25:25I'm going to talk about synonyms for excellence today, Nick,
25:29because I don't think we use them enough.
25:31And if you look through any slang thesaurus,
25:33you will find that most slang terms kind of dwell on the sad and bad
25:37and seamy side of life rather than the sort of positive ones.
25:40So I thought I would try and flip that a little bit today.
25:42I looked through the Oxford English sectionary.
25:44I looked through all the terms for excellent,
25:47and I thought I'd bring some of those for you today.
25:49And I'll start with mustard.
25:51That's from the 19th century, implying kind of piquancy and zest.
25:55And if something cuts the mustard, that means it's a bit like cutting a fine figure.
26:00It means it cuts to the very best of things.
26:03So it's excellent in its fields.
26:06A person of brilliant attainment or achievements might be a diamond.
26:10It might be peachy, which is a simple riff on something that's sweet and juicy.
26:15Their brilliance might have led, once upon a time, to the epithet carbuncle,
26:20which is a bit strange.
26:21But a carbuncle was once a term of excellence.
26:24Today we associate it with something sore and swollen,
26:26but actually it was once a mythical, precious stone that gave off this beautiful red colour.
26:32So that was a carbuncle.
26:33Then you've got corker, something so fizzy it pops, a rip snorter,
26:37bobidazzler, bute, pippin, bosca, kilodilla.
26:40Bonza, you might still hear, classic Australian adjective.
26:43That's an alteration of bonanza, and that in turn goes back to the Spanish meaning fair weather.
26:48But I thought I'd end with some of the phrases that we've come to love
26:51for anything that is at the pinnacle of wonderfulness or success.
26:56So you've got the bee's knees, which we know, back in the 1920s.
26:59This was a kind of flapper era when people loved to lighten the mood, if you like,
27:05and come up with lots and lots of kind of fanciful phrases.
27:07So we've got kipper's knickers, caterpillar's kimono, and the elephant's adenoids.
27:12So there's so many words for things that are excellent.
27:14Today, slang tends to kind of flip existing words, wicked, bad, sick, etc.
27:20But in the past, they had a lovely lexicon of things for excellent,
27:23and I would love to resurrect some of them.
27:26Wonderful.
27:33That was the bee's knees.
27:35The bee's knees.
27:36We'll leave the dog alone for the moment.
27:3863 to 39, clear.
27:41Holding on to that lead.
27:42Letters came clear.
27:43Vowel, please.
27:44Thank you, clear.
27:45E.
27:46And a consonant.
27:48S.
27:49And another.
27:51H.
27:52And a vowel.
27:54O.
27:55And a consonant.
27:57M.
27:58And a vowel.
28:00A.
28:01And a consonant.
28:03S.
28:05And a vowel.
28:08E.
28:09And a final consonant, please.
28:10A final M.
28:13Stand by.
28:15Stand by.
28:15Stand by.
28:16Stand by.
28:17Stand by.
28:18Stand by.
28:23Stand by.
28:23Stand by.
28:25Stand by.
28:25Stand by.
28:25Stand by.
28:26Stand by.
28:26Stand by.
28:27Stand by.
28:27Stand by.
28:29Stand by.
28:29Stand by.
28:30Stand by.
28:31Stand by.
28:31Stand by.
28:31Stand by.
28:31Stand by.
28:32Stand by.
28:33Stand by.
28:34Stand by.
28:45clear a six a six Chris six clear Mason's and James thank you six is how about the corner
28:58quite a lot of sixes in there Nick but there was an eight and it is a slightly old one
29:03perhaps
29:03slightly curious one it's homeless and that is simply the quality or condition of being home
29:09like the essential nature of a home very good and that's it that's it for eight that's best that we
29:15could do good enough good enough 69 to 45 Chris final letters game for you good luck consonant
29:22please thank you Chris H another consonant our vowel E vowel I consonant T consonant R consonant S vowel
29:47E vowel and the last one I stand by
29:58so
30:24well Chris seven
30:26and clear a six your six three now Chris rehires
30:33um rehires is absolutely fine yes well done well done and Janet Janet and Susie
30:41there is Nate there Nick shirtier more bad tempered shirtier yes
30:50okay into the final numbers game now clear off we go one large and five small please thank you
30:57clear to see you over the line let's see if we can get this final numbers are two one ten
31:04one ten and
31:07and the larger one hundred and the target eight hundred and twenty one eight two one
31:18so
31:21okay
31:41so
31:42clear
31:45clear
31:46uh 820
31:47Chris
31:48820
31:49no
31:50no clear
31:51no clear
31:52no clear
31:52no clear
31:52no clear
31:5210 minus 2 is 8
31:5410 minus 2 is 8
31:56times 100 800 and then the one plus one is 2
32:01yep
32:02times 10 times the second 10 for 20
32:04add it on
32:04and one away 820
32:06and Chris
32:07and Chris
32:07same way
32:08same way just
32:10exchange
32:10there we are
32:12now
32:13821
32:14Rachel
32:14yes
32:15can you dig it out for us
32:16I found a couple of ways I'm going to pick this one because if you say 10
32:20minus 1 is 9
32:22the other 10 minus 1 is also 9
32:25and we have a lady in our audience celebrating her 91st birthday today
32:29so in her
32:30for her birthday we'll say 100 minus 9
32:3491
32:34times those together for 819 and add the 2
32:37oh well done
32:38well done
32:39well done
32:44wonderful
32:46now
32:4776 plays 59 clear in the lead
32:50into the final round fingers on buzzers
32:53let's roll today's countdown conundrum
32:59dot com
33:00slash
33:26MUSIC CONTINUES
33:29It's Foxed up here.
33:30Who in the audience, this big, bright audience?
33:33Lots of hands.
33:34Anybody?
33:35Yes, ma'am.
33:36It's Transport.
33:38Transport.
33:39Let's see whether you're right.
33:41Transport, well done.
33:48Very well done.
33:49So, Claire, you've beaten Chris,
33:53who was just ablaze yesterday with 108.
33:57Oh, dear, I'm sorry,
33:58but you've got your teapot.
34:00I made up too many words that didn't exist.
34:02You did a bit.
34:03You did a bit, but listen,
34:04you're a teapot owner.
34:06Good.
34:06So I want you to go back to Bucks
34:08and a parade at Ramsey, the square there,
34:11and thank you so much.
34:12Travel safely.
34:13And we shall see Claire tomorrow.
34:15Fantastic.
34:16Yeah, see you tomorrow.
34:17Well done.
34:18Well done, indeed.
34:19All right.
34:20And tomorrow we shall see Janet back again
34:23and Susie too, of course.
34:24Well done.
34:25Thank you so much.
34:26And Rachel.
34:27See you then.
34:27Join us then, same time, same place.
34:29You be sure of it.
34:30A very good afternoon.
34:31You can contact the programme by email
34:33at countdown at channel4.com,
34:35by Twitter at C4Countdown,
34:37or write to us at Countdown Leeds LS3 1JS.
34:41You can also find our webpage
34:43at channel4.com forward slash countdown.