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00:30Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown studio.
00:33Now, here we are, festive season, and therefore there are carol concerts being performed and sung all over the country,
00:41and that'll carry on right up until Christmas Day, I'm sure.
00:44Now, let me give you a couple of facts.
00:45Apparently, carols began as an old English custom, wassailing, singing and toasting good health.
00:53And secondly, they were not sung in churches until they were introduced way back in the 13th century by St.
00:59Francis of Assisi.
01:00So there's two facts to, you know, regurgitate on some unsuspecting person, wassailing and St. Francis of Assisi.
01:08Now, I don't know whether you're into Christmas or not, but there's something wonderful, particularly, I think, if they're sung
01:14outside in the cold, Christmas carols.
01:17I think it's wonderful. I wasn't allowed to sing them because my voice is terrible.
01:21Right.
01:22And I was thrown from the room where the choir auditions were taking place.
01:26But I don't know about you. Do you have a good voice, a good singing voice?
01:30No, absolutely not. I'd rather listen than sing.
01:32Have you said that?
01:34Just a proud grandfather's tone. My grandson, Freddie, is in the first choir at school.
01:41Quite something, apparently.
01:42I don't know how many they've got, but he's in the first one, anyway.
01:45So there we are. He'll be singing carols, I'm sure.
01:47Now, who have we got with us? Richard Hayward is back.
01:50Rachel, chartered accountant from Stockport.
01:52Two wins under his belt, so good luck today.
01:54OK. But first of all, you've got to get past James Thompson, math student from Bristol,
02:00and a member of the University of Bristol Pool and Snooker Club.
02:04I see. You're playing for money down there in Bristol.
02:07I'm not good enough to play for money, I'm afraid.
02:09No? How's the maths coming on?
02:12Um, it's going OK.
02:13Yeah?
02:14Yeah, it's pretty tricky, but...
02:16Well, there's a lot of maths here, so I hope you do very well.
02:19You went off to Malawi on a school trip where you helped build and paint schools,
02:23and you described it as basically paradise.
02:26What element of that was paradise?
02:28Heat for the start.
02:30Yeah.
02:30Also, it was a holiday.
02:33We were right by the beach with loads of friends.
02:36It was just a really nice three weeks out there.
02:39And doing good work, too.
02:41Yeah.
02:41Building and painting a school. That's good. Good for you.
02:44Let's have a big round of applause, then, for James and Richard.
02:51And over the corner, please welcome.
02:53That's Susie Dent.
02:54And if you've been to a musical at the theatre, or on a big screen,
02:58you'll more than likely know the lyrics from Evita, great, great show,
03:02to Aladdin and so many more.
03:04It's Tim Rice over in Dictionary Corner.
03:06Hello.
03:06How are you?
03:09Good, man.
03:11Well done, Tim.
03:11Now, let's get down to business.
03:13Richard, a letters game, if you please.
03:16Afternoon, Rachel.
03:17Afternoon, Richard.
03:18Could I start with a vowel, please?
03:19We start today with O.
03:21And another.
03:23I.
03:24And another.
03:25U.
03:26And another.
03:28E.
03:29And a consonant.
03:31S.
03:32And another.
03:33D.
03:34And another.
03:36R.
03:36Another consonant.
03:39W.
03:41And another consonant, please.
03:42And the last one.
03:44P.
03:45And here is the countdown clock.
04:16Yes, Richard?
04:18Seven.
04:19James?
04:20Just a six.
04:21And your six?
04:22Swiped.
04:23Swiped and?
04:24Powders.
04:25Powders.
04:26Yes, very good.
04:28Excellent.
04:28How did we get on in the corner there, Jim?
04:31Well, we didn't do very much better.
04:32In fact, we didn't do any better at all.
04:36Weirdos for seven.
04:37Yes.
04:38Very serious word.
04:40And periods for seven.
04:41And periods.
04:42All right.
04:43Seven points to Richard.
04:44And it's James's crack at the letters game now.
04:47James?
04:48Can I have a consonant, please?
04:49Thank you, James.
04:50L.
04:51And another.
04:53M.
04:55And a vowel.
04:57I.
04:58And a consonant.
05:01N.
05:02And another.
05:05And a vowel, please.
05:14E.
05:15And another.
05:18A.
05:20And a final consonant.
05:22And a final T.
05:25Stand by.
05:27And a vowel.
05:28And a vowel.
05:47And a vowel.
05:47And a vowel.
05:47And a vowel.
05:56Yes, James?
05:57A seven.
05:58A seven, Richard?
05:59Seven.
06:00James?
06:01Inflate.
06:02And?
06:02Same word.
06:04Both inflated there.
06:07And in the corner, Tim?
06:08Well, I have to give this full credit to Susie here, who's got an eight.
06:13Yep, filament is there.
06:16Slender thread-like object or five.
06:18We can find it in animal and plant structures or, indeed, in a light bulb.
06:22Exactly.
06:28So, 14 plays seven as we turn to Richard for a numbers game.
06:33Two from the top and four from the bottom, please.
06:35Thank you, Richard.
06:36Two from the top and four from the bottom.
06:39And the first numbers game of the day is six, six, four, three, and the large one, 75 and 25.
06:47And the target, 464.
06:50Four, six, four.
06:51One, six, four, one.訪问.
06:54Two, three,
07:11and the large one. One, six,
07:12four, two, and the large one. One, seven,
07:12six, six, six, one. Five. One,
07:12six, nine. You're well.
07:12Two, three,
07:21and five, five. One, four,
07:22Yes, Richard?
07:234, 6, 4.
07:24And James?
07:254, 6, 2.
07:274, 6, 2.
07:28Richard?
07:3075 times 6 is...
07:3175 times 6, yep, 4, 50.
07:346 times 3 is 18.
07:37Take away the 4.
07:38The other 6, lovely.
07:39Add that on, take away the 4.
07:41Perfect, 4, 6, 4.
07:42Well done.
07:46Well done, Richard.
07:4724 plays 7 as we turn to our first tea time teaser,
07:50which is one's death.
07:52And the clue, one's death might lead to an inscription on this.
07:56One's death might lead to an inscription on this.
08:15Welcome back.
08:16I left you with the clue,
08:17one's death might lead to an inscription on this.
08:20And this being the headstone.
08:23Headstone.
08:24Now, Richard on 24, James on 7.
08:27Bags of time, James.
08:28Try this letters game.
08:29Could I have a consonant, please?
08:31Thank you, James.
08:32V.
08:34And another.
08:35T.
08:37And a vowel, please.
08:40I.
08:41And a consonant.
09:00And lastly, S.
09:07Stand by.
09:07Theodore Yeah.
09:25And another.
09:30Theodore, a listener, can you see?
09:31I know.
09:31I know.
09:32I mean, I know.
09:33I know.
09:34I know.
09:35I know.
09:37And then another.
09:39James, just a six, a six, six as well, two sixes, James, Paints, and Richard, Staines, and Staines,
09:49it's now Staines on 10s, isn't it, um, visits, but we can't beat six, no, no, nothing else,
09:57nothing else, very well to anybody who got longer than six, well done, thank you Tim,
10:02but Rachel's been busy over here, Pins, that's brilliant, to drown out the sound of your singing,
10:09very good, my word, beating everybody, um, now, 30 plays 13, and it's Richard's letters game, Richard,
10:20a vowel please, thank you Richard, E, and another, I, another vowel, O, and another, U, and a consonant,
10:33D, and another, R, and another, N, and another, D, and a vowel please, and the last one, O,
10:48stand by.
10:50click, and then, if you're in theorial ди sweetness, please, and the following Merrymac,
11:08please, and the vowel please, and the vowel be ifs or maybe somebody else, and the vowel
11:08Pminist kalo is the vowel, meaning, of the vowel, you're in the throat, and the vowel,
11:12it's a vowel, so it's what they call it another, O, 對不對, and the vowel,
11:21Yes, Richard?
11:22Seven.
11:23And James?
11:24Five.
11:26And that five?
11:27Droid.
11:28Yes, Richard?
11:30Rounded.
11:31Yeah.
11:32Well done.
11:33What does the corner think about this?
11:35We think he's very good.
11:37Can we match him?
11:39Well, we had rounded two.
11:41Yeah, rounded.
11:42That's it, really.
11:43Indoor, you can have as an adjective a six,
11:46but rounded seems to be the best of his seven.
11:48Very good.
11:49Well done, Richard.
11:4937 plays 13, and it's James' numbers game now.
11:54James, could I have one from the top and five from the bottom, please?
11:57Thank you, James.
11:58One from the top and five little ones.
12:01And these five small ones are six, three, ten, two, and four,
12:08and the large one, 100.
12:09And the target, 415.
12:12Four, one, five.
12:13Six, four, four, five.
12:18One, five.
12:44Yeah, it's James.
12:45415.
12:46And Richard?
12:48414.
12:49414. Come James.
12:524 times 100.
12:544 times 100, 400.
12:56Plus the 10, plus the 2, plus the 3.
12:58Yeah, I think Richard might kick himself.
13:00415.
13:06I think Richard is kicking himself.
13:08There we are.
13:10So 23 now plays 37.
13:13So Richard is still in charge as we turn to Tim.
13:16And Tim, you're involved in yet another new film in a slightly different way.
13:22Yes, I'm technically an executive producer, which sounds quite grand.
13:29And it's for a film which stars Joan Collins, Dame Joan Collins and Pauline Collins.
13:35And it's coming out in March.
13:37And it's called Time of Their Lives.
13:40And it's a story about two ladies of a certain age who meet by chance.
13:45And one almost kidnaps the other to go to France.
13:50Joan plays a faded film star.
13:54And she's desperate to go to a funeral for the sole purpose of seeing an agent she knows will be
13:59there.
14:00She knows will be there.
14:02And my role really is, apart from trying to raise a few bob for it in the first place, is
14:06to, I'm a kind of musical advisor.
14:08And one of my particular likes in the popular music field is French popular music of the 60s, as I
14:17was a student in Paris in 1963.
14:19And there are so many wonderful Parisian and French pop stars of that era.
14:30And we're trying to get some of their songs, as many as we can, into the soundtrack.
14:39But it's not a musical.
14:40It's a very touching tale written and directed by Roger Goldby about two ladies who end up happily.
14:50But I mustn't give too much away.
14:52No.
14:52Fairly happily, I should say, perhaps.
14:54So March 2017.
14:56Yep.
14:57Coming out in March.
14:58And we'll see.
14:58Time of their lives.
14:59And we'll see Joan Collins and Pauline heading for a funeral in France.
15:03Yes.
15:04That's one way of putting it.
15:06But, folks, it's fun.
15:08All right.
15:09And not their funeral.
15:10Well done.
15:15Very good.
15:16All right.
15:1737 to 23.
15:19Richard in the lead.
15:19And it's Richard's letters game now.
15:22Richard.
15:23A vowel, please.
15:24Thank you, Richard.
15:25E.
15:26And another.
15:28I.
15:29And another.
15:30E.
15:31And another.
15:31A.
15:33And a consonant.
15:34L.
15:36And another.
15:37B.
15:38And another.
15:39Q.
15:40And another.
15:42G.
15:43That's another consonant, please.
15:45And lastly, P.
15:47Stand by.
15:49Bye.
15:57Bye.
16:00Bye.
16:08Bye.
16:20Richard.
16:21Five.
16:22James.
16:22Five, not run down.
16:24What is it, then?
16:25Bleep.
16:26Bleep.
16:27Richard.
16:28Same word.
16:30That was lucky, then, wasn't it?
16:32All right, well done.
16:33Any more bleeping?
16:34We didn't have that one, actually.
16:36No.
16:36No.
16:36But we have got, and you learn something every day, epigeal.
16:41Is that how it's pronounced?
16:41Epigeal.
16:42Epigeal, sorry.
16:43Epigeal.
16:44Yes, no, you've forgiven it.
16:45It's a very specialist term, or specialised term.
16:47It's botanical, and if something is epigeal, it grows on or close to the ground.
16:54Epigeal.
16:55Pretty much everything does, doesn't it?
16:56Yes, I would have said small was another word for that.
16:59It's also got another definition to do with seed germination, with seeds appearing above the ground.
17:04All right.
17:05Epigeal.
17:0642 plays 28.
17:07James, letters game.
17:09Could I have a consonant, please, Rachel?
17:11Thank you, James.
17:12C.
17:13And another.
17:15M.
17:16And a vowel.
17:18O.
17:20And a consonant.
17:22T.
17:24And another.
17:26M.
17:28And a vowel.
17:30U.
17:30And another.
17:34E.
17:35And a consonant.
17:39H.
17:41And a final consonant, please.
17:43And a final D.
17:45Stand by.
17:46are, I.
17:48And a void.
17:48And a petits-
18:12And a person.
18:12They're jalapen.
18:12And a monsieur, and the bucket list.
18:12And a little bit.
18:12I love it.
18:15And a inflation.
18:15And a tenant.
18:17James.
18:18Eight.
18:19And eight.
18:19Richard.
18:20Six.
18:21And your six.
18:22Hummed.
18:23Hummed.
18:24James Thompson.
18:25Commuted.
18:27Well done.
18:28Very good.
18:29Very, very good.
18:30Well done.
18:35Now, Tim and Susie.
18:37I think that's the best commuted.
18:40I put a C in front of hummed and got chummed.
18:43But that is wiped out by commuted.
18:46Commuted.
18:47Well done.
18:47All right.
18:48So, 42, please.
18:5036.
18:50Numbers are back.
18:51Richard.
18:53Can I go for a T, please?
18:55Right way round T.
18:57Three from the top and three little.
18:59Thank you, Richard.
19:00And this time the small numbers are two, six, and four.
19:04And the big ones, 25, 75, and 100.
19:08And your target, 508.
19:12508.
19:13And the big ones, 25, and 100.
19:43Richard?
19:47517.
19:49517. James?
19:51508.
19:53Thus spake the math student.
19:56James?
19:576 times 100.
19:59600.
20:00Minus 75, minus 25.
20:02500.
20:03And then 4 times 2, the 8.
20:05Yeah, quite a few ways for this one.
20:07508, well done.
20:08Well done.
20:14Which brings you into a lead of 46 to Richard's 42.
20:19My word.
20:20Now, time for a tea-time teaser.
20:22And it's Hey Dog Run.
20:24And the clue, this dog can run at a pretty impressive speed.
20:28This dog can run at a pretty impressive speed.
20:48Welcome back.
20:49I left you with a clue.
20:50This dog can run at a pretty impressive speed.
20:53That's because it's a greyhound.
20:56Greyhound.
20:57Fast indeed.
20:5842 to James is 46.
21:01Well done, James.
21:02And it's your letters game now.
21:05Could I have a consonant, please?
21:07Thank you, James.
21:07M.
21:08And another.
21:10T.
21:12And a vowel, please.
21:14O.
21:16And another.
21:17E.
21:18And a consonant.
21:21R.
21:23And another one.
21:25Z.
21:26And another.
21:29T.
21:30And a consonant.
21:34R.
21:35And a vowel, please.
21:36And the last one.
21:38O.
21:39Stand by.
21:40The.
21:41U.
21:42And another.
21:54T.
22:11Yes, James.
22:12Risky seven.
22:14Richard? Six.
22:16And your six? Rotter.
22:18Rotter. Now then, James.
22:21Motorer?
22:22Er, yes, it crossed my mind briefly, that one, but it's not there, I'm afraid, James, sorry.
22:29Motorist, but not a motorer.
22:31Bad luck, bad luck. So that puts Richard two points ahead.
22:34As we turn to the corner, Tim and Susie, any advance on Rotter?
22:39No.
22:40Another six we had was Rumour, which is a North American term for a lodger, essentially.
22:45A Rumour, yeah.
22:46Yeah, six was our best.
22:48Thank you. So, Richard, letters game.
22:50A consonant, please.
22:52Thank you, Richard.
22:53N.
22:54And another.
22:56T.
22:57And another.
22:59R.
23:01And another.
23:02L.
23:04And a vowel.
23:05E.
23:07And another.
23:08U.
23:09And another vowel, please.
23:19And the last one.
23:21U.
23:22Stand by.
23:24And a vowel.
23:27Here.
23:27And another.
23:51And a vowel.
23:51That.
23:52And another.
23:53And another.
23:54Richard?
23:55Six.
23:56James?
23:57Just a five.
23:58Your five?
24:01Er...
24:02No, it's gone.
24:03Sorry.
24:04We turn to Richard.
24:05Untrue.
24:06Untrue.
24:07Yeah, very good.
24:08Now then, what's the quarter got to offer?
24:12Well, if I were to say a colourless liquid hydrocarbon present in coal, tar and petroleum
24:18and used as a solvent and in organic synthesis...
24:21Yes.
24:21...you would immediately come up with the word toluene.
24:25Indeed, I would.
24:26Now that you've told me.
24:28Very good.
24:29Toluene.
24:30Toluene.
24:30Well done.
24:33Very good.
24:35Very good.
24:36Anything else?
24:37No, that was...
24:38I think that's quite enough.
24:40Toluene.
24:40There it is now then.
24:4354 to 46.
24:45Susie.
24:48Teach us something new and wonderful.
24:50I'm going to teach you about knees today, at least as they crop up in English idiomatic
24:57language, which they do surprisingly often, actually.
25:01I don't know if you remember me telling you that one theory about the word genuine is that
25:05it comes from the Latin genu, that a father would place a newborn on his knee to demonstrate
25:13his paternity, his true paternity.
25:15That's one theory.
25:17The most likely answer to that one, actually, is that it goes back to a Latin word meaning
25:20native or innate, which also gave us generous and gentleman.
25:24But it's a lovely story.
25:26What we do know, it goes back to knees, is the word crucial.
25:30We talk about crucial ligaments, et cetera, in medicine.
25:33And it was all to do with the ligaments behind the knee before it actually took on the idea
25:38of a crossroads, because it goes back to crux, Latin meaning a cross.
25:44And the idea of a forked road, if you like, is one in which you have to make a decision
25:49as to which way to go.
25:50You have to make a crucial decision, in other words.
25:53So it took on that meaning a bit later, after the knee meaning.
25:57But perhaps the loveliest story lies behind a different word altogether.
26:03And there's a tale that the Countess of Salisbury once lost her garter while dancing with Edward
26:09III.
26:10And with true 14th century gallantry, it said the king picked it up, fastened it around
26:16his own leg, and then said the immortal words, on y soit qui mal y pense.
26:20In other words, evil to him who speaks evil.
26:23And this, of course, became the motto of the order of the garter, the most prestigious
26:28order of chivalry that there is, an incredibly prestigious award as well.
26:33The garter itself comes from garret, which is French for the bend in the knee.
26:37And one of the things the Countess of Salisbury might have done is curtsy.
26:41Of course, she bent her knee to curtsy.
26:43That actually goes back to the word courtesy.
26:46So she did it in deference to the king.
26:48But I love the garter story.
26:51And whether or not it's apocryphal, certainly a knee is at its heart, as it is at so many
26:55words in English.
26:57Fantastic.
26:57Wonderful.
26:59APPLAUSE
27:03You might have genuflected, of course.
27:05Exactly.
27:06Another word there.
27:07Bending the knee.
27:07Very good.
27:08Absolutely.
27:0954 to 46.
27:11Richard in the lead at the moment.
27:12And it's James' chance to catch up now with the letters game.
27:16James.
27:16Hey.
27:17Can I have a consonant, please, Rachel?
27:18Thank you, James.
27:19K.
27:20And another.
27:23N.
27:25And a vowel.
27:27E.
27:28Could end up with knee.
27:30And another.
27:33No psychic letters.
27:34A.
27:35And a consonant.
27:37F.
27:39And another.
27:41R.
27:42And a vowel.
27:45U.
27:47And another.
27:49A.
27:51And a final consonant, please.
27:53And a final D.
27:56And here's the countdown clock.
27:57Hello.
28:23Hello.
28:25Hello.
28:27Have a great time.
28:28James?
28:29Six.
28:30Richard?
28:31Seven.
28:33James?
28:34Unfear.
28:36Unfear and?
28:38Franked.
28:39Franked.
28:41No, unfear, I'm afraid, James, if all you guessed that one, I'm sorry about that.
28:46Frank's absolutely fine, yes, to stamp something.
28:49All right.
28:49Any other sevens?
28:51Ten, Susie?
28:52Unraked.
28:53Yeah.
28:54Which apparently is there.
28:56It is there.
28:56Yes.
28:57And that was our best, actually, knit for seven.
28:59That's it.
29:0061 to 46.
29:02And final letters game for Richard.
29:04Now, Richard.
29:06A vowel, please.
29:07Thank you, Richard.
29:08I.
29:08And another.
29:10O.
29:11And another.
29:12E.
29:13And another.
29:15A.
29:16And the consonant.
29:18T.
29:19And another.
29:20Y.
29:21And another.
29:22S.
29:24And another.
29:27And a consonant, please.
29:29And to finish, G.
29:31Stand by.
30:03Richard?
30:06I'll stick with the six.
30:07James?
30:08Seven.
30:09Richard?
30:10Gloats.
30:12Now then, James?
30:13Goalies.
30:15Goalies?
30:16Absolutely fine.
30:17Yep, no problem with that.
30:19Well done.
30:19Well done.
30:20You're in touch.
30:2153 and 61 as we turn to Tim and Susie.
30:24Now then.
30:25Well, we can't beat seven, can we?
30:27No, we can.
30:28We can't.
30:28We were just looking at soilage, but that's not there.
30:33Isolate and gelatos.
30:34You can have gelatos or gelati if you're having a couple of ice creams.
30:39Those would give you sevens as well.
30:42Well done.
30:42All right.
30:44So, final numbers game for the math student, James.
30:48Let's go.
30:49Could I have three from the top and three from elsewhere?
30:52You can indeed.
30:53Thank you, James.
30:53Three large, three little.
30:55And the final game of the day is three, seven, two.
31:00And the large three, 75, 100 and 25.
31:04And the target, 218.
31:08Two, one, eight.
31:11One, two, one.
31:13One, two, one, three.
31:14One, two, one, eight.
31:30One, two, three.
31:33One, two, one.
31:41Well, James?
31:432-1-8.
31:44Richard?
31:452-1-8.
31:46Right.
31:48James?
31:492 times 100.
31:51200.
31:5275 divided by 25.
31:55Is 3.
31:56Then 7 times 3 is 21.
32:0021.
32:02Minus the 3 from before.
32:04Yeah, sure.
32:06One way to get there.
32:062-1-8.
32:07And Richard?
32:09100 times 2 plus 25 minus 7.
32:12Yeah, 2-1-8 again.
32:13Well done.
32:15So there we are.
32:21So we have a crucial conundrum on our hands.
32:26You've been here before, Richard, I think.
32:28Fingers on buzzers.
32:30Let's reveal today's crucial countdown conundrum.
32:54James?
32:55Broad sword?
32:56Let's see whether you're right.
32:58No?
32:59There's an end.
33:00Down to you, Richard.
33:13Whoa, we're foxed.
33:16We're foxed.
33:17We're perplexed.
33:18But we've got a big, big audience here.
33:21Yes, sir?
33:22Snowboard.
33:24Snowboard.
33:24Let's see whether you're right.
33:27Snowboard.
33:27Well done.
33:30Well done.
33:35Well done.
33:36All right.
33:37Good old battle there, James.
33:40Well done.
33:41Well done.
33:42Back to Bristol with you.
33:43With our very best wishes.
33:46Goodie bag and good luck with the pool and snooker.
33:50Yeah?
33:50Well done.
33:51Meanwhile, we shall see Richard tomorrow.
33:54Congratulations.
33:55Well done.
33:56All right.
33:57Pretty good?
33:58Pretty good.
33:59That's Richard's second crucial conundrum.
34:01He hasn't got either of them.
34:04There we are.
34:05Third time lucky, perhaps.
34:06We'll see what the future brings.
34:08Tim, will you come and see us tomorrow, please?
34:10If you insist, I'll be there.
34:11Absolutely insist.
34:12And Susie, too, of course.
34:13Yes, see you then.
34:14See you both tomorrow.
34:16And, Rachel, of course, see you tomorrow.
34:18See you then.
34:19Same time, same place.
34:20You'll be sure of it.
34:21A very good afternoon.
34:23Contact us by email at countdown at channel4.com,
34:27by Twitter at C4Countdown,
34:29or write to us at countdown leads LS3 1JS.
34:33You can also find our web page at channel4.com forward slash countdown.
34:40Tonight on 4 at 9,
34:41the three times Golden Globe-nominated U.S. drama This Is Us continues.
34:46And at 10, proving it's never too late for love.
34:50Tying the knot late in life.
34:51I do at 92.
34:53Next, though, 42 years in the same house.
34:56It's time to move on in Coast vs. Country.
35:03You