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Well, guessing animated pictures can prove to be quite the laughing face.


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    Roy Walker (1986-99) 
  • One outtake from the original TVS run had the contestants trying to incorrectly solve a catchphrase. After they both try, Roy gives them the answer, but instead of giving them the correct answer (Blue Heaven), he instead tells them the answer is 'Columbo'. The look on his face afterward is just priceless.
  • Another TVS-era outtake has Roy resuming the show, but has a polo mint in his mouth.
    Roy: I swallowed it and it came back up!
  • The infamous "Snake Charmer" puzzle on the British version (January 1995), in which the partly-revealed animation appeared to show Mr. Chips engaging in an activity associated with 14-year-old boys. Cue everyone in the studio being reduced to fits of laughter. It didn't help that the squares that were picked just happened to be the ones revealing Mr. Chips' rather unfortunately-shaped head and the head of the snake (which gave rise to the alternative thought that Mr. Chips might be jacking off with the snake. Or jacking the snake off).
    • Contestant Sean's answers couldn't have been more clear. Giving out "Dumb Waiter", "Tip the Waiter" and "Song and Dance Man" prior to the entire puzzle being revealed, and "Snake Charmer" being the answer.
    • However, the puzzle animation was edited post-broadcast, which meant that the viewers watching on TV would not understand why the studio audience, the contestants, and Roy Walker were nearly paralysed by hysterical laughter.
    • It was included as a bonus feature on the 2007 Catchphrase DVD Game for anyone who reached Super Catchphrase mode and didn't go past the M square.
  • Series 10 Episode 10, and contestants Elaine and David come up with guesses to bonus catchphrases such as "The House that Jack Built", "Fish outside a house" and "Rhino house" for "Fish farm", or "Over and out" and "Wobbly dove" for "White Cliffs of Dover".
    • This episode also has perhaps the biggest fail ever seen in the Super Catchphrase, as David spends his last half-minute on the rather easy C square, to which the answer was " On the right track". The worst thing is that you can hear audience members laughing by the time there's 2 seconds left.
    David: On the right side of the tracks. Beat. On the left side of the tracks. Standing on the track. Beat. Right on course. Right on track. Beat. Standing on the track? Standing on the rails. Right on the rails. Beat. On the left-hand side of the rails? On the right-hand side of the rails? Flashing rails? Beat. On the rails? Rail- Railtrack? Beat. Standing on the rails? Right-hand rail? Left-hand rail? Beat. Man on a rail? Mr. Chips on a rail? Standing on the rail-
    (out-of-time bleep sounds)
  • In general, the animators (and contestants) in Series 10 seemed to have a twisted or sadistic sense of humour:
    • Episode 6 featuredone of the most grotesque catchphrases the show has featured. The puzzle showed three young army men being gunned down, followed by an elderly trooper repeatedly dodging the bullets. Following the initial laughter at the animation of him dancing around the screen and a few guesses, one of the contestants suggested "Firing Blanks"; the studio fell about laughing. (The correct answer was "Old Soldiers Never Die".)
    • Episode 15 had two funny catchphrases:
      • Firstly, this rather innocent-seeming animation that ends up becoming rather kinky:
    The animation shows a love heart with arms.
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Russell.
    Russell: Love heart?
    Roy: It's not right, here's more.
    The heart turns upside down and shows a cane-wielding man thrashing the heart on what looks like its bottom, while the heart flails.
    Roy: Keep pressing Russell, keep pressing Karen.
    (The audience laugh)
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Karen.
    Karen: Cane... the bottom?
    (Everyone breaks into hysterics)
    Roy: Karen... how could you? Keep pressing!
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Karen.
    Karen: Six of the best?
    Roy: Six-
    (Everyone laugh again)
    Roy: It got so sadistic all of a sudden. Keep pressing!
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Karen.
    Karen: Heartbeat.
    Roy: Right!
    The animation shows a monk ringing a bell.
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Karen.
    Karen: Bell-ringer?
    Roy: Bell-ringer's not the one.
    The animation continues, now showing the monk being shot dead by an arrow.
    Roy: Keep talking.
    An arrow points to the now-collapsed monk.
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Karen.
    Karen: Don't shoot the messenger?
    (The audience laugh)
    Roy: OK, you're not right. Russell, keep pressing!
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Russell.
    Russell: Dead monk?
    (The audience laugh)
    Roy: Dead monk's good, but it's- you're close, it's not the one. Keep pressing! Come on!
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Russell.
    (Everyone laughs.)
    Roy: Nearly. What' the expression we want? Who's gonna press? Come on, Karen!
    (buzz-in)
    Karen: Death knell?
    (Everyone breaks out into hysterics)
    Roy: It's not right. Keep pressing!
    Roy: What's the expression we want? You've all known it, said it.
    '("Out-of-time" chime plays)
    Roy: No? A dead ringer.
    • The same episode had the bonus "Head Chef", and it was shown by depicting a cook... serving human heads in various ways. Dark, we know.
  • From an unknown TVS-era episode: Two transvestite Mr. Chips trying to run a race. (The correct answer was "Drag Racing".)
  • Series 11 Episode 4 has a contestant guess "Bite the wellington" instead of "A bit of wellie".
  • From Series 11 Episode 5: Contestant Robin decided to quote Shakespeare's "Alas, poor Yorick" for an answer. The correct answer was "Horseplay".
  • Contestant Jim in Series 11 Episode 10 as a whole. He's perhaps the biggest big kid out of all the Carlton-era contestants. From his outlandish guesses to the bonus "Two Fat Ladies" to "Rrrrrobin Hood!" to his ecstatic celebrations when he gets a catchphrase right, he was absolutely brilliant on this show.
  • Series 11 Episode 11 had the catchphrase "Air on a G String". You can imagine what happened here.
    Roy: Well, if Blind Date can have it, why can't we on Catchphrase, eh?
  • Series 12 was practically a chain of funny moments, especially at the beginning of the series.
    Roy: Hey, it's my fault, I said "say what you see"!
    • The same episode had Colin (the person who said the answer above) guess "Pavarotti storm" for the bonus catchphrase "Singing in the Rain". Combined with Roy's earlier comment on Colin's stature, it's hilarious.
    Roy: Do you know, Russell? That is so close to being 4,000,000 miles away.
    (everyone laughs)
    Roy: Anthea, we'll offer it.
    Anthea: Income tax?
    Beat.
    Roy(looking confused): Where's the tax?
    (everyone laughs)
    Roy: Income support. Income support, that's the one we want.
    Anthea: Ohhh.
    Roy: OK. You were so close, you two. (laughs) '''Well, you're standing next to each other.
    • Contestant Doug as a whole in episode 4. Let's just say that he was... excitable.
  • Series 13 surely had a sight to be seen to be Roy's last season, with two funny moments.
    • The very first episode of the season had the bonus Catchphrase "Frost Bite", but contestant Daniel on the other hand just couldn't guess this one. His answers got more and more bizarre. It can be viewed here, and here's the transcript:
      • Daniel's first try:
    Roy: There's the bonus, take a square.
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: On the left. Five seconds, here we go.
    (square is revealed)
    Roy: Well, you've heard all that Cathryn's said, you have £260 left, what do you think it is?
    Daniel: Throbbing ice?
    (audience and Roy laugh)
    Roy: "Throbbing ice"? (Beat) Cathryn, he's... he's not very near, no, to the right answer.
    • Daniel's second go at the bonus, and his answer becomes even weirder:
    Roy: There's £250 left in the bonus. Select a square.
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Five seconds, here we go.
    (square is revealed)
    Roy: Daniel, what is it?
    Daniel: Er, pool of ice water?
    (audience laugh)
    Roy: Pool of ice water! Cathryn, he's nowhere near it. You're back in play with another catchphrase.
    • His third try at the bonus, and by now it's become a Running Gag:
    Roy (laughing) : There's the bonus! Throbbing ice! (laughs) Take a square! (wheeze) Take a s-
    Daniel: Do I have to?
    Roy: Yes. (laughs)
    (buzz-in)
    Roy: Five seconds, here we go.
    (square is revealed)
    Roy: Throb it to me!
    Daniel (clearly panicked): Er... argh!
    Roy: Say it!
    Daniel: Ice... spider... monkey.
    (everyone bursts into hysterics)
    Roy: Ice spider monkeeey! Is nowhere near it, Cathryn.
    • Daniel's fourth go, and these guesses are just getting plain diabolical now:
    Daniel: I just can't see it!
    Roy: Throbbing ice is back!
    Roy (laughing): Daniel, take a square. (Beat) Any time.
    (buzz-in)
    Daniel: I doubt it very much, Roy.
    Roy: Five seconds, here we go.
    (square is removed)
    Roy: £230, Daniel.
    (Beat)
    Daniel (looking somewhat puzzled): Drawbridge.
    Roy: Drawb- (bursts into hysterics, along with everyone else, including Daniel)
    Daniel: I can't see it.
    Roy: How did you get from "throbbing ice" to "drawbridge"?
    Daniel: Via the monkey.
    Roy (laughing): Via the monkey!
    • Daniel's final go, and no funny answer here, but there's a fair amount of banter, plus Daniel's reaction at the end:
    (everyone laughs, and Cathryn is reaching over to reassure Daniel)
    Roy: Can you imagine? You're going to have nightmares over this! You're going to never take ice in your drink as long as you'll live! Five seconds - take that square away. Take it away, take it away.
    (buzz-in)
    Yeah. Five seconds, here we go.
    (square is revealed)
    Roy: £220 more is yours, Daniel, you've won 930, what do you think it is?
    Daniel: Melted ice?
    Roy: Melted ice is not the right answer...
    (time's-up klaxon sounds)
    Roy: We're out of time. We have to tell everyone at home what it is - actually, it's...
    Roy and Cathryn (in unison): ..."frost bite".
    Daniel: Ohhh!
    (everyone laughs)
    Roy: But when you were close, you were at "throbbing ice", but...
    (everyone laughs)
    Roy: ..."frost bite" for everyone at home.

    • Episode 7 happened to have another Snake Charmer-like moment with the bonus catchphrase "Booby Trap", depicting... a bear trap staring at a topless lady's bosom. Not a big surprise that this sent everyone into hysterics. The guesses from contestants June and John were... crazy to say at least, which such examples as "Bra Strap", "Heaving Bosom" and "Chest Bite". Nobody got it though. Arguably, June's first guess was the best though.
    June: Brace yourself?
    (Everyone laughs)
    Roy: Brace yourself?!
    Roy: Is that me or the catchphrase?

    Nick Weir (2000-2002) 
  • The infamous moment when Nick broke his leg on his very first episode (Although it was the seventh to be broadcast for obvious reasons).
    • So, the titles have rolled, and after the narrator (Chris Jarvis) finishes his job, Nick gets a little bit too excited going down the stairs. He ends up missing one of the steps and falls pretty badly on his left leg.
    Nick: Wahey! Come on! (Nick slips up, and falls with a loud "thud", audience laughs) I'll be alright!
    • Well, that blunder caused the episode taping to be cancelled until the next day, and as the next day proceeds...
    Nick: Actually, that happened yesterday and I just came back from hospital.
    Nick: Actually, I've broken my foot, look! (camera proceeds to show Nick, who is now on crutches with a plaster cast on his left foot)
    Nick: But, in best showbiz tradition... the show must go on. So, welcome to "Crutchphrase". I'm Nick Weir, and i'm PLASTERED! (music plays, audience applauds, Nick does a little trick with his broken foot)
  • Episode four of Nick's first series (Series 14), and contestant Mark misses some fairly easy Cash Countdowns.
    ''The animation shows a face with two lift (elevator) doors in it. A man walks in and uses the lift.
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: Mark.
    Mark: Mouth trap?
    Nick: No, nice try. Keep guessing in, it's not the one.
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: Look at all- look at the whole picture. Mark. Keep trying.
    Mark: Mouth... door?
    Nick: No. What's he getting into?
    (Audience laugh.)
    Nick: No, but watch the mouth. Come on, keep guessing in. Anyone want to try?
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: Mark.
    Mark: Into his mouth and out of his head.
    (Audience laugh.)
    Nick: Ooh, you're getting mad now! Come on, Suzanne, try something!
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: What is it? He's going up and down. Mark!
    Nick: Like you, Mark, like you!
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: Suzanne!
    Suzanne: In one door and out of the other.
    Nick: Oh, absolutely. Good try, keep trying!
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: Mark, what else?
    Mark: Out of his mind.
    Nick: Out of his mind? You are! What else?
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: Mark!
    Mark: Out of his head?
    Nick: You keep describing yourself! Come on, Suzanne! What is it? He got in, he went up. Must be a...?
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: Mark!
    Mark: Head-lift?
    Nick: Yeah, but it's not quite. It's not the head, it's the...?
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: Gaah- gi- Mark!
    Mark: Skull-lift?
    (Audience laugh even more.)
    Nick: No, it's not his skull, it's his...?
    (buzz-in)
    Nick: It's his...?
    Mark: Face-lift?
    Nick: Yes!
    (Audience cheer and applaud.)
    Nick: Do you know how much you won? Six quid!
    Nick: What am I working for, for six quid?

    Mark Curry (2002) 
Currently, none.

    Stephen Mulhern (2013-present) 
  • Not even Stephen Mulhern could suffer from his own "Snake Charmer". In a March 2014 Mother's Day Special featuring Emma Willis, Kimberley Walsh, and David Walliams, as well as their mothers, the Bonus Catchphrase is "Dicing with Death". However, the way everyone found out could essentially make this puzzle Snake Charmer 2.0, but swap Mr. Chips for a Chef and the Snake for The Grim Reaper and you're good to go.
    • When the first square was revealed, Walliams covered his mother's eyes and told Stephen this was not a chance to show his "home videos".
    • The "lucky" guesser, Emma Willis, told Stephen she would not say what she thought she saw.
  • "IT'S NOT A BELL!''

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