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00:31So, good afternoon. Welcome to the Countdown Studio.
00:34Now, what's happening down in London at the great Excel Centre?
00:38None other than that wonderful exhibition.
00:41It's called New Scientist Live.
00:44It's just for people like you, because you're definitely on the science side of things, Rachel.
00:49It's absolutely for you.
00:51Exhibitions, interactive experiences and all the rest of it.
00:53Something like 140 speakers will be revealing to the audience down there exactly what's happening,
01:00what breakthroughs are being made in the scientific world, which is rather fun.
01:04And also, there's exploring the human brain in virtual reality.
01:08So, it is an extraordinary world that we live in.
01:09It's great. And I think especially for kids, it's good to go out there and meet real scientists
01:13and see that they're not all weirdos in lab coats, like the stereotypes you see on adverts and films.
01:17They're real people who are doing things and hopefully inspire the next generation to think they can do the same.
01:21Quite right. Quite right. We've got two new contestants.
01:24Let's see what they think about all this.
01:26Well, let's introduce them first.
01:28We've got Phil Goldsworthy, business analysis manager from Warrington.
01:34Great story this, Phil.
01:35You happen to be on an escalator and something caught your eye.
01:40So, this is in San Francisco airport.
01:43Yeah.
01:43Went down to the terminal to check out when I'd be fed on the plane, to start with.
01:47And then on the way back up, I went at the same time as a young lady, to I chatted
01:54the length of the airport and some time on the flight with.
01:57Stayed in touch.
01:58And then nine months later, we started dating and we got married last year.
02:03Is that excellent?
02:04And where is she at this very moment?
02:06Back in San Francisco?
02:07She's in the back row of the crowd.
02:09Excellent stuff.
02:11And who are you joined by?
02:13You've got to overcome now Matt Rosenfeld, chemistry student at Oxford from Radlitt in Hearts.
02:18Yep.
02:19And you're a water polo player.
02:22And in fact, you're the second team captain at Oxford.
02:26Is that right?
02:26Yeah.
02:27It's going to be a tough year because I think we've been promoted for the first time ever.
02:30Right.
02:30So we might be a bit out of our league.
02:33But water polo, it's not a big sport in this country.
02:36So where is it?
02:38You know, which nation says, yeah, it's our premier sport or a very important sport?
02:43More towards Eastern Europe.
02:45So Hungary, Serbia, a bit of Italy as well.
02:47They're quite big on it.
02:48OK.
02:49Well, good luck to you both.
02:49Have a lot of fun.
02:50Big round of applause now for Phil and Matt.
02:53Thank you very much.
03:23Now then, Phil, off we go on our merry dance.
03:28Good afternoon, Rachel.
03:29Afternoon, Phil.
03:30May I have a consonant, please?
03:32Start today with G.
03:34A consonant.
03:36N.
03:37Vowel.
03:39O.
03:40Another vowel.
03:42I.
03:43Another vowel.
03:45E.
03:47A consonant.
03:48T.
03:50Consonant.
03:52R.
03:55Consonant, please.
03:57D.
03:59Another vowel, please.
04:00And the last one.
04:02A.
04:03And here's the countdown clock.
04:06N.
04:07N.
04:07Bależy.
04:07Because, by the time.
04:19We'll see you.
04:19And then, of course, way todos, we're losing money.
04:19No, no, no, no.
04:21No, no, no.
04:22I else. Love, mccاط.
04:26Bye. Bye.
04:26Bye.
04:29Bye.
04:37Well, Phil?
04:38Eight.
04:39Eight.
04:39Matt?
04:40Just seven.
04:41You're seven, Matt.
04:42Trading.
04:44Treating?
04:45And treating?
04:46I was only one T, unfortunately.
04:48Oh, sorry.
04:50Oh, bad luck, Phil.
04:51What about the corner?
04:53Jeremy, anything over there?
04:55I thought derating sounded very good.
04:58I wasn't sure, but Susie says yes.
05:01Excellent.
05:02Yeah, financial term for removing part of the burden of rates from a property or business.
05:06What a good plan, taking rates away.
05:08We're all like that, don't we?
05:09That's novel, yeah.
05:11Well done.
05:11All right.
05:12Matt, here we go.
05:14Letters go.
05:14Afternoon, Rachel.
05:15Afternoon, Matt.
05:16Can I start with a consonant, please?
05:17Start with N.
05:19And another?
05:21P.
05:22And the vowel, please.
05:24U.
05:25And another consonant?
05:28M.
05:29And another vowel?
05:31O.
05:32And another?
05:34I.
05:36And a consonant?
05:38H.
05:39Another consonant?
05:42R.
05:43And a final vowel, please.
05:45A final A.
05:48Stand by.
05:49A final vowel, please.
05:50A final vowel, please.
06:19Well, Matt, five. Five and? Five as well. Matt. Morph. Morph and Phil? That's the same one. Morph. What about
06:30the corner? There is a seven there. It's an historical spelling of manor, spelt M-A-I-N-O-U
06:38-R, and it's a legal term for a stolen object found in the possession of a thief when arrested.
06:43Really? Extraordinary. 12 points plays five, Matt on 12, and it's Phil's numbers game now. Phil, can I have one
06:52large five small, please, Rachel?
06:53You can indeed, thank you, Phil. One from the top row, and five little ones. And the first numbers of
06:58the day are seven, ten, six, nine, five, and a large one, 75. And a target, 944.
07:10944.
07:42Yes, Phil.
07:43936. Matt?
07:46939.
07:48939. Off we go, Matt.
07:50OK, so seven plus six plus five.
07:54Seven plus six plus five, 18.
07:56Add that to 75.
07:5893.
07:59Times that by the ten.
08:00930.
08:01And add the nine.
08:02Yeah, 939. Five away.
08:05Yeah.
08:07944, though, was what rafter.
08:10What do you think, Rachel?
08:11Not the easiest start, but there was a way.
08:13If you say five plus six is 11, 75 plus 10 is 85, times those together for 935, and add
08:23the nine for 944.
08:24That's the way.
08:27Thank you, Rachel.
08:31So, Phil, on five Matt 19s, we turn to our first tea time teaser, which is Up Firearm.
08:38And the clue.
08:39He won't sell you a gun, but he can sell you something similar to tear gas.
08:44He won't sell you a gun, but he can sell you something similar to tear gas.
09:07Welcome back.
09:08I left you with the clue.
09:09He won't sell you a gun, but he can sell you something similar to tear gas.
09:14And the answer to that is that he's a parfumier.
09:19Parfumier.
09:20Five plays, 19, Matt on 19.
09:23Matt, it's your letters game now.
09:26Can I start with a consonant, please?
09:28Thank you, Matt.
09:29S.
09:30And another.
09:32N.
09:33And a third.
09:35P.
09:37And a vowel, please.
09:39E.
09:40And another.
09:42O.
09:43And another.
09:44U.
09:45And a consonant.
09:47W.
09:48And another consonant.
09:51C.
09:52And another consonant, please.
09:54And the last one.
09:55N.
09:57Stand by.
09:58I.
10:13I.
10:18I.
10:21I.
10:26I.
10:28Yes, Matt?
10:29Five.
10:30A five.
10:30And Phil?
10:31A seven.
10:32And a seven.
10:33Matt?
10:33Uh, cones.
10:35Phil?
10:36Pounces?
10:37Yeah, good seven there.
10:39Yes.
10:40How did the corner get on, Jeremy?
10:41We pounced, yes.
10:42We were pouncing quite quickly, so one of the few options.
10:46I don't think it's much else, is it?
10:47No, we couldn't find anything else that length at all.
10:49That's it?
10:49Yes.
10:50It'll do.
10:51Twelve plays, nineteen, seven points in it.
10:54Phil!
10:55Now then, Phil, let us go.
10:57May I have a constant, please?
10:59Thank you, Phil.
11:00S.
11:01A constant.
11:03L.
11:04Vowel.
11:06I.
11:07Vowel.
11:09O.
11:10Another vowel.
11:12A.
11:13Constant.
11:15B.
11:17Constant.
11:19C.
11:20Another vowel.
11:23E.
11:24And finally, another constant, please.
11:26And finally, K.
11:29Stand by.
11:31Stand by.
12:02Phil.
12:03Six.
12:04Matt.
12:05I'll try seven.
12:07Right, Phil.
12:08Blocks.
12:09And lackeys.
12:11That's E-Y-S rather than I-E-S, unfortunately.
12:14Sorry.
12:15Bad luck.
12:15What about the corner?
12:16Jeremy, Susie?
12:18Uh, sociables, the only long one.
12:20There seems to be a lot of sixes, aren't there?
12:22Blocks, blacks, cables, all sorts of things like that.
12:25You can have blackies, actually, as a nickname for its derogatory, obviously, in one sense,
12:28but it's a nickname for the blackbird as well.
12:30So that would give you an eight.
12:32And blokeys are there for seven.
12:34Blokeys.
12:35All right.
12:37One point in it.
12:3819 plays 18.
12:40Matt, your number's game now.
12:41Can I have two large and fourth more, please?
12:43You can, indeed.
12:44Two from the top four, a little coming up.
12:46Thank you, Matt.
12:47And for the second time today, the numbers are 7, 9, 4, 2, 25, and 75.
12:56And the target, 799.
12:59799.
13:00899.
13:29899.
13:30well Matt 800 800 and Phil 802 yes Matt 75 plus 25 75 plus 25 100 4 times 2 4
13:43times 2 8
13:44I'm all playing together 800 and Phil that's the same way same way all right yeah now let's turn
13:51to the real talent no offense boys if you say 75 plus 25 is 100 4 plus 7 is 11
14:04take that away for 89
14:06times that by 9 for 801 and then take away the two that's what I mean well done excellent excellent
14:17all right so one point in it 25 to 26 Matt on 26 as we turn now to Jeremy Jeremy
14:24I've read in your
14:26book the index is just a huge list of famous people it's amazing what about the politicians
14:33were some more intimidating than others I was a young lad as a reporter going out and finding
14:38these much larger than life politicians who were invariably incredibly intimidating like the first
14:45time I was sent out as a young BBC reporter in Yorkshire to go out and interview the Iron Lady
14:52and I must say I was sort of was it was a formidable challenge and I was sent out to
14:57a fairly dure dreary industrial estate in West Yorkshire to interview Margaret Thatcher and I
15:04looked around and it was a bit of a dull backdrop and I could just see a nice flower bed
15:08so I got
15:08my cameraman to set up for the interview with the Iron Lady in front of this very nice colorful flower
15:14bed
15:14and a couple of minutes later she stormed over and said young man what do you think you're doing and
15:20I
15:20said well I was trying to create a nice backdrop she said move the camera mini I want factories in
15:25the
15:25background I'm here to sell British industry not British horticulture you silly boy but not all
15:34politicians of the day were too intimidating I remember going to cover a speech in a huge town all 5
15:42,000
15:43people or more for Harold Wilson when he was Prime Minister and we used to work in film in those
15:48days and
15:48everything had to be shot on a 10 minute magazine of film and I knew his speech was an hour
15:54long and we
15:55had to get crowd shots and everything else so I thought how am I going to get around this so
15:58as he walked into
16:00the hall I tapped him on the shoulder and said excuse me Prime Minister very sorry to interfere
16:04but how will I know when the important bit of your speech is and he said remember old Harold Wilson
16:09you
16:10smoked pipe he said young man he said when I tap on my nose with my pipe roll the camera
16:16and I tap on my
16:18nose with my pipe again stop rolling and shot his word we got a very nice paragraph and we had
16:24lots of
16:25film left to take cutaway shots of pieces of the camera and so on so for a rare moment I
16:30found a
16:31politician it was true to his word that's brilliant
16:40he was an old pro wasn't he really he was 26 to 25 Matt in the lead and it is
16:47Phil's letters game now Phil
16:49may I have a constant please thank you Phil S a constant M a vowel O another vowel U and
17:03another I a constant R
17:09another constant V a vowel A and finally constant and the last one L stand by
17:52it's Phil S a constant M a vowel A and finally constant and a SMS
17:53Well, Phil?
17:55Six.
17:57Six, Matt?
17:58I'll try not seven.
18:00So, Phil?
18:01Rivals.
18:02And Matt.
18:03Valors?
18:05Unfortunately, you can't put the S on.
18:07I did check that one, and it's a maths noun.
18:09I'm really sorry.
18:10Sorry, Matt.
18:11Bad luck.
18:12Bad luck.
18:13Jeremy?
18:13Well, rather proud of myself.
18:15I got a saviour in seconds there, so a good seven, I'd say.
18:20Yeah.
18:20Very good.
18:21Well done.
18:2331 plays 26.
18:25Matt, here we go.
18:27Letters again.
18:28Can I start with a vowel, please?
18:29Thank you, Matt.
18:30E.
18:31And another.
18:32A.
18:33And a third.
18:35U.
18:36And a consonant, please.
18:38R.
18:39And another.
18:40N.
18:41And another consonant.
18:43S.
18:45And another.
18:47P.
18:48And one more.
18:51M.
18:52And a vowel, please.
18:54And a last one.
18:56O.
18:58Standby.
19:16And a vowel, please.
19:17And a vowel, please.
19:18And a vowel, please.
19:18And a vowel, please.
19:18And a vowel, please.
19:18And a vowel, please.
19:18And a vowel, please.
19:19And a vowel, please.
19:29Matt?
19:30Seven.
19:31A seven, Phil?
19:32Just a six.
19:33Your six?
19:34Mouser.
19:35Mouser, yes.
19:36Matt?
19:37Supremo?
19:38Very good.
19:39Yes, nice.
19:40Supremo.
19:41Any advance on Supremo?
19:43Jeremy, Susie?
19:45Go for it.
19:46Yes, it's following the same theme.
19:48You can have Superman,
19:49not as in the capital S of the cartoon and TV films,
19:53but the ideal sort of superior man,
19:57or a man with exceptional physical or mental ability.
20:01That is a Superman.
20:02I didn't want to say that.
20:07Superman.
20:0931 plays 33.
20:10Matt in the lead.
20:11Phil, your numbers game now.
20:13One large, five small again, please.
20:15You can indeed.
20:16See if this can swap the lead.
20:17Close game today.
20:18The third numbers game is...
20:21Four, eight, one, nine, two, and 25.
20:27And the target, A138.
20:30838.
20:32.
20:32.
20:32.
20:33.
20:33.
20:33.
20:33MUSIC PLAYS
21:02Well, Phil, 839.
21:05And Matt?
21:06833, not fully written down.
21:08We'll stick with Phil then for the minute. Yes, Phil?
21:11Can we do 8 times 4?
21:138 times 4, 32.
21:15Plus 2.
21:16Plus 2, 34.
21:17Times 25.
21:18Times 25, 850.
21:20Minus 9, minus 1.
21:22And the 9 and the 1 you haven't used, 840.
21:25Ooh.
21:26Sorry.
21:26Sorry.
21:27Ouch.
21:27One above the declaration.
21:29Ouch.
21:30So mad.
21:31OK.
21:32So 4 times 25.
21:354, 25 is 100.
21:37Plus the 2 and the 1.
21:382 and the 1, 103.
21:39Multiply that by 8.
21:41824.
21:42And add the 9.
21:44833.
21:45Haven't used any of those.
21:46Lovely.
21:48Hmm.
21:49Now, Rachel, 838?
21:52Yes.
21:53If you say 25 times 8 is 200, add 9 for 209, times that by 4 for 836,
22:03and add on a tooth, 838.
22:06Well done.
22:09Thank you, Rachel.
22:11So, Matt's extended his lead slightly 42, where Phil's 31, by default, as it were, as we turn
22:18to our second teatime teaser, which is Trivia Moo.
22:23And the clue, oh, not another all-you-can-eat buffet.
22:26I think I'm going to be sick.
22:29Oh, not another all-you-can-eat buffet.
22:31I think I'm going to be sick.
22:50Welcome back.
22:51Welcome back.
22:51I left you with the clue.
22:52Oh, not another all-you-can-eat buffet.
22:55I think I'm going to be sick.
22:58And the answer to that is vomitoria.
23:02Vomitoria.
23:02Very good.
23:04So, 40 plays 31, Matt in the lead.
23:07Matt, I hope you're not going to be sick.
23:09It's your letters game.
23:11All right, can we start with a consonant, please?
23:13Thank you, Matt.
23:14S.
23:14And another.
23:17C.
23:18And a vowel, please.
23:20E.
23:21And another vowel.
23:24I.
23:25And another vowel.
23:27A.
23:28And a consonant.
23:30D.
23:30And another consonant.
23:33S.
23:34And a third.
23:36D.
23:38And one more vowel, please.
23:40And the last one.
23:42O.
23:44Stand back.
24:02And another vowel, please.
24:03And another vowel, please.
24:03And another vowel, please.
24:03And another vowel, please.
24:03And another vowel, please.
24:04And another vowel, please.
24:04And another vowel, please.
24:04And another vowel, please.
24:05And another vowel, please.
24:05And another vowel, please.
24:05And another vowel, please.
24:07And another vowel, please.
24:10And another vowel, please.
24:16Well, Matt?
24:17Seven.
24:17A seven.
24:18Phil?
24:18Just a five.
24:20And your five is?
24:21Codes.
24:22Matt?
24:23Caddies.
24:24And caddies.
24:25Very nice.
24:25Well done.
24:26Yes, good seven.
24:27My attempt to play golf led me to caddies immediately.
24:31That's it.
24:32Yeah.
24:32Anything else, Susie?
24:34Discos is there, as in the verb, as in she discos all night.
24:39But that's another seven.
24:4147, place 31.
24:42Now then, Phil, your letters game.
24:45Can I have a constant, please?
24:47Thank you, Phil.
24:48R.
24:49Consonant.
24:51F.
24:52A vowel.
24:54E.
24:55Another vowel.
24:57A.
24:58And another.
25:00I.
25:01And consonant.
25:03Z.
25:04And another consonant.
25:06L.
25:07Another vowel.
25:10U.
25:11And a consonant.
25:13And lastly, S.
25:16Stand by.
25:17A.
25:18A vowel.
25:46A vowel.
25:47A vowel.
25:48Phil.
25:48An eight.
25:50An eight, Matt.
25:51Only a six.
25:52And your six is?
25:53Rifles.
25:55Yes, Phil.
25:56Failures.
25:57Yes, well spotted.
25:58Very good.
26:0439 to 47, yeah, not bad at all.
26:07Susie, we're back with you now.
26:09It's your wonderful origins of words.
26:12What have you got for us today?
26:13I have an email from Mike Dempsey and a question from him.
26:17From Chorley in Lancashire.
26:19And he's asked if I could cast a little light on the etymology of willy-nilly and shilly-shally.
26:26And there's a bit of a post-cript.
26:27He says, I remember when you used to swap your seat in Dictionary Corner with Damien Eadie.
26:31Whatever happened to him?
26:33The answer is he is sort of alive and well.
26:36And he is a wonderful producer.
26:38So, yeah, so he's doing very well.
26:39And I hope they'll try and answer this question.
26:42English is absolutely full of what we call reduplication.
26:45So, these kind of couplets that are there really for kind of the fun of it, for wordplay.
26:51So, fuddy-duddy, hanky-panky, harem-scarum, higgledy-piggledy, nitty-gritty, etc.
26:57So, many of them have been with us for centuries.
26:59So much that they go back to the Anglo-Saxons.
27:01And willy-nilly, shilly-shally, are examples of these, ones that Mike asks about.
27:07So, willy-nilly is simply will I, nil-I.
27:11And the idea is shall I or shall I not.
27:15That's the idea behind that.
27:16And shilly-shally, the shill is just a bit of a nonsense rhyme on the shall.
27:21Shall I, shall I, shall I, again.
27:24You know, sort of that kind of wavering indecision is expressed through that.
27:28And we're still producing them as well.
27:29So, we've had bling-bling at the end of the last century, hip-hop, of course, and cray-cray.
27:35That simply means crazy, if you're cray-cray.
27:38So, we are still expressing that kind of exuberance and having a bit of fun with these reduplications.
27:44And, as I say, I guess they will be with us for centuries and we'll be creating more that will
27:48last, hopefully, for another hundred years.
27:50Excellent.
27:57Cray-cray.
27:5947 to 39, sees Matt maintaining his lead again.
28:04Matt, it's you.
28:06Right, can we start with a consonant, please?
28:08Thank you, Matt.
28:09R.
28:09And a vowel.
28:11E.
28:12And another vowel.
28:14A.
28:15And a consonant.
28:18F.
28:19And a consonant.
28:22T.
28:23And another consonant.
28:25M.
28:26And another.
28:27D.
28:30And a vowel.
28:33O.
28:33And one final consonant, please.
28:37A final.
28:38H.
28:39Standby.
28:41Standby.
28:41And the vowel.
28:46I.
28:50Go.
28:51Yeah.
28:56I.
29:09And a vowel.
29:10I.
29:11Pardon?
29:11Matt.
29:12Six.
29:14And Phil?
29:15Six as well.
29:15Two sixes.
29:16Matt.
29:16Dreamt.
29:17Yes, Phil.
29:18Framed.
29:20And framed.
29:21Nothing to fight about.
29:23Lots of sixes and froth for a seven, but you can do better.
29:29There isn't it, there's a fathomed.
29:31Fathomed.
29:31Fathomed, yeah.
29:36Thanks for that.
29:3845 plays 53.
29:39Phil, final letters game.
29:41Make the most of it now, Phil.
29:43Can I have a constant, please?
29:45Thank you, Phil.
29:46T.
29:47Constant.
29:49S.
29:50Vowel.
29:52I.
29:53Another, please.
29:54E.
29:56One more.
29:57A vowel, sorry.
29:58Yeah.
29:59A.
29:59Constant.
30:01T.
30:03Consonant.
30:04Y.
30:06A vowel.
30:08E.
30:09And a final constant, please.
30:11And a final S.
30:14And it's countdown.
30:16Countdown.
30:17E.
30:21E.
30:23E.
30:25E.
30:28E.
30:29E.
30:47Yes, Phil?
30:47Six.
30:48A six.
30:49And Matt?
30:49I think I've got a nine.
30:51Right.
30:52Phil?
30:53States.
30:54Matt?
30:55Yeastiest?
30:56Yes, in the dictionary.
30:57Well done.
30:58Very well done.
31:08That's known as a killer blow.
31:12All right, so 71.
31:14Oh, Phil, I'm sorry.
31:1571 to 45 as we go into the final numbers game.
31:18Matt?
31:19Can I have three large and three small, please?
31:21You can indeed, just for fun now after the 18-pointer.
31:24The three large and three little are nine, seven, two, and the big one, 75, 50, and 100.
31:34And the final target, 514.
31:37Five, one, four.
31:39The final target, 514.
31:40The final target, 514.
31:42The final target, 514.
31:46The final target, 514.
31:54The final target, 514.
31:56The final target, 514.
31:56The final target, 514.
31:57The final target, 514.
31:59The final target, 514.
31:59The final target, 514.
31:59The final target, 514.
31:59The final target, 514.
31:59The final target, 514.
31:59The final target, 514.
32:00The final target, 514.
32:01The final target, 514.
32:01The final target, 514.
32:03The final target, 514.
32:07The final target, 514.
32:09Well Matt? 516. 516. And Phil? 514. 514. Good. Let's have it. 75 times 7. 525. Minus the 9. And
32:25minus the 2. Perfect. 514. Well done.
32:33Well done. So 71 to 55 as we go into the final round. Gentlemen, fingers on buzzers? Good luck to
32:40you both. We're rolling today's Countdown Conundrum.
33:04Yes, Phil? Imitating? Imitating. Let's see whether you're right. No. Rest of the time down to Matt.
33:24No, uh, my flammocked up here. We're stumped. We'll take this on. Madam.
33:30Admitting. Admitting. Let's see whether you're right. Admitting. Admitting. That's the way.
33:44And so, we have to say farewell to Phil. Farewell to Phil. Thank you very much for coming. Well played.
33:50It was that 18 that did it, you know.
33:52That's a good word. Those nines are killers. They really are. You take this goodie bag with our best wishes.
33:57Thank you very much for coming.
33:58Thank you. Excellent stuff. And we shall see you, Matt, tomorrow. Yeah, see you tomorrow.
34:03Thank you. And Jeremy, too, tomorrow? Oh, yes, please. Certainly. All stories. Susie, too, of course. Yes, like Wes.
34:12Good. Yes, and I'm looking forward to more Jeremy stories because I got kicked during that one. Oh, did you?
34:18Someone obviously enjoyed it.
34:20That's marvellous. A kick. Obviously into politics.
34:26See you tomorrow. See you then. See you both tomorrow. Join us then, same time, same place. You be sure
34:31of it. A very good afternoon.
34:33Contact us by email at countdown at channel4.com, by Twitter at C4Countdown, or write to us at Countdown, Leeds,
34:41LS3, 1JS. You can also find our webpage at channel4.com forward slash countdown.