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This episode's repeat was broadcast on Tuesday 9th June 2020.
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00:30Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown studio on the very day that way back in Shrewsbury in 1809 when
00:37Charles Darwin was born.
00:40Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, of course, the suggestion being, of course, we're all descended from apes.
00:46And there is, in fact, International Darwin Day, which is celebrated around this time of the year every year.
00:53And it's wonderful to celebrate his extraordinary scientific and contribution to natural history.
00:59But I began to think about these things and I thought, well, some people have characteristics that perhaps could be
01:06drawn from animals.
01:07For instance, somebody looks aquiline, looks like an eagle or indeed equine, looks like a horse or porcine, a little
01:15bit piggy-like.
01:16And I wondered who in the studio have got sort of a resemblance to animals.
01:23And I thought of you, Rachel.
01:26Right. We're talking physical resemblance.
01:28Well, just general thing.
01:30And I thought, you are feline.
01:32You love pussies.
01:34And I thought, she has a household of cats.
01:38And I thought, you are feline.
01:39What do you think I might be most closely resembling?
01:45Should I be nice or not?
01:47You could be accurate.
01:48If you, I feel, well, maybe, just for looks-wise, maybe the giant tortoise.
01:54I've got a hard shell.
01:55Anything else?
01:56Maybe personality cross between a pussycat and a honey badger.
02:00A honey badger?
02:01A honey badger.
02:02What's that?
02:03It's vicious.
02:05You can take down an elephant, Nick.
02:08A honey badger.
02:09Thank you so much.
02:10Anyway, well, you continue to be feline.
02:13Okay.
02:13Soft and purrs nicely when you stroke it.
02:16Now then, who have we got with us today?
02:19John O'Neill lives in Raynham, semi-finalist back in 2005, and you're in the catastrophe risk business.
02:26But you bludgeoned your way past poor old Kai in the last round with 101 points.
02:32Great performance there.
02:34Great performance there, John.
02:35And you're joined by Daryl.
02:37Daryl Francis from Brampton in Cumbria, a retired IT manager.
02:42Series winner back in 85.
02:44Top scrabbler.
02:45Now then, Daryl, what do you think about young John here?
02:47Well, I saw him back in 2005.
02:49He was a daunting player then.
02:50Yes.
02:51So I'm sure he'll be up to the same standard today.
02:53You've got lots of experience, Daryl.
02:55Don't you be afraid of anything.
02:57We look forward to a great competition between you both.
02:59John and Daryl, big round of applause, please.
03:06Big round of applause.
03:08Because we're in the middle of this extraordinary contest now, Susie.
03:12And, you know, some of the words popping up are extraordinarily difficult.
03:16I've never heard of most of them.
03:17No, they are.
03:18And I think, I mean, we're being regularly, regularly beaten over here.
03:22And quite rightly so, because they are both practised and consummate.
03:25Well, of course, you've got with you once again, once again, Ken Bruce.
03:29Welcome back, Ken.
03:30Thank you, Nick.
03:31It's good stuff, isn't it?
03:32Oh, it's great to see people at the top of their game doing so well.
03:35It's humbling in many ways.
03:37Yeah.
03:38Good.
03:38Now, we're going to talk to you later on about all sorts of things.
03:42Fascinating.
03:42You own a bus company.
03:44Well, you've got a lot of route masters.
03:46Yeah, yeah.
03:46We have half a dozen route master buses, which go out in the streets of London and the home
03:50counties, doing weddings, funerals.
03:52And for films?
03:53Do you hire them out for films?
03:54Not so often, no, because, to be honest with you, film companies make a right mess of them.
03:59No.
03:59All right.
04:00Anyway, more from you later, but now it's time to get things moving.
04:04John.
04:04Hi, Rachel.
04:05Can I have a vowel, please?
04:07Start today with O.
04:09A vowel.
04:11U.
04:12A vowel.
04:14A.
04:15A consonant.
04:17N.
04:18A consonant.
04:20C.
04:21A consonant.
04:23P.
04:24A consonant.
04:27H.
04:29A vowel, please.
04:32I.
04:33And one more vowel, please.
04:35And the last one.
04:36O.
04:37And here's the countdown clock.
04:38A vowel.
04:40A vowel.
05:09Yes, John?
05:10Six.
05:11And Daryl?
05:12Six as well.
05:13OK, John?
05:14Poncho.
05:15Poncho.
05:15Daryl?
05:16Coupon.
05:17Coupon.
05:18Very good.
05:19Anything else?
05:21Yeah, a couple of other sixes.
05:22Nothing better than sixes.
05:23Sixes as many as we could get.
05:25But as well as poncho, there is the paunch.
05:29Yes.
05:29That's being beautifully displayed here.
05:31And phonic.
05:32Phonic.
05:33From sounds, yes.
05:34Well, you should know all about phonic.
05:35Well, yes.
05:35Yes, I should, but I don't.
05:37But six letters for all of these.
05:39Very good indeed.
05:39Well done.
05:40Thank you very much.
05:41Ken, six all.
05:43Daryl.
05:43Off you go.
05:44Hi, Rachel.
05:45Hi, Daryl.
05:45Can I start with a consonant, please?
05:47Of course.
05:47Start with P.
05:50Vowel.
05:52A.
05:53Consonant.
06:13And the last one.
06:17O.
06:18Block time.
06:20Block time.
06:21Yes.
06:21Yes.
06:22I will.
06:22Let's start with you.
06:27I will.
06:31To get you.
06:50Let's start with you.
06:50Daryl? 7. And John? Also 7. Daryl? Adipose. Adipose, yes. John? Anodise. Pretty good stuff. Adipose is all to do
07:02with fat in the tissue, and anodise is to protect the metal with oxide layer, so they're both excellent. Very
07:08good indeed, yes. Anything else in the corner? No, I'm afraid 7 letters was as many as we could manage.
07:13Any other words? No, we're not at 7, I'm afraid. No, they're too good for us. We have pained for
07:186, which is quite appropriate.
07:20Well done. Alright, 13 all. John? A vowel, please. Thank you, John. A. A vowel. E. A vowel. U. A
07:32consonant. L. A consonant. G. A consonant. S. A consonant. T. A vowel, please. A. And A consonant.
07:50And a final. X. Clock time.
07:54A consonant.
07:55A consonant.
08:25Yes, John?
08:25Seven.
08:27Daryl?
08:28Seven.
08:29Yes, John.
08:30Gatto's.
08:31Gatto, yep.
08:32And Daryl?
08:33Luxate.
08:35Gatto's absolutely fine.
08:36Are you spelling it with the S or the X?
08:38S.
08:38Yeah.
08:39Perfect.
08:40And luxate, can you just bear with me?
08:42It is there.
08:44It's there as a verb, actually.
08:45It's a medical term, and it means to dislocate, as Daryl probably knew.
08:49Well done.
08:50Very good.
08:51Well done, Daryl.
08:51So, 20 all.
08:53And now we turn to you, Daryl.
08:54Letters game.
08:56Let's start with a consonant, please, Rachel.
08:59Thank you, Daryl.
08:59N.
09:00And a vowel.
09:02O.
09:03And a consonant.
09:06G.
09:07Vowel.
09:09E.
09:11Consonant.
09:12N.
09:14Vowel.
09:16I.
09:18Consonant.
09:20R.
09:22Consonant.
09:24K.
09:26And another consonant.
09:27And lastly, S.
09:30Stand by.
09:31B.
09:32I.
09:43I.
09:44I.
09:44I.
10:00I.
10:01I.
10:02daryl seven yes john i will try an eight right daryl skinner skinner now then john negronis
10:13negronis um oh fantastic made from gin vamoose and campari very nice well done
10:25very good 28 look john you're in the lead eight points to daryl's 20
10:31but in the corner what have we got over there well negronis sounds lovely especially in the
10:36plural for us here as a little thirsty this out of the afternoon um we had brief hopes um for
10:42nose
10:42ring but we couldn't have that it's hyphenated unfortunately oh it is yes but now it's time
10:47for a numbers game now then john look at rachel panting to be instructed okay um i'll have
10:55four from the top please we're continuing this pussy theme through nick all day thank you
11:00john four large ones and two little ones for you and the two small ones are six and four
11:06and the large four 25 50 75 and 100 and your target 484 484
11:18so
11:31so
12:01john
12:02well done and daryl uh i did it the same way except i switched the four and the hundred
12:09over 25
12:11yep same as happy well done 484 both have got them
12:18well done john still in the 38 dials 30 but now it's time to look across the studio floor and
12:25catch
12:25ken's eye ken what have you got for us well i was greatly encouraged yesterday nick by uh your kind
12:31remarks about my idea for charging the council for my time so i i thought i might take it a
12:36little bit
12:36further uh and think about the possibility of going into politics i thought i'd put myself up for
12:42chancellor of the exchequer because you know i've i've been watching politics for many years i can
12:47remember every chancellor since dennis healy i've seen the economy go from boom to bust and i thought
12:54this i surely i can do better than all these people and come up with a really good idea so
12:58here is my my one policy i only have one policy and this is the one it will be
13:05everybody in the year that you turn 40 you will have a year free of income tax
13:09you won't pay any income tax at all for that whole year
13:12when the year finishes you'll go back onto the system again now many benefits to this the economy
13:17will benefit because you'll be out working you'll be contributing to the economy you'll also be
13:22spending some money so you'll be encouraging the retail markets you may be saving so that's good as
13:28well so everybody wins and it's paid for at the end because we've just had another year onto your
13:35working life no no no it's okay because we're all living longer anyway aren't we so at the moment it's
13:4065 maybe we've got to 66 67 maybe it's going up there anyway we'll just have another year on you
13:44won't care about that time because you'll have been you'll have made a bit of money in that year
13:48now i can see that there's maybe there's maybe a few people saying ah but what are they costing to
13:53this well it will pay for itself trust me on this but have you ever known any government expenditure
13:59which has come in at the original cost even even the ones that have worked like the olympics and the
14:04channel tunnel they just changed the estimate after a few years and it comes in under budget and on
14:08time because they've extended the time frame as well so you see it doesn't really matter because
14:13by the time all this comes home to roost i won't be around or in post i won't be the
14:19chancellor of the
14:20exchequer so in other words by the time it all comes home to roost i won't be around to pay
14:24for it
14:25or to be blamed for it and in that i think i proved i am genuinely a politician
14:31brilliant well done excellent stuff definitely just put it up but now it's time for a two-time
14:37teaser which is cane curl the clue it's not a vehicle for a relative it's a bit of a turkey
15:02welcome back welcome back i left with a clue it's not a vehicle for a relative it's a bit of
15:07a turkey
15:07and the answer is a car uncle now then susie what is this car uncle carbuncle maybe but car
15:16yeah it's carbuncle without the but it's a wattle of a bird such as a turkey this bit here
15:21that is your car uncle well not yours well i'm getting one now then 38 plays daryl's 30
15:29and daryl off you go uh can we start with a constant please rachel thank you daryl g and a
15:36vowel
15:38e and a consonant w vowel o consonant r vowel i consonant y consonant
15:59p and a final consonant and lastly n tick tock
16:10so
16:36yes daryl
16:39six and john eight yes daryl uh winery a winery now then john powering powering
16:48powering up very very good very good indeed good age
16:53well done
16:56now then anything else there ken susie oh no they've been powering through us i'm afraid we can't do any
17:01better than eight points and powering that was good that was very good so 46 plays 30 and john
17:07off you go it's the letters game can i have a vowel please rachel thank you john e
17:13a vowel a vowel o vowel i a consonant t a consonant l a consonant c a consonant j a
17:31consonant please
17:32w and a final consonant please and final t count down
17:43so
17:54so
17:55so
18:10Yes, John?
18:11Five. Five, Daryl?
18:13Six.
18:14John?
18:15Towel.
18:16Thank you. Daryl?
18:18Jottle.
18:20Mmm, jottle?
18:21Jottle. Okay.
18:24I know the jot was also known as the tittle, I think.
18:28I'm not sure about a jottle.
18:31Jot and tittle was the old phrase, wasn't it?
18:33Yeah.
18:34Not there, I'm afraid, Daryl.
18:37No.
18:38Just jot, as in not one jot.
18:40Okay, anything else there?
18:41Well, for once we are actually able to come up with a word that they haven't come up with.
18:46It's not a great word, I'm afraid it's only six letters, and it is toilet.
18:49Very good.
18:50Toilet, excellent.
18:51Flush with success.
18:52John, 51 to down to 30, and Daryl, I call upon you for letters game.
18:57Consonant, please, Rachel.
18:58Thank you, Daryl.
19:00Zed.
19:02Another consonant.
19:04M.
19:05Vowel.
19:07A.
19:08Consonant.
19:09R.
19:11Vowel.
19:12U.
19:14Consonant.
19:16L.
19:17Vowel.
19:19O.
19:20Consonant.
19:22P.
19:24And a final vowel.
19:27And a final E.
19:29Stand by.
19:30Very.
19:44I.
19:56I'm.
19:58I'm.
19:59I�.
19:59I'm.
20:01Daryl.
20:02Eight.
20:03Very good.
20:04John?
20:04Seven.
20:05And your seven.
20:07Ampoule.
20:08Ampoule.
20:09Daryl.
20:10Pleroma.
20:12Pleroma.
20:13P-L-E-U-R-O-M-A.
20:15To do with the lungs?
20:16Probably.
20:17Plerocy and all things related.
20:23OK.
20:27There is Pleroma, which is a completely different thing.
20:30It's all about the spiritual universe as the abode of God.
20:34But there is no Pleroma in here, I'm afraid, Daryl.
20:38As I say, lots of lung-related things with that Pler, but not Pleroma.
20:42Bad luck.
20:42Bad luck, Daryl.
20:43Good shot.
20:44Now, in the corner, any advances?
20:46No, but ampoule is lovely.
20:48It's a little sort of file.
20:50A little glass container.
20:51Very good.
20:51All right.
20:5258 plays 30.
20:53And, John, your letters game.
20:55Can I have a vowel, please?
20:57Thank you, John.
20:58A.
20:59A vowel.
21:00E.
21:01A vowel.
21:03O.
21:04A consonant.
21:06L.
21:07A consonant.
21:09C.
21:10A consonant.
21:11S.
21:12A consonant.
21:15T.
21:16A vowel, please.
21:19E.
21:20And a consonant, please.
21:22And the last one.
21:24D.
21:25Lock time.
21:27D.
21:28Lock time.
21:40John?
21:41Ah!
21:56John?
21:57Nine.
21:58Daryl?
21:59Nine.
22:00Very good.
22:01Now then, John.
22:02Desolated.
22:03Yes.
22:04And Daryl?
22:05Desolated as well.
22:06Very good.
22:07All right.
22:08We're happy.
22:09Very good.
22:12Can't go beyond nine.
22:14But any other interesting words there?
22:16Not at nine, I'm afraid.
22:17We had toddles at seven, which I thought was quite nice.
22:19We had a toddle.
22:20Toddle along, yeah.
22:21But nothing better than that, of course.
22:23All right.
22:23Desolated.
22:24Perfect stuff.
22:25So 76 plays 48 as we now sharpen our pencils and look with furrowed brow towards Susie,
22:31who will now talk about her origins of words.
22:34Well, I mentioned, Nick, that I was going to stick with names this week.
22:37And actually, it's your turn today, because I was looking up the word Nick in the Oxford
22:42English Dictionary to see how many different senses there were.
22:45And there are quite a few.
22:46There's old Nick, for starters, which is short for the devil.
22:51We're nicknamed for the devil.
22:52And why?
22:52We're not sure.
22:53Possibly because of a link with Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote, as we know, about politicians and
23:00their unethical methods, and is thought to be responsible for a lot of the negative associations
23:05we make with politicians today.
23:07But it's more likely that it's actually a shortened form of iniquity, which is another
23:12term for vice in an early modern English morality play.
23:16So that's old Nick.
23:17Then there's the Nick that's a cut or a notch made into a stick.
23:22And that is related to another word, knock.
23:25And both mean, as I say, this tiny, tiny little measurement.
23:29And that explains the in the nick of time, because it's a very precise moment, just as
23:33precise as a very narrow cut on a piece of wood.
23:36To nick, as in stealing, we're not completely sure where that comes from.
23:40It might be from the idea of taking a cut of someone's belongings.
23:43So again, that sense of a cut or a very precise measurement.
23:49But we're not completely sure where that one comes from.
23:50But my favourite is to nick with nay, which in the 1400s meant to answer something in
23:56the negative, but not just that, to answer it very dismissively.
24:00And I thought there'd be a few apprentice candidates who would recognise nicking with
24:03nay from their experience with you.
24:06So not all very positive connotations, but you clearly have very industrious ancestors,
24:11as you probably know, because back in the 14th century, a hewer was someone who used
24:15a heavy board axe in squaring timber.
24:17And later, in a colliery, a hewer was the man who cuts the coal from the seam.
24:22Really?
24:22Yes.
24:23Very good.
24:28And I think, although hue and cry is a different spelling, but hewers used to also stand on
24:33the kiff tops.
24:34Did they not spotting shells of fish or something?
24:36Yeah, and they would shout.
24:37That's, yeah, partly where hue and cry comes from.
24:39Yeah.
24:39Yeah.
24:40Very good.
24:40Now, Daryl, it's a numbers game, and there's Rachel with that urgent look in her eye.
24:45Can I have five small and one large, please, Rachel?
24:47You can, thank you, Daryl.
24:49Five small, one large, and we will see if you can nick a few points.
24:52And for this round, the little ones are five, nine, two, six, seven, and the large one,
24:5975.
25:01And the target, 323.
25:03Three, two, three.
25:04Three, two, three.
25:35Daryl.
25:35Three, two, three.
25:36Three, two, three.
25:37John?
25:37Three, two, three as well.
25:38Okay, Daryl.
25:40Right, I've said 75 times five is 375.
25:44Yep.
25:45Nine, six is a 54.
25:47Nine times six, 54.
25:49Three, seven, five minus a 54.
25:51Three, two, one.
25:52Is three, two, one, and add the two.
25:54Three, two, three.
25:54Nicely done.
25:55Very good.
25:56John?
25:56Completely different.
25:58Six subtract two.
25:59Six less two, four.
26:0175 adds seven.
26:03Is 82.
26:04Multiply those.
26:05Three, two, eight.
26:06And then subtract five.
26:07Well done.
26:08Lots of different ways for this one.
26:09Very good.
26:10Well done.
26:14Very good.
26:15So, John, leading 86 to Daryl's 58 as we turn to a tea time teaser, which is trendies.
26:21And the clue, it sounds like Edward put his pound into the slot.
26:25It sounds like Edward put his pound into the slot.
26:46And the answer is inserted.
26:52He inserted it.
26:53Very good.
26:54Very good.
26:5586 to 58.
26:56John, your letters go.
26:58Could I have a vowel, please?
27:00Thank you, John.
27:02I.
27:02A vowel.
27:03A.
27:05A vowel.
27:07O.
27:08A consonant.
27:10L.
27:11A consonant.
27:13R.
27:15A consonant.
27:17S.
27:18A consonant.
27:20G.
27:21A vowel, please.
27:24E.
27:26And a consonant, please.
27:27And the last one.
27:29R.
27:30Block time.
27:32Block time.
28:01John.
28:02Bates.
28:03Daryl eight John's eight seraglio seraglio yes daryl seraglio as well two seraglios here
28:11very good and the thing else no no um so what did i know seraglio but i don't know what
28:17it means
28:17uh it's a harem yeah in a muslim palace that's why you don't know what it means of course there
28:24is a there is a mozart opera yeah the circles around that the seraglio and the hilarious thing
28:30is that there's one guy that comes on at the very end and he's got a very deep voice and
28:37he
28:37doesn't sing okay and it's that actor that was in the stud with joan collins oliver tobias and that's
28:46all he does now he travels around the world it comes on in the final light walks in says one
28:51sentence and clears off it's amazing so john 94 to daryl 66 daryl your shout uh let's start with
28:58a consonant please rachel thank you daryl b and vowel you consonant r vowel i consonant d
29:20and a final consonant and a final s
29:25stand by
29:27so
29:28so
29:57Yes, Daryl?
29:58Seven.
29:59Seven.
29:59John?
29:59Six.
30:00And your six?
30:01Idiots.
30:03Idiots.
30:03Daryl?
30:04Outbids.
30:06Outbids.
30:06Very good.
30:07Very good, yeah.
30:08Yeah, excellent.
30:08Now, what else have we got over there?
30:10We could get disturb for our seven letters.
30:13That is the answer.
30:14That's good.
30:15Yeah, but that's as much as we can manage.
30:17All right, that's good enough.
30:18Thank you very much.
30:19Ninety-four.
30:21Nearly on a hundred there, John.
30:22And Daryl, seventy-three.
30:24John, will you break the hundred now?
30:26I'll do my best.
30:27A vowel, please.
30:28Thank you, John.
30:30U.
30:31A vowel.
30:32I.
30:33A vowel.
30:35E.
30:36A consonant, please.
30:38R.
30:39A consonant.
30:41T.
30:42A consonant.
30:44S.
30:45A consonant.
30:47N.
30:48A vowel, please.
30:51A.
30:52And a consonant, please.
30:55And the last one, T.
30:57Clock time.
30:59A vowel, please.
31:01A vowel, please.
31:02A vowel, please.
31:05A vowel, please.
31:13A vowel, please.
31:13A vowel, please.
31:13A vowel, please.
31:13A vowel, please.
31:13A vowel, please.
31:13A vowel, please.
31:14A vowel, please.
31:15A vowel, please.
31:17A vowel, please.
31:22A vowel, please.
31:27A vowel, please.
31:29Yes John. Eight. And eight. Daryl. Eight. John. Natureist. Natureist. Thank you. Daryl. Natureist
31:38as well. All right. Two nudies here. And in the corner. And we are completely closed.
31:44I'm pleased to say. Yes. But at the risk of being slightly vulgar, urinates is there as
31:51well. It's a necessary thing to do. Urinates. Thank you very much. Very good. So John,
31:57102, two dials at 81. And Daryl. It's the last numbers game of the day. And Rachel,
32:03or Rachel Bidding. Right. Again, as before, one large and five small, please. Rachel.
32:08Thank you, Daryl. For the last time today, one little one. Sorry, one big one, five little
32:12ones. And they are eight, three, nine, four, two. And the big one, 75. And the target this
32:21time, 161. 161.
32:28161.
32:28171.
32:28162.
32:49173.
32:55Daryl 161 and John 161 okay Daryl right 75 times 2 is 150 yeah 150 at the 9 is 159
33:06159 and then I
33:07did 8 divided by 4 is 2 yeah and added that one yeah nice and straightforward 161 very good and
33:13John 275 275 again 150 at 8 at 3 yeah well done very powerful score here well done John 112
33:29that's very
33:30good stuff as we reach the conundrum time of the day so fingers on buzzers please let's reveal
33:36today's countdown conundrum very quick John despotism despotism let's see whether you're
33:46right well done very good Daryl he was he was on form today 122 is a cracking score we'll see
34:01you next
34:01week sadly Daryl we won't be seeing you because you're going home encumbered with a huge depot
34:08and a priceless piece of trip tonight and our best wishes thank you see you tomorrow Susie
34:13see you tomorrow tell me one thing after all those years of the Eurovision Song Contest what is it
34:20about it that makes it compelling for you to be there and to do that great radio job you do
34:26for
34:26me and it's because it is a great event to attend it's much bigger than you perhaps realize or anybody
34:32perhaps realizes there's thousands of people there every time a great time such fun the music may not
34:38be that great but there's a lovely feeling about the thing and if you haven't been there to experience
34:42it well I think you should try it once just so you're off to Malmo Malmo and Sweden not a
34:47bad
34:47city very nice place been there once before for Eurovision so I shall know my way around have fun
34:52thank you keep off the schnapps can you imagine Rachel all those songs that have only ever been
34:57heard once probably yeah coming from all those countries yeah extraordinary you watch every year
35:03I I can't claim that actually but I'm not a complete stranger to the Eurovision Song Contest I can
35:10imagine you Alan Margaret Karen all sitting around doing your scores every time it comes up no no see you
35:16tomorrow Rachel we see you tomorrow same time same place you'll be sure of it good afternoon
35:34the verdict of the trial is thrown under the spotlight with other potential suspects considered
35:39having matched at the police description murder and the outback the Falconeo and Lee's mystery at nine
35:44tonight Menorca next looking for a pool and a beauty salon in a place in the sun
35:50you
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