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00:30APPLAUSE
00:32Good afternoon and welcome to the Countdown studio.
00:35Now, I guess that every day we find ourselves in public buildings,
00:38in shops, down the pub, in the job centre, wherever it is.
00:41Pretty normal stuff.
00:43But occasionally, of course, we're startled.
00:45And I read about some poor people shopping in a drugstore
00:48in Oregon in the States,
00:50and were startled to see coming towards them a bear cub.
00:54A bear cub. So they didn't know what to do.
00:57What really worried them, of course, Rachel, was where was Mum?
01:00Maybe she was surprising the sailrails next door.
01:02Anyway, they scooped it into a shopping basket
01:04and gave it to somebody who went off and reunited it with its mum.
01:07So these things do happen.
01:09What about you? Have you been surprised in a public building?
01:12LAUGHTER
01:14Or not myself, but you'd be amazed the amount of animals that do go missing.
01:18Cos my brother used to work at the dangerous wild animal rescue facility,
01:21I've told you before. Yeah.
01:23And the amount of 18-foot albino boa constrictors
01:26that people manage to lose is ridiculous.
01:29They just get calls and someone's found this enormous snake in their garden,
01:35or, you know, and they go up the stairs and all kinds of places.
01:38Amazing. I think what happens, surely, is they get too big
01:41and they're sort of put out.
01:43Possibly, but people do call up and report that they're missing their snake.
01:47And sometimes they do get, you know, sent back to their owner,
01:50so they're obviously just slippery characters.
01:52I haven't got any in here, have we?
01:54Now, who are we joined with? Two old friends, Rachel.
01:57We've got Bobby Banerjee, a recruitment consultant,
02:00originally from Hull but now living, I think, in Birmingham.
02:03Won six games in Series 70 to make it to the quarterfinals
02:07where Andy Naylor came in and beat you,
02:10and then he went on to the final.
02:12Well, welcome back. Can't say good luck.
02:14Welcome back, Bobby.
02:15And you're joined by Bobby Johnson, a taxi driver from Glasgow.
02:19Also appeared in Series 70, winning three games
02:22before succumbing to a narrow defeat by Mark Murray,
02:26who went on to become Series champion,
02:28so you were beaten by a formidable competitor.
02:31So, welcome back to the Bobbies.
02:34And I shall now henceforth refer to you as Bobby,
02:37as Mr Banerjee and Mr Johnson, if that's all right with you.
02:40Excellent. All right.
02:41And over in the corner, of course, as ever, a stalwart of Dictionary Corner,
02:45Susie Dent, joined once again by a wonderful friend of the show,
02:49Arlene Phillips, choreographer, director, TV presenter, judge.
02:53Welcome back, Arlene.
02:55Thank you. Nice to be here today.
02:57Good. And more stories from the world of the soft-shoe shuffle
03:01a little bit later on.
03:03But now we're going to get down to a letters game with Mr Banerjee.
03:07Hi, Rachel. Hi, Bobby.
03:09Could I have a consonant, please?
03:11Of course. Thank you. Start today with P.
03:14And a vowel?
03:16I.
03:18And a consonant?
03:20H.
03:22And another?
03:24R.
03:25And another?
03:27N.
03:29And a vowel?
03:31O.
03:33And another?
03:36E.
03:38And one more?
03:41A.
03:43And a consonant, please?
03:45And the last one, P.
03:47One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, block.
04:18Now then, Mr Banerjee.
04:20A seven. A seven. And Mr Johnson?
04:22Seven also. Two sevens.
04:24So, happier.
04:26Happier. And Mr Johnson?
04:28Yep, just the same.
04:29Both of you. And in the corner?
04:32Heparin.
04:34Yes. What is this heparin?
04:36It's something to do with the liver.
04:38And as I was playing with the letters, it came there,
04:41and I'm not sure what to do with the liver,
04:43but it's got something to do with the liver.
04:45Susie?
04:46Very good. It's a compound that occurs in the liver.
04:48It's an anticoagulant, and its root is hepa, which gives us, in Greek,
04:52which gives us hepatitis, for example, and all sorts of other things.
04:56Yeah, that's a great seven. And propane is there for seven as well.
04:59Propane. Very good. So seven points apiece.
05:02Now then, Mr Johnson?
05:04Hi, Rachel. Hi, Bobby.
05:06A consonant, please? Thank you. Start with S.
05:09And another one?
05:11T.
05:13One more.
05:15D. Oh, dear.
05:17And a vowel, please?
05:19E.
05:21One more?
05:23O.
05:25Consonant, please?
05:27X.
05:29And a vowel?
05:31I.
05:33Consonant, please?
05:35R.
05:37And a vowel, please? And the last one?
05:39E.
05:41Goodbye.
06:12Mr Johnson?
06:14Seven. A seven? And a seven.
06:16Two sevens. So, Mr Johnson?
06:18Existed. Existed. And?
06:20Dieters. Dieters.
06:23Absolutely fine. Yes.
06:25Just feels awkward, doesn't it, somehow? A dieter, yes.
06:28Now then, what else have we got? Arlene?
06:30Detox and steroid.
06:32Steroid. That's it.
06:34There is an eight there, and they're all sort of related in some way.
06:36Dextrose. D-E-X-T-R-O-S-E.
06:39That's a sort of sugar supplement, isn't it?
06:41It's glucose, yes. It's a fast-digesting carb.
06:44OK.
06:46For people who work out. But, yeah.
06:48Thank you very much. Well done.
06:50So, 14 apiece.
06:52And now we're with Rachel and the numbers game.
06:55So, Mr Banerjee?
06:57Can I have two large and four small, please, Rachel?
06:59You can, indeed. Thank you, Bobby.
07:01Two big ones, four little ones coming up.
07:03And for the first time today,
07:05the numbers are 6, 8, 1, 7.
07:09And the large ones, 75 and 25.
07:12And the target, 296.
07:15296.
07:36BUZZER
07:47Mr Banerjee?
07:49300. 300.
07:51Yeah, Mr Johnson?
07:53293.
07:55293.
07:57Where does that take us? I think it takes us to Mr Johnson.
08:0175 plus 25.
08:0475 plus 25, 100.
08:068 plus 1 is 9.
08:08Yep.
08:10Take away the 6 to give 3.
08:13Minus 6 for 3.
08:15Multiply. 300.
08:17Take off 7. Yep. 293.
08:193 away. Yep.
08:21So, Rachel, 296?
08:23Yes, if you say 7 plus 6 minus 1 is 12.
08:27Add to 25 for 37 and times it by 8.
08:31296.
08:33Well done. Thank you, Rachel.
08:35So, 21 plays a 14 as we go into a tea-time teaser,
08:39which is boiled tuna.
08:41And the clue, if you've handled fish, you'll need to perform this.
08:45If you've handled fish, you'll need to perform this.
08:58APPLAUSE
09:04Welcome back. I left you with a clue.
09:06If you've handled fish, you'll need to perform this.
09:09You'll need to perform ablutions.
09:11So it's ablution. Ablution, indeed.
09:14So, Bobby J, 21, and Mr Banerjee on 14.
09:19So, Mr Johnson?
09:21A consonant, please.
09:23Thank you, Bobby.
09:25Q.
09:27Another one.
09:29B.
09:30One more.
09:32C.
09:34And another.
09:36S.
09:38Vowel, please.
09:40A.
09:41One more.
09:43U.
09:44A consonant, please.
09:46M.
09:47Vowel, please.
09:49I.
09:50And a consonant, please.
09:51And the last one.
09:53Y.
09:54Stand by.
10:03MUSIC
10:25Yes, Mr Johnson?
10:27Six.
10:28A six, Mr Banerjee?
10:29Just a five.
10:30Squib.
10:31Squib.
10:32Mr Johnson?
10:33Bigamy.
10:34Bigamy.
10:35Well spotted.
10:37Very well spotted, yes.
10:38Bigamy.
10:39And in the corner?
10:41I could only get bigamy as well.
10:43Well done.
10:44That was it.
10:45All right. Susie?
10:46One more, six.
10:47Iambus.
10:48Which is a metrical foot.
10:51Iambic pentameter and all that stuff.
10:53Exactly.
10:54Yes.
10:5527 plays Mr Banerjee's 14.
10:59And Mr Banerjee's back on with his letters.
11:02Can I have a consonant, please?
11:03Thank you, Bobby.
11:05J.
11:06And another.
11:08S.
11:09And a vowel.
11:11E.
11:12And a consonant.
11:14T.
11:15And another.
11:17R.
11:18And a vowel.
11:20O.
11:22And another vowel.
11:25A.
11:26A consonant.
11:29W.
11:31And another consonant, please.
11:33And the last one.
11:35S.
11:36Karen?
11:37Darren.
11:59MUSIC
12:09Mr Banerjee?
12:10A seven.
12:11A seven. Mr Johnson?
12:12Seven also.
12:13So, wasters.
12:15Wasters and Mr Johnson.
12:17Both of you.
12:18Two wasters here.
12:19And a waster over here.
12:21Wasters over here.
12:23Anything else?
12:25I'm trying to rest something away from somebody else with a W.
12:28But wasters is a great seven.
12:30All right. Very good.
12:3134 plays Mr Banerjee's 21.
12:35And we're in numbers territory again.
12:37Mr Johnson?
12:38Hi, Rachel. Can you remember?
12:40No.
12:41No?
12:42Five and one, please.
12:43Five and one.
12:44Thank you, Bobby. Sorry.
12:45Goldfish memory.
12:46Five and one.
12:48And the five little ones are nine, eight, six, five, four.
12:53And the large one, 50.
12:55And the target, 524.
12:58524.
12:59MUSIC
13:24So, Bobby Johnson?
13:26No.
13:27No?
13:28No.
13:29Mr Banerjee?
13:30522.
13:31522, two away. Come on, then.
13:34Six plus four is ten.
13:36Six plus four, ten.
13:37Times by the 50 is 500.
13:39Yep, 500.
13:40And then add the other three, so nine plus eight plus five.
13:43Nine plus eight plus five, 22, and two away.
13:46522.
13:47Well done, but not perfect.
13:50My word, they're making you work today.
13:52Come on, Rachel, 524? Is it tricky?
13:54A couple of ways you could have said six minus five is one,
13:58plus eight is nine, times nine is 81.
14:02Add to 50 for 131 and times it by four.
14:05That's the way.
14:06Brilliant stuff. Well done.
14:08APPLAUSE
14:09Well done.
14:10So, closing up there, Mr Banerjee on 28,
14:14Bobby Johnson on 34,
14:16and let's have Mr Banerjee back.
14:19Letters game. A consonant, please.
14:21Thank you, Bobby.
14:23K.
14:24And another.
14:26W.
14:27And another.
14:29M.
14:30And one more.
14:32F.
14:34And a vowel.
14:36E.
14:37And another.
14:38A.
14:40And another.
14:42I.
14:44I.
14:46And one more.
14:49E.
14:51And a final consonant, please.
14:54And a final R.
14:56Stand by.
15:15MUSIC
15:28Yes, Mr Banerjee?
15:30Just a six.
15:31And Mr Johnson?
15:32Six also.
15:33Two sixes, yes. Weaker.
15:35And Mr Johnson, both of you?
15:37There we go.
15:39And Eileen?
15:41I'm joining the Bobbies. Weaker.
15:43All right, thank you.
15:4540 points to Mr Johnson.
15:47And just six behind, we find Mr Banerjee and Mr Johnson.
15:51Letters.
15:52Consonant, please.
15:54Thank you, Mr Johnson. N.
15:57One more.
15:59F.
16:01Another.
16:03N.
16:05Vowel, please.
16:07O.
16:08Another.
16:09A.
16:11Consonant.
16:13Z.
16:15And another.
16:17H.
16:19Vowel, please.
16:21I.
16:24And a consonant, please.
16:26And a last one, S.
16:28Countdown.
16:30MUSIC
16:41MUSIC CONTINUES
17:01Mr Johnson?
17:03Four.
17:04A four, Mr Banerjee?
17:05And a six.
17:06A six. So, Mr Johnson?
17:08F ands.
17:10What does Susie think?
17:12I think that is absolutely fine.
17:14Just reminding myself that they are negatively charged ions.
17:17So it's the opposite of a cation.
17:20And what else have we got there? Eileen?
17:23Seven. Fashion.
17:26Oh, wow. Perfect.
17:28That's it?
17:29Yep.
17:30All right. 40 apiece, then.
17:3240 apiece.
17:33And numbers for you, Mr Banerjee.
17:36Could I have an inverted T, please?
17:38Thank you, Bobby.
17:39One large one, five little ones.
17:41And for this round, they are...
17:43three, ten, two, nine, seven,
17:48and the large one, 25.
17:50And the target to reach, 753.
17:52753.
17:54MUSIC
18:08MUSIC
18:25Mr Banerjee?
18:26752.
18:28752. Mr Johnson?
18:30753.
18:31753. So...
18:33Three times ten.
18:35Three times ten is 30.
18:37Times 25.
18:39Times 25, 750.
18:42Ten minus nine is one.
18:44You've got to use the ten.
18:45Oh.
18:46Sorry, Bobby.
18:47Yep, yep.
18:48Oh, no. Mr Banerjee, then?
18:50Um, same stem.
18:52And nine minus seven is two.
18:54Not yet. For one away.
18:57It's a world of difference, though, isn't it?
18:59753?
19:00Sorry?
19:01Difficult?
19:02Um, you could have said 25 times ten is 250.
19:06And then nine minus seven is two.
19:08Divided by the two is one.
19:10Add that on for 251 and then times that by three.
19:13You get 753.
19:14Look at that.
19:15APPLAUSE
19:16So sweetly done. Thank you, Rachel.
19:18As ever.
19:19So, Mr Banerjee propels himself into the lead by seven points.
19:2347-40.
19:25As we go into a tea-time teaser, which is Hidd Organ,
19:28and the clue, commandeering all the advertising space, perhaps.
19:33APPLAUSE
19:40Welcome back.
19:41A lift with a clue, commandeering all the advertising space, perhaps.
19:45And the answer is hoarding.
19:48Hoarding.
19:50Advertising hoardings.
19:5247-40.
19:53As we go into a tea-time teaser, which is Hidd Organ,
19:57and the clue, commandeering all the advertising space, perhaps.
20:01Advertising hoardings.
20:0247-40.
20:04Mr Banerjee in the lead and Mr Johnson's back on.
20:07Yes, Bobby Johnson.
20:09Consonant, please.
20:10Thank you, Bobby.
20:11S
20:12Another.
20:14L
20:15One more.
20:17P
20:19And another.
20:21V
20:23Vowel, please.
20:25E
20:26And another.
20:28U
20:30Consonant, please.
20:32L
20:34And a vowel.
20:36A
20:41And a consonant, please.
20:43And the last one, T.
20:45Countdown.
21:00T
21:17Yes, Mr Johnson.
21:19Seven.
21:20A seven, Mr Banerjee.
21:22A six.
21:23And that six?
21:24Values.
21:25Values. Yes, Bobby Johnson.
21:27Pulsate.
21:29Very good. Excellent. Nice work.
21:31I've seen that one. Nice one.
21:33Any advances on pulsate?
21:35No advance, actually. Only six plates.
21:38Thank you. Susie?
21:40There's pallets for seven and pullets, a young hen,
21:43one younger than one years old.
21:45Both for seven as well.
21:47A pullet.
21:48A pullet.
21:49Yeah, a pullet.
21:5047 apiece. Closer on the thing now, then.
21:53Bobby Banerjee.
21:54Can I have a consonant, please?
21:57R
21:58And another.
22:00L
22:01And another.
22:03S
22:04And a vowel.
22:06O
22:07And another.
22:09I
22:10And one more.
22:12O
22:14A consonant.
22:16T
22:18Another consonant.
22:20R
22:21And a vowel, please.
22:23And the last one, E.
22:25And the clock starts now.
22:56MUSIC STOPS
22:58Mears to Banerjee.
23:00A risky eight.
23:02Risky eight. Mr Johnson?
23:04Seven.
23:05And that's seven?
23:06Loiters.
23:07Loiters. Now, then. Stoolia.
23:10Stoolia.
23:12Stoolia.
23:14Erm...
23:16Not there, I'm afraid, Bobby.
23:18There's stoolie, short for a stool pigeon,
23:20but no stoolie is an adjective. Sorry.
23:23Stoolia.
23:25Arlene?
23:27A seven.
23:29Yes.
23:30Lurries.
23:31Very good.
23:32Anything else? Suzy?
23:34There's Orioles, which, if we had Chris Packham here,
23:37he'd tell us two possible types of bird.
23:40An old world bird with bright yellow and black plumage,
23:43or a new world bird of the American blackbird family,
23:46but, again, with striking plumage.
23:48The golden Orioles.
23:49The golden Orioles, yes. Very beautiful sounding.
23:52Thank you very much.
23:5354, please.
23:55Bobby Banerjee's 47.
23:57As we turn back to Suzy...
24:00and her wonderful origins of words.
24:02Now, then, Suzy.
24:03We'll have to thank James Gordon, not James Corden,
24:06but James Gordon, who emailed in to say,
24:08what's the origin of the phrase?
24:10Well, to ask, what's the origin of the phrase,
24:12when in Rome do as the Romans do?
24:14And as far as we know,
24:16it was first coined in a letter between two saints.
24:20Saint Augustine wrote to the Bishop of Naples
24:24and he advised the bishop to at all times follow the local custom
24:28when visiting parishes in neighbouring cities or further afield.
24:31And the main reason was to avoid embarrassment,
24:34disgrace or, at worst, absolute scandal.
24:37So, for example, he said,
24:38although he didn't usually fast on Saturdays in Milan, where he lived,
24:42he did do so when visiting Rome.
24:45So I think it's incredible that a phrase that was coined
24:48in a letter between two friends
24:50right back at the beginnings of the Christian church
24:52is still so much in use today
24:53that all we need to say is when in Rome
24:55and everybody knows what we mean.
24:57But it got me thinking about Italy.
24:59Some parts of that letter may have been written in Italic
25:02and that comes directly from the word Italy.
25:04It was first applied to a printing type
25:07that was introduced by somebody called Aldus Manutius of Venice.
25:11And the letters, instead of being erect as in Roman type,
25:14they slope towards the right.
25:16And it was first used in an edition of Virgil published in 1501
25:20and he dedicated it to... the translator dedicated it to Italy.
25:24Roman type is so-called because of the square capitals
25:27that were used to write the inscriptions
25:30on these grand Roman monuments, such as the Pantheon.
25:33And Pantheon, by the way, means relating to all the gods
25:36because of the statues of all the gods that go around the building.
25:39But, yeah, Italic type was dedicated to Italy
25:42because it was supposed to be ornate and absolutely beautiful.
25:45How fascinating. Wonderful.
25:50Beautiful.
25:51Now, then, Bobby Johnson, 54, and Bobby Banerjee, 47.
25:56Where shall we go? Mr Johnson?
25:59Constant, please. Thank you, Bobby.
26:01T. One more.
26:05N. Another.
26:08T.
26:10Another.
26:12N.
26:15Vowel, please.
26:17I.
26:18One more.
26:20O.
26:22One more.
26:24E.
26:26Constant.
26:28Another T.
26:32And... constant.
26:34And the last one.
26:35R.
26:36Stand by.
26:45ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYS
27:09Mm. Mr Johnson.
27:11Rusky, seven.
27:13Bobby Banerjee?
27:14I'll stick with a six.
27:15And your six?
27:16Notion.
27:17Notion.
27:18Mr Johnson?
27:19Tertian. T-E-R-T-I-O-N.
27:22So how do things stand in the corner, then? Susie?
27:24Well, I have to disallow both, I'm afraid.
27:26Tertian is in the dictionary, but A-N rather than O-N.
27:29Yes.
27:30And Notion, last minute spot, you need two Os, Bobby.
27:34So no can do for either, I'm afraid.
27:37I see. What can we have?
27:39Arlene?
27:41Intoner.
27:43Yes.
27:44It's about divining.
27:46Yeah, it's to do with reciting, intoning, chanting, that sort of thing.
27:50Oh, I see.
27:51And Nick, there's also tritone,
27:53which is a musical term for an interval of three whole tones
27:57in musical range, as between C and F-sharp, for example.
28:01Yes. Not something I would spot.
28:0347 plays Bobby Johnson's 54,
28:06and Bobby Banerjee, Mr Banerjee, is back.
28:10Consonant, please.
28:11Thank you, Bobby.
28:13D
28:14And another.
28:16L
28:17And a vowel.
28:19O
28:20And a consonant.
28:22G
28:24And another consonant.
28:26R
28:27And a vowel.
28:29E
28:31And another vowel.
28:33I
28:34A consonant.
28:36M
28:37And a vowel.
28:38And the last one.
28:40U
28:41Countdown.
28:43♫
29:13Yes, Mr Banerjee?
29:15An eight.
29:16An eight, Mr Johnson?
29:17It also.
29:18Two eights, yes?
29:19Moldier.
29:20Moldier, are you both moldy?
29:21Two moldiers here.
29:23Arlene?
29:24I was five with mold.
29:26Mold.
29:27I didn't get the E-R on it.
29:29All right, Susie?
29:30No, that was my best as well, grind for six, but moldier, very good.
29:34Well done, all right.
29:35So still that difference, 62 plays 55.
29:38Bobby Johnson, the lead as we come into the final numbers game for Mr Johnson.
29:43Five and one, please.
29:44I can remember this time. Thank you, Bobby.
29:47One large one and five little ones.
29:50And for the final time today, they are eight, nine, another eight,
29:55one, five, and the large one, 50.
29:58And the target, 501.
30:00501.
30:02Here we go.
30:33Mr Johnson?
30:34Yeah, 501.
30:36Thank you. Mr Banerjee?
30:38501.
30:39All right, so, Bobby Johnson?
30:41Nine plus one is ten.
30:43Nine plus one, ten.
30:44Times 50.
30:45500.
30:46Then eight over eight.
30:47Lovely. Crucial conundrum time.
30:50Thank you very much, Mr Banerjee.
30:52Exactly the same way.
30:53All right, very good. So there we go.
30:5572 plays 65. What does that mean?
30:58That means we're in crucial conundrum territory.
31:01So fingers on buzzers, please.
31:02Let's reveal that crucial countdown conundrum.
31:11Mr Johnson?
31:12Crackling.
31:13Let's see whether you're right. My word, you were quick.
31:18Crackling. Look at that.
31:22And...
31:27..a crackling, cracking performance.
31:2982 plays Bobby Banerjee's 65.
31:33So well done.
31:34So I'm going to give you, I guess, a goodie bag, Mr Banerjee,
31:39to match the one that you had last time.
31:41Perfect.
31:42You'll be able to sit in next order.
31:44You'll be able to use them as bookends.
31:46Very, very good indeed.
31:47And well done to Mr Johnson. Excellent stuff indeed.
31:50Thank you so much for coming, both of you.
31:52Thank you, Susie, thank you, Arlene.
31:54Excellent stuff.
31:55Rachel?
31:56Fun, with two good competitors.
31:58Nice having some old friends back. Indeed.
32:00All right, I hope you enjoyed that show
32:02and join us when we come back next time.
32:05Good afternoon.
32:07You can contact the programme by email at countdown at channel4.com,
32:11by Twitter at c4countdown,
32:13or write to us at countdownleads ls31js.
32:17You can also find our web page at channel4.com forward slash countdown.
32:23Where Countdown is back on Monday at the usual time, ten past three.
32:26A golden guest list for Alan Carr tonight.
32:28Expect some 24-carat chat from Stephen Fry, Claire Balding and Nicky Flanagan.
32:33That's at ten.
32:34Next, will it be a quarter of a million pound finish to the week?
32:37Deal or no deal is on the way.