pointless.

[cupid04]

The first round today was words ending in PET. One of the contestants gave
the answer pipette [how I would spell it] and was asked to spell it. She said
pipet, which they accepted as alternative name for pipit. I've never seen this
alternate spelling before. It's not in my chambers dictionary!

[Psybbo]

I didn't know this either
pi·pette also pi·pet (p-pt)
n.
A narrow, usually calibrated glass tube into which small amounts of liquid are suctioned for transfer or measurement

[cupid04]

She was told it was the alternative spelling of pipit , little brown bird.

[Psybbo]

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

I should have added this site

[Psybbo]

This dictionary does not give it as an alternative to pipit

[postrophe]

Did they allow "why-aye-pet"?

[cupid04]

Thanks Sibton. The father and daughter won over £9,000. Not bad going for
45 minutes work!

[Stevee]

Noun pipet (plural pipets) Alternative form of pipette. Wikitionary

[Ouzel]

The Shorter Oxford doesn't give it as a variant spelling of pipit (bird) either.

[Psybbo]

Still, I wouldn't dare argue with Richard

[cupid04]

Thanks Steeve. I suppose they have plenty of researchers to make sure mistakes dont happen.

[cupid04]

Nor me, big fellow isn't he?

[jno]

not in my Oxford either.

I'd have said strumpet.

[jno]

my guess is pipet for pipette is American, same as they say program rather than programme, because they think unnecessary letters are colonialist.

[cupid04]

There was strumpet and crumpet, jno, LOL!

[solvitquick]

Dear cupid04,
I could not agree with you more. As a chemist, when the answer was accepted I thought "No, no, no", the spelling is definitely "pipette". To the best of my knowledge this is the only spelling in our English Language although it was almost certainly derived from the French. But others seemed to have found "pipet" as a real word. Our pointless friend Richard ought to state the Dictionar(ies) referred to. I am shooting from the lip without any net searching. Mind you it's a great show and should be on later, but I suppose BBC think we all prefer rubbish after 7.00p.m. Pity. It's a reflection on average Brit or more likely BBC/ITV etc.'s bad judgement - note that they still assume we all go out on Saturday night as judged by rubbish served up!

[tearinghair]

I may have missed it on this occasion, but I'm sure Richard usually says they're using the OED spellings.

[FredPuli43]

Richard Osman definitely explained that 'pipet' was an alternative spelling to 'pipit' , the small bird. The contestant evidently thought it was the spelling of 'pipette', if she wasn't just guessing a word. Her good luck was the subject of joking, because the rules only demand that there be such a spelling, not that the contestant knows that it's a real word or what it means.
As the bird's name is imitative, it's not surprising that the noise it makes, thus its name may be rendered 'pipet'.