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Difference between revisions of "Conundrum"

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The '''conundrum''' is a 9 letter word, presented to contestants in the form of an anagram. The first person to buzz in and provide the answer scores 10 points. If neither contestant gets the answer within 30 seconds then it is often thrown over to the studio audience. A correct answer from an audience member will win them a Countdown mug.
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{{For|Crucial|[[Mark Tournoff]]'s book|[[Crucial - A Champion’s Tale]]}}
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[[Image:Martin Gardner.jpg|thumb|right|210px|[[Martin Gardner]] solving the conundrum {{word|INNERMOST}} in [[Episode 3482]].]]
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[[Image:GANDISEEG.png|thumb|right|210px|"[[GANDISEEG|{{word|GAN}}...{{word|GANDI}}...{{word|SEEG}}]]?"]]
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The '''conundrum''' is a buzzer round where a nine-letter word is shown to [[contestant]]s in the form of an anagram which must be unjumbled. The first person to buzz in and provide the correct answer in 30 seconds or less, scores 10 points. The conundrum is the final round of the game, and another conundrum is shown in the event of a tie.
  
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A '''crucial conundrum''' occurs when the two players are within ten points of each other before the final conundrum round, and hence the winner will be whichever player can solve it. To increase the drama, the studio lights are faded before the conundrum is revealed.
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The conundrum is hidden at the start of the round and then turned over to reveal the scramble as soon as the clock is started. Each player may buzz in and guess only once. If any contestant buzzes in with a wrong guess or does not answer, they are "frozen out" of the round and the clock is then restarted for the other player to buzz within the time remaining. Since [[Series 65]] in 2011, wrong guesses are revealed in final cut as {{word|INCORRECT}}. The round ends when either one player answers correctly, when the 30 seconds expire or when both contestants buzz in and fail to guess correctly.
  
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In the early days of the show, if the scores were level on a conundrum, the game was declared a draw and the contestants returned the next day for a rematch. (The procedure during the finals is unknown, as no draw ever occurred.) In the modern format, draws are resolved by a second "sudden death" conundrum. If the second conundrum goes unsolved, and the scores remain tied, a third conundrum is used (and so on, presumably, ''ad infinitum''.) Only one game has ever required a third conundrum.
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A '''crucial conundrum''' occurs when the two players are within 10 points of each other before the final conundrum round, and hence the winner will be whichever player can solve it. Since 2003, the studio lights are dimmed on a crucial conundrum and since 2017, the lights turn pinkish-purple.
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Pre-COVID, conundrums were presented on a board so that audience members could see – if neither contestant found the answer within 30 seconds, it was – from 2003 – often thrown over to the studio audience. A correct answer from an audience member won them a [[goody bag|''Countdown'' mug]]. Post-COVID, conundrums are presented digitally and unsolved conundrums are thrown over to the co-[[presenter]], [[lexicographer]] and celebrity guest. The mechanical conundrum board is still used on ''[[8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown]]''.
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If the total scores are level after the conundrum, another conundrum is presented as a tiebreaker. Tiebreak conundrums continue to be presented until one is solved, and the same rules apply for each conundrum. Tiebreak conundrums are rare, and a third is even rarer. Tiebreakers may theoretically continue ad infinitum, but on some such occasions only the solved conundrum is broadcast in the final cut to save time, such as in [[Episode 6157]].
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From the show's inception in 1982, the game was declared a [[draw]] if the scoreline was level after the conundrum and both contestants would return for a [[rematch]] the next day, except in series finals when tiebreaks were necessary. After [[Series 21]] had a record four drawn preliminary matches, the rules were changed in [[Series 22]] so that all matches must now be settled by tiebreaks. Games may still end in a draw on ''8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown'', which does not usually have tiebreaks.
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The conundrum is often posed as gibberish comprised of two or three words (or occasionally, one word with a prefix/suffix, or an abbreviation), similar to an anagram fodder in cryptic crossword clues. The scramble may be tongue-in-cheek, or even as one whole word to pose a true anagram pair. For example, {{word|DEVIATION}} can be jumbled up as {{word|ANTIVIDEO}}, {{word|EMULATING}} as {{word|GLUTAMINE}}, {{word|SEGREGATE}} as {{word|EASTEREGG}} and {{word|BONHOMOUS}} humorously as {{word|OOHSONUMB}}.
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Conundrums are designed to be gently puzzling rather than annoyingly baffling, so extremely rare and obsolete words with definitions that are difficult to comprehend should be avoided for this purpose. While the ''[[Oxford Dictionaries Premium]]'' website is ''[[Countdown]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s sole source, almost all answers are considered everyday words and appear in standard single-volume print and online dictionaries. Obscurer verbs and adjectives, loanwords and terms from academic subjects may be preserved for knockout matches in the finals and a [[Championship of Champions]] to increase difficulty. Conundrums are set by the producer, currently [[Damian Eadie]]. Plurals of eight-letter nouns and verbs in present tense form are usually not used in conundrums, although nouns which exist only in plural form such as {{word|DROPPINGS}} and {{word|CASTANETS}} may be used.
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Although conundrums, when unjumbled, must reveal only one nine-letter word, an "illegal" conundrum with two or more possible answers may be posed in error. For example, in [[Episode 7102]], the conundrum jumbled as {{word|LOVECRISP}} had {{word|COVERSLIP}} and {{word|SLIPCOVER}} as possible answers.
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During the recording of the programmes, conundrums may be changed and/or reshot in the game in the event of discrepancies or mishaps which would not produce suitable outcomes in final cuts.
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 +
For the purpose of differentiating between which contestant presses their button to offer a solution first, both the champion's and challenger's nameplates have a perimeter light which illuminates when their button is pressed, with the champion's button sounding a "bell" and the challenger's as a "buzzer".
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On occasions where one of the contestants is visually impaired or blind, the conundrum scramble is phonetically read out, the most recent example of this being on [[Episode 7855]].
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Some top notch contestants have been noted for frequently solving conundrums in under a second, as indicated by a buzz before the clock has illuminated the first light. The record for the fastest combined time over eight conundrums by an [[octochamp]] (to the quarter of a second) currently stands at 17.75 seconds by [[Tom Carey|Thomas Carey]]. In the [[Series 57]] finals in 2007, the series runner-up in the form of [[Jeffrey Hansford]] adopted a tactic which became known as "Hansfording" or "fudging", where he would buzz in as soon as the letters started to turn over. In his semi-final, he was too slow to answer, but correctly guessed as soon as the clock restarted. As an act of sportsmanship, his opponent declined to buzz in.
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==Contestants with eight consecutive prelim conundrum solves==
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Contestants are listed chronologically.
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{|class="wikitable sortable"
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!Rank !! Name !! Total solve time (s) !! Average solve time (s) !! Fastest solve time (s) !! Shortest solve time (s)
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|-
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!1
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|| [[Darryl Francis]] || 50.25 || 6.28 || 1 || 28
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|-
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!2
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|| [[Harvey Freeman]] || 26 || 3.25 || 2 || 7
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|-
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!3
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|| [[David Williams (Series 43)|David Williams]] || 29.5 || 3.69 || 1.75 || 9.25
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|-
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!4
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|| [[Julian Fell]] || 46 || 5.75 || 2 || 23.75
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|-
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!5
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|| [[Kai Laddiman]] || 40.5 || 5.06 || 1.5 || 14.5
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|-
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!6
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|| [[Daniel Pati]] || 54.75 || 6.84 || 0.5 || 27.5
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|-
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!7
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|| [[Jonathan Rawlinson]] || 30.25 || 3.78 || 0.75 || 7.5
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|-
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!8
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|| [[Tom Carey|Thomas Carey]] || 17.75 || 2.22 || 1.5 || 4.25
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|-
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!9
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|| [[Paul Erdunast]] || 42.75 || 5.34 || 1 || 27.5
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|-
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!10
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|| [[Elliott Mack]] || 33 || 4.13 || 1.25 || 14.5
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|-
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!11
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|| [[Elliott Mellor]] || 30 || 3.75 || 0.75 || 8.5
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|-
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!12
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|| [[Florence Cappleman-Lynes]] || 45.25 || 5.66 || 1.25 || 10.25
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|-
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!13
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|| [[Tom Stevenson]] || 43 || 5.38 || 1 || 19.75
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|}
  
 
[[Category:Terminology]]
 
[[Category:Terminology]]

Latest revision as of 19:08, 1 June 2024

"Crucial" redirects here. For Mark Tournoff's book, see Crucial - A Champion’s Tale.
Martin Gardner solving the conundrum INNERMOST in Episode 3482.
"GAN...GANDI...SEEG?"

The conundrum is a buzzer round where a nine-letter word is shown to contestants in the form of an anagram which must be unjumbled. The first person to buzz in and provide the correct answer in 30 seconds or less, scores 10 points. The conundrum is the final round of the game, and another conundrum is shown in the event of a tie.

The conundrum is hidden at the start of the round and then turned over to reveal the scramble as soon as the clock is started. Each player may buzz in and guess only once. If any contestant buzzes in with a wrong guess or does not answer, they are "frozen out" of the round and the clock is then restarted for the other player to buzz within the time remaining. Since Series 65 in 2011, wrong guesses are revealed in final cut as INCORRECT. The round ends when either one player answers correctly, when the 30 seconds expire or when both contestants buzz in and fail to guess correctly.

A crucial conundrum occurs when the two players are within 10 points of each other before the final conundrum round, and hence the winner will be whichever player can solve it. Since 2003, the studio lights are dimmed on a crucial conundrum and since 2017, the lights turn pinkish-purple.

Pre-COVID, conundrums were presented on a board so that audience members could see – if neither contestant found the answer within 30 seconds, it was – from 2003 – often thrown over to the studio audience. A correct answer from an audience member won them a Countdown mug. Post-COVID, conundrums are presented digitally and unsolved conundrums are thrown over to the co-presenter, lexicographer and celebrity guest. The mechanical conundrum board is still used on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

If the total scores are level after the conundrum, another conundrum is presented as a tiebreaker. Tiebreak conundrums continue to be presented until one is solved, and the same rules apply for each conundrum. Tiebreak conundrums are rare, and a third is even rarer. Tiebreakers may theoretically continue ad infinitum, but on some such occasions only the solved conundrum is broadcast in the final cut to save time, such as in Episode 6157.

From the show's inception in 1982, the game was declared a draw if the scoreline was level after the conundrum and both contestants would return for a rematch the next day, except in series finals when tiebreaks were necessary. After Series 21 had a record four drawn preliminary matches, the rules were changed in Series 22 so that all matches must now be settled by tiebreaks. Games may still end in a draw on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, which does not usually have tiebreaks.

The conundrum is often posed as gibberish comprised of two or three words (or occasionally, one word with a prefix/suffix, or an abbreviation), similar to an anagram fodder in cryptic crossword clues. The scramble may be tongue-in-cheek, or even as one whole word to pose a true anagram pair. For example, DEVIATION can be jumbled up as ANTIVIDEO, EMULATING as GLUTAMINE, SEGREGATE as EASTEREGG and BONHOMOUS humorously as OOHSONUMB.

Conundrums are designed to be gently puzzling rather than annoyingly baffling, so extremely rare and obsolete words with definitions that are difficult to comprehend should be avoided for this purpose. While the Oxford Dictionaries Premium website is Countdown's sole source, almost all answers are considered everyday words and appear in standard single-volume print and online dictionaries. Obscurer verbs and adjectives, loanwords and terms from academic subjects may be preserved for knockout matches in the finals and a Championship of Champions to increase difficulty. Conundrums are set by the producer, currently Damian Eadie. Plurals of eight-letter nouns and verbs in present tense form are usually not used in conundrums, although nouns which exist only in plural form such as DROPPINGS and CASTANETS may be used.

Although conundrums, when unjumbled, must reveal only one nine-letter word, an "illegal" conundrum with two or more possible answers may be posed in error. For example, in Episode 7102, the conundrum jumbled as LOVECRISP had COVERSLIP and SLIPCOVER as possible answers.

During the recording of the programmes, conundrums may be changed and/or reshot in the game in the event of discrepancies or mishaps which would not produce suitable outcomes in final cuts.

For the purpose of differentiating between which contestant presses their button to offer a solution first, both the champion's and challenger's nameplates have a perimeter light which illuminates when their button is pressed, with the champion's button sounding a "bell" and the challenger's as a "buzzer".

On occasions where one of the contestants is visually impaired or blind, the conundrum scramble is phonetically read out, the most recent example of this being on Episode 7855.

Some top notch contestants have been noted for frequently solving conundrums in under a second, as indicated by a buzz before the clock has illuminated the first light. The record for the fastest combined time over eight conundrums by an octochamp (to the quarter of a second) currently stands at 17.75 seconds by Thomas Carey. In the Series 57 finals in 2007, the series runner-up in the form of Jeffrey Hansford adopted a tactic which became known as "Hansfording" or "fudging", where he would buzz in as soon as the letters started to turn over. In his semi-final, he was too slow to answer, but correctly guessed as soon as the clock restarted. As an act of sportsmanship, his opponent declined to buzz in.

Contestants with eight consecutive prelim conundrum solves

Contestants are listed chronologically.

Rank Name Total solve time (s) Average solve time (s) Fastest solve time (s) Shortest solve time (s)
1 Darryl Francis 50.25 6.28 1 28
2 Harvey Freeman 26 3.25 2 7
3 David Williams 29.5 3.69 1.75 9.25
4 Julian Fell 46 5.75 2 23.75
5 Kai Laddiman 40.5 5.06 1.5 14.5
6 Daniel Pati 54.75 6.84 0.5 27.5
7 Jonathan Rawlinson 30.25 3.78 0.75 7.5
8 Thomas Carey 17.75 2.22 1.5 4.25
9 Paul Erdunast 42.75 5.34 1 27.5
10 Elliott Mack 33 4.13 1.25 14.5
11 Elliott Mellor 30 3.75 0.75 8.5
12 Florence Cappleman-Lynes 45.25 5.66 1.25 10.25
13 Tom Stevenson 43 5.38 1 19.75
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