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00:31Well, good afternoon. Welcome to the Countdown studio. Today, had he been alive, Oscar Wilde would have been 165 years
00:39old. Imagine that. Amazing guy, you know, Dubliner. A revolutionary, really, in many ways. Got himself into terrible trouble because
00:50he was homosexual, of course, and ended up in prison in Reading Jail. Poor man.
00:55And died in absolute penury in Paris. And apparently one of his dying words were, because the wallpaper, he hated
01:02it so much, he said, one of us has got to go. And he did.
01:07Oh, yeah. But he was a great master of the epigram, the witty quote. And let's have a couple. I
01:12can resist everything except temptation. And a lovely one. We're all in the gutter. But some of us are looking
01:19at the stars. And be yourself. Everyone else has taken.
01:22Do you have any favourite witty quotes? Oh. Not necessarily from Wilde, but anybody. I like one. Some people create
01:29happiness wherever they go. Some whenever they go. I think that's a good one. Yeah.
01:34And something along the lines of, I have very simple taste. I'm always satisfied with the best. That's quite right.
01:41He was a great character. A great wit, yeah. Yeah. There we are. Now, here's another Irishman, Piers Walsh, account
01:50manager from Ranler. Welcome back. Thank you.
01:52Piers, two wins now. Excellent stuff. How are you feeling? Good. Now, you're up against Rokhaya Ahmed, self-employed interpreter
02:02from West Brom. Is that right? Yeah, that's right. Were you born in West Brom? I was born in Old
02:06Hill. Yes. But when I got married, I moved to West Bromwich, which is in the West Midlands. Yeah, sure.
02:13And you're a member of the Al-Nisa group, and you organise activities for the local Yemeni community. It's a
02:20sizable Yemeni community. It is, yes, in West Bromwich.
02:22Yeah, it's a growing Yemeni community. So, we provide activities for women who are quite isolated. Yeah. So, for example,
02:29like sports activities, so range from aerobics, yoga, to basketball, netball. Good. Yeah. Have fun today. Thank you very much.
02:39Both of you. Big round of applause now for Rokhaya and Piers.
02:48There we go. And Susie's over in the corner. Joined once again, for the last time, actually, the illustrious news
02:54presenter, journalist and TV presenter and general. I mean, the man who's travelled the world. Extraordinary. That's Jeremy Thompson.
03:06More from you later on. But right now, it's Piers Walsh we turn to. Piers.
03:10Afternoon, Rachel. Afternoon, Piers. Can I get a consonant, please? Thank you. Start today with K.
03:16Vowel.
03:17E.
03:18Consonant.
03:20N.
03:22Consonant.
03:23P.
03:24Vowel.
03:25I.
03:27Another vowel.
03:28O.
03:29Consonant.
03:31M.
03:32Consonant.
03:34C.
03:35And, er, vowel, please.
03:37And the last one.
03:38U.
03:40And here's the countdown clock.
03:42C.
03:43C.
03:43C.
03:44C.
03:45C.
03:48C.
03:49C.
03:50C.
03:51C.
03:51C.
03:52C.
03:53C.
03:59C.
04:01C.
04:04C.
04:12yes six and uh rakaia six thank you pence rakaia on pick both very good jeremy on pick was the
04:24best i could do i couldn't find anything else no we couldn't beat fix i'm afraid that's it
04:29yes moving on rakaia it's your letters game hello rachel hi rakaia i'll start with a consonant please
04:35thank you start with r another t a vowel e another i a consonant r another l a vowel a
04:54another
04:57o and a final consonant please and a final c stand by
05:05so
05:34rakaia
05:36uh eight an eight pierce nine and a nine it's a bit of a smile there rakaia what are we
05:44going to do
05:44caviole no uh correlate and how are you spelling that please c-o-r-r-i-l-a-t-e
05:54correlate it needs
05:55two e so it's correlate rather than correlate i'm afraid sorry bad luck gosh you're on the cusp there
06:02jeremy uh retrial i got which is seven can't do better than that that's good carry all excellent
06:11also it's that open horse drawn carriage for one person really good um there is a nine there um it's
06:17rectorial so did um anything to do with the rector rector of university rector of a church etc
06:22rector of rectorial duties gives you a nine thanks for that jesus
06:29so fourteen for rakaia and now it's pierce's uh numbers game pierce two large and four small please
06:38virtual thank you pierce two from the top row four little uns and the first numbers of the day are
06:43six four one one and the large two seventy five and fifty and the target five hundred and ninety two
06:54five nine two
07:02so
07:11so
07:27Piers?
07:285, 9, 6.
07:295, 9, 6.
07:31Rekha?
07:31No, I didn't get it.
07:33Shall we stick with Piers then?
07:35Yes, Piers?
07:361 plus 1 plus 6.
07:381 plus 1 plus 6 is...
07:408 times 75, 600.
07:42Minus 4.
07:43Yep.
07:445, 9, 6.
07:454 away.
07:47Few away, though, isn't it?
07:48Rachel, can we manage this?
07:505, 9, 2?
07:51Yeah, I found a way.
07:53Interesting.
07:54Harder than it looked.
07:54If you say 75 minus 1 is 74.
07:5850 plus 4, 54.
08:01Divide that by 6 for 9.
08:03And take the second one from the 9 for 8.
08:05And 74 times 8 is 5, 9, 2.
08:08Terrific.
08:09Whoa.
08:13That's wonderful.
08:14Point in it.
08:16Rekha, one point in the lead.
08:1714 to 13.
08:19As we turn to our first tea-tum teaser,
08:21which is kind rebel in the clue.
08:23He had such a narrow outlook on life,
08:26he could barely see a thing.
08:27He had such a narrow outlook on life,
08:30he could barely see a thing.
08:47Welcome back.
08:48I left you with the clue,
08:49he had such a narrow outlook on life,
08:51he could barely see a thing.
08:53He was quite blinkered.
08:57Blinkered is the answer.
08:5914 plays, 13.
09:01Rekha in the lead.
09:03Rekha, your letters came now.
09:04I'll start with the consonant, please.
09:06Thank you, Rekha.
09:07T.
09:08Another.
09:10D.
09:11And another.
09:13F.
09:13A vowel.
09:14E.
09:16Another vowel.
09:17I.
09:18Another vowel.
09:20A.
09:21A consonant.
09:22S.
09:23Another consonant.
09:26V.
09:27And a final vowel, please.
09:29And a final U.
09:32Stand by.
09:35Bye.
09:36Bye.
09:45Bye.
09:48Bye.
09:51Bye.
09:53Bye.
09:55Bye.
09:58Bye.
10:01Bye.
10:04Rekhaia?
10:05Five.
10:06Piss?
10:06Six.
10:07Now, Rekhaia.
10:09Feast.
10:10Feast?
10:11Piss?
10:12Fasted.
10:14Yes.
10:15Happy?
10:16Absolutely.
10:17What about Jeremy?
10:19Fasted was best I could do, so six.
10:22Is there more than a six thing?
10:24I can't see it myself.
10:25Yes.
10:26If you know German or Latin or Greek,
10:29you will have heard of the dative case,
10:30which usually indicates an indirect object,
10:33the recipient of something.
10:35And you can put an S on that for datives.
10:38Thank you, Susie.
10:40Now, five in it, 19 to 14.
10:43Pierce, your letters came.
10:45Consonant, please, Rachel.
10:46Thank you, Pierce.
10:47C.
10:48Vowel.
10:49O.
10:51Consonant.
10:53S.
10:54Consonant.
10:55M.
10:56Vowel.
10:58E.
10:59Vowel.
11:00I.
11:01Consonant.
11:03R.
11:04Consonant.
11:05T.
11:07And a consonant, please.
11:09And the last one, C.
11:11Stand by.
11:12Office web content.
11:13Slow heaven.
11:26Bye.
11:27Wait a minute.
11:34Bye.
11:35Bye.
11:36Bye.
11:37Bye.
11:40Bye.
11:41Bye.
11:43Piers.
11:43Eight.
11:44And eight.
11:46Rekhaia.
11:46Eight.
11:47Thank you, Piers.
11:48Cosmetic.
11:50No.
11:51Rekhaia.
11:52Cosmetic.
11:53Same.
11:54There we go.
11:55Exchange bits of paper.
11:57Any more cosmetics over there?
12:00We had cosmetic.
12:01It was pretty much written out, wasn't it?
12:03Mortises also there.
12:04Mortise locks.
12:05Yeah.
12:06And we'll give you another eight.
12:07Thank you very much.
12:0927 plays 22.
12:11And now, Rekhaia, it's your numbers game.
12:14I'll have two large and four small, please.
12:16Thank you, Rekhaia.
12:17Two from the top and four little coming up for you.
12:20And this time around, your little ones are eight, four, six, and five.
12:26And the big two, 125.
12:29And the target, 968.
12:32968.
13:03What car?
13:059, 2, 4
13:08And
13:089, 7, 0
13:109, 70
13:12Off we go
13:14100 plus 25
13:16125
13:17Times 8
13:18Times 8 is 1000
13:196 times 5 is 30
13:21Yeah
13:229, 70
13:26Just to a drift there
13:27Rachel, can you unpick this for us
13:309, 6, 8
13:30I can Nick, if you start the same way
13:32100 plus 25, 125
13:34Take away 4, 421
13:37And you can times that by 8
13:39And get straight to 968
13:41Thank you
13:45Spot on as ever
13:47Absolutely spot on
13:4834 plays 22
13:50Pearson the lead as we turn to Jeremy
13:52Jeremy
13:55Mozambique
13:55Holds memories for you
13:57It does, I'll take you back to Mozambique
14:00And the latter days of a very nasty civil war there
14:05Quarter of a century ago
14:07And a reminder that you've got a risk and reward involved in journalism at times
14:13I remember deciding that I really need to go and talk to the leader of the rebel Renamo army
14:21Who had a hideout
14:22Who had a hideout I knew of in the Gorongozo forest
14:26Which was a jungle down in the south of the country
14:29And it was a
14:29I put out a lot of feelers to try and get in contact
14:32Eventually I was told
14:34Go to Malawi
14:35And hang about in a small hotel
14:37And don't look like journalists
14:39Me and my cameraman
14:40And eventually you'll be contacted
14:42And we were by a mysterious guy called Charlie
14:44Who beckoned us down to a rather dodgy local airfield
14:48Where we found the most tatty small single engine plane you have ever seen
14:53It was all pretty hair raising
14:55And when we got in there
14:56His army was run on trials bikes
14:59So dense was the forest
15:01So we jumped on the back of a trials bike
15:03Holding on to some rather large sweaty generals from the Renamo army
15:08When we went over in these trials bikes
15:11Went down a dry ditch
15:13A donga as they call them in that part of the world
15:15And I remember seeing the bike in front of me
15:19Spitting up what looked like a big black hose pipe
15:22That then flashed by my eyes
15:24And about two inches behind me
15:26And the general I was with
15:28Turned round and said
15:29Black Mamba
15:31And it was about an inch away
15:33And we got back to camp
15:36And we were all a little bit
15:38You know
15:39Emotional about the thing
15:40And he said
15:41Really if that had hit you
15:43Which it was about two inches away
15:45All I would have done
15:46Is suggest that you sit under that tree
15:48And wait to die
15:49Because there's no help for you round here
15:51Anyway my cameraman Ian
15:53Sort of we got back into our thatched hut
15:56And he cracked open a bottle of whiskey
15:58And he said
15:59You might need one of those
16:00And by the way
16:01Happy birthday
16:02I'd completely forgotten
16:04I'd nearly been struck by a black man
16:07But it's my birthday
16:08So I don't forget that birthday anymore
16:10Those have been
16:10What a story
16:18What a story
16:19Now 34 plays 22
16:22And it's Pierce's letters game
16:25Pierce
16:25Consonant please Rachel
16:26Thank you Pierce
16:27L
16:28Val
16:29U
16:31Consonant
16:32X
16:33Consonant
16:35S
16:36Val
16:37A
16:39Val
16:40E
16:41Consonant
16:42R
16:43Consonant
16:45T
16:46And a consonant please
16:48And the last one
16:50R
16:51Stand by
16:53R
17:21Val
17:23T
17:24Yes, Piers.
17:25Six.
17:26Six.
17:27Rekhaia?
17:28Try seven.
17:29Mm-hmm.
17:30Piers?
17:31Sexual.
17:32And Rekhaia?
17:33Luxates.
17:35Luxates.
17:36Very good indeed.
17:39It means...
17:40It sounds like it's got something to do with luxury,
17:43but it's a medical term for dislocating.
17:45So a joint will become luxated.
17:49Excellent.
17:50Excellent.
17:53Rekhaia.
17:54Great word.
17:55Now, Jeremy and Susie.
17:57Exalts.
17:58Yes.
18:00That's very nice.
18:00Both spellings.
18:01U and A there.
18:02Saluter is also there for a seven.
18:05Saluter.
18:05Yes.
18:06Thank you very much.
18:0734 to 29.
18:08Nothing in it, really.
18:10Rekhaia.
18:11Off we go.
18:12Let us go.
18:12I'll start with the consonant, please.
18:14Thank you, Rekhaia.
18:15G.
18:16Another.
18:18R.
18:19A vowel.
18:20I.
18:21Another vowel.
18:22O.
18:24A consonant.
18:26N.
18:27Another consonant.
18:29G.
18:30Another consonant.
18:32N.
18:32A vowel.
18:35A.
18:36A.
18:36And a final consonant.
18:38And a final S.
18:41Countdown.
18:41A vowel.
18:43A vowel.
18:58A vowel.
19:13Rakaia.
19:14A six.
19:16A six, Piz?
19:17I'll go with a safe ace.
19:20Rakaia.
19:21Graves.
19:22No, Piz.
19:23Groaning.
19:25Well done.
19:26It'll do.
19:27Very good.
19:30It will do.
19:31Now, Jeremy and Susie.
19:33Jeremy.
19:33Yeah, I've got Groaning.
19:34Yeah.
19:35Quite pleased with that one.
19:36Good as I can do, I think.
19:38Anything else, Susie?
19:40There's a seven gringos in Spanish-speaking countries.
19:43That's somebody who's not Hispanic or Latino, gringos.
19:46But Groaning is excellent.
19:48What's the origin of gringos?
19:49Oh, it goes back to the Spanish for foreign or foreigner,
19:52or it could be a Greek as well.
19:55So it's linked to it's all Greek to me.
19:56Ah, right.
19:58Good as you go.
19:58Very good.
19:59Added, added there.
20:0142 to 29.
20:03Piz, numbers game for you.
20:05Two large and four small, please, Rachel.
20:07Same.
20:07Again, two from the top and four not.
20:09And this time, the four not are three, two, seven, and six.
20:15And the large one, 75 and 25.
20:19And the target, 805.
20:21805.
20:25Hopefully, we'll be listening.
20:26I Look at the Army.
20:26The old.
20:54Yes, Piz.
20:558.04.
20:568.04, Rakaia?
20:588.03.
21:008.03.
21:02Yes, Piz.
21:036 plus 2 is 8.
21:04It is.
21:0575 plus 25 is 100.
21:07Yep.
21:08Times them together.
21:09For 800...
21:107 minus 3 is 4.
21:12Well done.
21:12And added on.
21:13One away.
21:14Excellent, but not quite there.
21:16Rachel, how tricky is 8.05?
21:19It's possible if you say 6 times 2 is 12.
21:23Add 3, 4, 15, and add the 75 and 25 altogether for 115,
21:29and times it by 7.
21:328.05.
21:34Excellent.
21:35That's the way.
21:38Wonderful.
21:38So, 49 to 29.
21:40Piz in the lead, and it's time for our second Tea Time teaser,
21:43which is Melon Hits.
21:45And the clue.
21:46And the chap's having a relaxing time with his collection of magazines.
21:50The chap's having a relaxing time with his collection of magazines.
22:11Welcome back.
22:12I left with the clue, the chap's having a relaxing time with his collection of magazines.
22:17And the answer to that is monthlies.
22:21Monthlies.
22:22So, 49 to 29.
22:24Piz in the lead, and it's Rekha we turn to.
22:26Yes, Rekha?
22:27I'll start with the consonant, please.
22:28Thank you, Rekha.
22:29L.
22:30Another.
22:32P.
22:33Another consonant.
22:35D.
22:35A vowel.
22:37E.
22:38Another vowel.
22:39U.
22:41Another vowel.
22:42O.
22:44A consonant.
22:46N.
22:47Another consonant.
22:49R.
22:51And the final vowel, please.
22:53And a final A.
22:56Stand by.
22:57A consonant.
23:00A consonant.
23:12D.
23:12A vowels.
23:26A consonant.
23:28Rekhaia.
23:29Seven.
23:29And Piss?
23:30Seven.
23:31Yes, Rekhaia.
23:32Plunder.
23:33And Piss?
23:34Plunder also.
23:37And over in the corner, what news?
23:40Jeremy, Susie?
23:41Variation on that.
23:43Pounder.
23:44Pounder.
23:45Yes, quarter pounder, etc.
23:47And there is, not that great, but it's there for an eight euro land.
23:52Another term for the euro zone.
23:54So it's part of the EU where the euro is the currency, essentially.
23:58Piss, your letters again.
24:01Consonant, please, Rachel.
24:02Thank you, Piss.
24:03Y.
24:04Consonant.
24:06D.
24:07Val.
24:08O.
24:10Consonant.
24:11H.
24:13Consonant.
24:14B.
24:15Val.
24:17E.
24:18Val.
24:20A.
24:21Consonant.
24:23T.
24:24And a consonant, please.
24:26And lastly, S.
24:29Stand by.
24:30BELL RINGS
24:55BELL RINGS
25:00Cheers.
25:02I'll risk an eight.
25:04Rekhaia?
25:05A six.
25:06And your six is?
25:08Bathed.
25:09What's this risk you're taking?
25:11Boat shed.
25:12Boat shed.
25:16No, it's not there, I'm afraid.
25:19Sorry.
25:20Boat house, I think, isn't it?
25:21Yeah.
25:22You do get boat sheds, but I guess not enough.
25:25They're not called that enough.
25:27Bad luck.
25:28Jeremy?
25:29I got boasted.
25:31Yeah.
25:32Yes, boasted.
25:33Anything else?
25:33For seven, hotbeds are there as well.
25:36Hotbeds of intrigue.
25:38Indeed.
25:39Indeed.
25:4056 to 42.
25:41Susie, what have you got for us?
25:42By way of your origins of words.
25:46These perfectly, perfectly produced little essays of yours.
25:51Not sure about that, but I had a nice email from Bob Mack.
25:55It's either mashing or macking.
25:56So apologies, Bob, if I'm not pronouncing it correctly.
25:59But he asked if I can explain why the word gorge has two completely distinct meanings.
26:04The first is a gap between rocks and the other being to grossly overeat.
26:10And it's a good question, actually.
26:12You have to go back to Old French.
26:14This probably came over after 1066 with the Norman Conquerors.
26:18And gorge, in French, still means the throat, exactly.
26:22And it was adopted into English with exactly the same meaning.
26:25So to gorge yourself is to shovel food down your throat.
26:30And it also came to mean the contents of your stomach after you've gorged yourself.
26:34So when you talk about someone's gorge rising in disgust, that's the idea that you get there.
26:39And the second sense that Bob mentions there, which is the gap between rocks, that's simply the idea of a
26:46geographical feature that is narrow like a throat.
26:49So it keeps to that same origin.
26:51So they are absolutely from the same root.
26:54Lots of related words, in fact, there's gargoyle, where water sometimes comes out of the throat.
27:00There's to gargle, et cetera, all go back to the same idea.
27:02And one that might surprise you is gorgeous.
27:06Gorgeous, we think, possibly comes from the idea of a really beautiful necklace that was wrapped around the throat.
27:13So, again, it's kind of linked to that idea.
27:2056.42, Pearson the lead.
27:22Rakaia, how about the letters game?
27:25I'll start with the consonant, please.
27:27Thank you, Rakaia.
27:28H.
27:29Another.
27:30L.
27:32Another.
27:33T.
27:35A vowel.
27:36U.
27:37Another vowel.
27:39A.
27:40Another vowel.
27:42O.
27:43A consonant.
27:45S.
27:47Another consonant.
27:49D.
27:50And a final vowel, please.
27:52And.
27:53A final I.
27:55Stand by.
27:57BELL RINGS
27:59Rulares If you want to learn.
28:19And.
28:20And.
28:27And.
28:28uh seven a seven piss seven yes kyle out sale and outlash outlash um
28:43it's there really surprised me that one yeah the action of lashing out or an instance of this
28:47very good anything else jeremy not really no can't do better than that that it's a tricky
28:56set of letters 63 to 49 pierce final letters game constant please rachel thank you pierce t vel o
29:07consonant w consonant d vel i well e vel i consonant g and a final consonant please
29:26a final end and it's countdown
29:31so
30:01yes seven and rakaia six and you're six towing thank you dieting and dieting very good yes
30:12any advance on dieting um no we've got a rather nice sort of feathered version called wigeon yeah i think
30:21a duck like yep for sure dabbling duck um yes and ignited is another seven ignited thank you now
30:29rakaia into the final numbers game penultimate uh round rakaia i'll have one large and five small
30:37please thank you rakaia just the one largest time and we shall finish the day with three four six seven
30:46one two and the large one fifty and the target 213
30:52two one three
30:56so
31:09so
31:10so
31:10so
31:24rakaia
31:25rakaia two one three two and three and two one three two and three yes rakaia four times 50 200
31:33seven plus four plus two seven four oh you've used your four oh i didn't i'm sorry rakaia okay
31:40oh that is bad luck oh yeah
31:43at the end of it now pierce um four times 50 is 200 yeah plus seven plus six there six
31:48was there
31:49yeah yeah well done pierce
31:55and into the final round now fingers on buzzers let's roll today's countdown conundrum
32:07pierce laundered laundered let's see whether you're right
32:13no rest of the time to rakaia take your time rakaia
32:20so
32:43nope two good players but they're
32:47foxed i tell you who in the audience will uh
32:51unravel this for us do i see i do see i have i see several but i'll take the one
32:55at the very back
32:57launderer let's see whether you're right
33:01and here we go launderer
33:09only one d there yeah yeah but nonetheless pierce uh you did very well a good score 80
33:16rakaia you were playing really strongly just a couple of slips at the end yeah the numbers games
33:22it was great fun having you here thank you very much you take this goodie bag back to west brom
33:30with our very best wishes thank you very much for coming thank you very much i've enjoyed it good to
33:35have you here thank you well done and we'll see this uh this three-time winner pierce tomorrow well
33:41done well played thank you getting stronger yeah yeah i think you are see you tomorrow thank you well
33:47done no jeremy not tomorrow because you're you're being released back into the wild
33:54but i hope that you'll come and see us again there are a thousand stories in this book we've only
34:00skimmed through the surface of it so please come back and see us again soon it's been grand to be
34:05here just let me know which countries you want to go to next time and i'll transport you if i
34:10can
34:10thank you thanks indeed all right susie tomorrow yes excellent excellent and rachel who's in tomorrow
34:18we have our favorite cheekiest guest gloria honeyford in tomorrow little gloria look forward to that
34:23see you tomorrow see you tomorrow join us then same time same place you be sure of it a very
34:29good
34:29afternoon you can contact the program by email at countdown at channel 4.com
34:33by twitter at c4 countdown or write to us at countdown leads ls3 1js you can also find our
34:41web page at channel 4.com forward slash countdown
34:45so