Jeopardy! Season 38 (2021-2022)

[dcalley]

2 hours ago, secnarf said:

Unless it's a monkey, rhesus monkey (which I do know are from Asia), gorilla, chimpanzee or orangutan, I am useless with primates.

Sorry to probably confuse you further, but "Barbary ape" is a misnomer as it is a monkey.

 

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

And lemurs.  I think they're classified as primates.

Yes, they are primates (specifically, prosimians). There's a nice diagram here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate#History_of_terminology

Edited December 8, 2021 by dcalley

[Cotypubby]

9 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

it was the location of his assassination at the Pan-American Exposition there in 1901.

Which because of Sondheim I can never think of without hearing it in song. 😂

On 12/6/2021 at 8:01 PM, Driad said:

FJ:  "Turn of the century"?  Why not say which century?  Do you mean 1900, or 2000, or 1200?

While true, that could refer to any century, I’ve only ever heard or read “The turn of the century” to mean 1900.

Got FJ relatively quick tonight, “no not bonobo, something like Berber? Aha Barbary like the Barbary Coast and Barbary Ape, that’s it!”

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

While true, that could refer to any century, I’ve only ever heard or read “The turn of the century” to mean 1900.

I've used "the turn of the current century," but I suppose more refer to "the aughts."*
—————

*corrected “oughts” to “aughts”

Edited December 8, 2021 by shapeshifter

[possibilities]

I was trying to make something out of Gabon and gibbon but I knew it wasn't going to work.

[dcalley]

During Monday's show there was a commercial for Tuesday's show, and I noticed Marti (Tuesday's winner) appeared in two different outfits in the commercial. Thus I was not too surprised to see her win on Tuesday. I tried to find the commercial to show you guys but failed. I found some other evidence, but there are other outfit changes, so I'll post in the spoilers thread even though I don't really know what to make of it all.

 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I've used "the turn of the current century," but I suppose more refer to the "the oughts."

Aughts, but, yes, that would make me think - even though it could be any '00-09 period - of 2000-2009 because of popular usage.

Similarly, while turn of the century could refer to any period of transition from one century to another, I believe the phrase became popular in the early 20th century to refer to circa 1900 so that's my first thought.

Context can indicate a different period, but in the absence of contrary indications, those are my associations.

[The Wild Sow]

I always thought Grover Cleveland was "the Buffalo Hangman"!  He served one term as the county executioner, and carried out 2 hangings during that time.

[Katy M]

7 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

While true, that could refer to any century, I’ve only ever heard or read “The turn of the century” to mean 1900.

Thats because until fairly recently that was the most recent turn of the century.  But, I think now, unless we are talking 2000, it should be specified which century.  

[Clanstarling]

12 hours ago, Katy M said:

I feel like in the last couple of weeks I've been taking stupid pills.

I said bonobo too because I don't know primates and we all know that geography is also not my subject.

I feel like that sometimes myself.

Had no clue for FJ, but when I saw Barbary - I smacked my head. I'd heard of both the Barbary Coast (though never had a feel for where it was located) and Barbary Ape. I think the ape reference might have been in some old book - Poe, maybe?

[Mindthinkr]

Last night was a reflection of how, as I’m aging, my recall skills are diminishing. No FJ for me. 

[ABay]

Four presidents have ties to Buffalo: Grover Cleveland, Millard Fillmore, William McKinley, and Teddy Roosevelt.

I'm telling you, one of the clue writers is from western New York or southern Ontario.

[labresq]

Was it just my imagination, or did they start with the woman away from the host to ask the first question, rather than the person in the nearest spot?  Sorry I don't remember any of their names - but I know Mayim called on the person farthest from her first, didn't she?  

 

[ams1001]

12 minutes ago, labresq said:

Was it just my imagination, or did they start with the woman away from the host to ask the first question, rather than the person in the nearest spot?  Sorry I don't remember any of their names - but I know Mayim called on the person farthest from her first, didn't she?  

I just looked for the game on youtube, and yes, they did start with the player on the right. For tournaments (or otherwise when there isn't a returning champion) they do a random draw to decide who chooses first. (Though you'd think they'd put that player in the champion spot, but maybe their podium position is determined separately; I couldn't find an answer to that, specifically.)

[labresq]

Thank you!  I had never, ever, in all the time I've watched Jeopardy, noticed that they didn't start with the champion podium.  Thanks!

[M. Darcy]

Jeopardy just announced that the current hosts will stay the same for the rest of the season. 

[dbklmt]

16 minutes ago, M. Darcy said:

Jeopardy just announced that the current hosts will stay the same for the rest of the season. 

More information here https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/jeopardy-update-mayim-bialik-and-ken-jennings-will-continue-to-split-hosting-duties-through-july/ar-AARC4wg?li=BBnb7Kz

[853fisher]

I'm sick of the back and forth.  Make a decision already!

[zoey1996]

5 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Had no clue for FJ, but when I saw Barbary - I smacked my head. I'd heard of both the Barbary Coast (though never had a feel for where it was located) and Barbary Ape. I think the ape reference might have been in some old book - Poe, maybe?

I've always associated the Barbary Coast with San Francisco. It was an unsavory part of town, nicknamed Barbary Coast that was associated with crime, being "shanghaied", where treatment was "barbaric."  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_Coast,_San_Francisco  I didn't know the reference was to an area of Africa.

[dcalley]

3 hours ago, ams1001 said:

maybe their podium position is determined separately; I couldn't find an answer to that, specifically.)

Alphabetical by last name per Katie: https://www.reddit.com/r/Jeopardy/comments/rb5smg/comment/hnnuyhk/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

[alias1]

I am delighted that it won't be just Mayim.  I enjoy Ken's hosting so much more.    I would really miss him.  

[Prevailing Wind]

I knew Barbary was in northern Africa because Stephen Decatur won decisive victories there, establishing the US Navy as a force to contend with. There's a bust of him on our town square, having been named after him.

[ams1001]

December 8th

73% / 57% / 64%

I liked Mayim's blouse. Zombie apocalypse, demented squirrel, and "fanboy on the inside"…the interview segment today was great (and Mayim's laughter actually sounded genuine). Also, Sam reminded me a little bit of my grandfather, so I was rooting for him.

Ran Company Colors, missed one each in King Tut's Tomb, Rules of the Game, Literary Professors, and Names & Places, three in Ennial, four in Rhyme Time (I was just not quick enough today; I'll blame the covid booster I got this afternoon), and two each in everything else.

Got the missed clues of Tropics, Shopify (a last-second guess), Peacock (didn't actually know that but the feather part led me to it), Baltic Sea (missed DD), Michael Chabon, Huawei, Tigray, Multiplicity, and half of Tom Daley (but not the half that would have gotten me credit for a correct answer).

Did not come up with FJ (0 for 3 so far this week…might have to start thinking of round foods for the FJ contest virtual snack table) but felt kinda dumb once I saw the answer; I'll blame the booster shot for that, too.
 

Edited December 9, 2021 by ams1001

[SeanC]

Sam has a Steve Martin-ish appearance.

[Katy M]

I said MLK also, but at least I don't think it's a ridiculous answer unlike some of the stuff I've been coming up with lately.

I didn't get any missed clues and I didn't run any categories.  Surprisingly, though, I only missed one triple rhyme time.  I'm usually horrid at that category and can only get one or two elements in time.

[Browncoat]

In a surprising twist, I actually got FJ right.  Could I have spelled it correctly under pressure?  Questionable -- I always have to think about where to put the "h", and I'm generally incorrect the first time I write it.  However, that would not change the pronunciation, so it's all good.  I did almost change my answer to MLK, but decided to stick with my original thought.  Happy asterisk day for me!

The only TS I got was Multiplicity.  

[dcalley]

17 hours ago, dcalley said:

During Monday's show there was a commercial for Tuesday's show, and I noticed Marti (Tuesday's winner) appeared in two different outfits in the commercial. Thus I was not too surprised to see her win on Tuesday. I tried to find the commercial to show you guys but failed. I found some other evidence, but there are other outfit changes, so I'll post in the spoilers thread even though I don't really know what to make of it all.

Ashleigh was one of the other people pictured in different outfits, and she finished with $0. I can only conclude that my photo/outfit analysis was a bust!

[shapeshifter]

Thanks to a nap earlier, I got FJ in the nick of time after considering both of the incorrect guesses of the players.

1 minute ago, Browncoat said:

Happy asterisk day for me!

🖐️

Sam's broad range of knowledge increased the melancholy I always feel when reminded of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where I was offered a position which I turned down for another. 
♬♫♪ California dreamin' / On such a winters day-ay-ay ♪

Tomorrow we have a contestant from American River College in Sacramento, where I might have snagged the job had my then-teenager not locked herself and the car keys in her bedroom an hour before my interview.

[Irlandesa]

3 hours ago, SierraMist said:

I am delighted that it won't be just Mayim.  I enjoy Ken's hosting so much more.    I would really miss him.  

There was something about Mayim's hosting that seemed kind of jarring for me this week after weeks of Ken and today I finally placed it.  I think they're both good at clue giving.  But I think Ken is superior at that short contestant interview portion of the show.

I know it's not everyone's favorite part of the show.  It's not mine either.  But Mayim seems to be at her most unnatural here.  She holds the cards high and the camera catches her obviously reading them. They're not too high to be a barrier but almost. She doesn't really have natural or strong follow-ups to the answers the contestants give. It feels like she thinks it's a segment to get through.

Ken, on the other hand, is surprisingly good at making that part flow.  The camera pans away and you can see Ken give a quick glimpse at the card (held much lower) and ask the questions with the card usually not in sight and the follow-up comments sound like natural interest rather than an awkward segue.  It feels like the conversational break it's supposed to be. 

[ETA]:  Ha.  I just read the media thread and the latest interview with Amy noticed he's good at this too so I guess I'm not alone in my observation. I did not read it before I made my post, though. I swear.

I think their choice to keep both is smart.  The good Executive Producer is staying on.  Even though there is a lot of switch up with the hosts, it's not as dramatic as last year.  There's actually quite a bit of stability. They're both solid and if you look at the Twitter thread responses, both seem to have an equal following with some Buzzy's thrown in. 

And if Mayim is their choice, she wouldn't be able to do all the episodes since production on Call Me Kat goes from Oct. to March 2022.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Irlandesa

[SoMuchTV]

So tonight’s fj:

Gen. MacArthur said this man’s death by “violence is one of those bitter anachronisms that seems to refute all logic”

On the one hand it was obvious once I heard the correct response - violent death of an advocate of non-violence. On the other hand I’m wondering if “anachronism” means what he thinks it means. Seems like “irony” would be more appropriate. I don’t doubt that’s MacArthur’s actual quote, but it comes across a little confusing. 

[possibilities]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

Zombie apocalypse, demented squirrel, and "fanboy on the inside"…the interview segment today was great

I agree! I liked everybody by the time they all spoke.

 

1 hour ago, SeanC said:

Sam has a Steve Martin-ish appearance.

I would go even farther (further?) and say he's a dead ringer for Steve Martin. Part of me was waiting to find out it WAS Steve Martin, playing "undercover" for charity or a prank or something.

I have given up trying to get better at coming up with information I don't know, and have started just using FJ as an exercise in finding out what my brain is like. The only person I could think of tonight was John Lennon and I was sure it was not what they were looking for, but it amused me to think about MacArthur making the statement about him. Also, I agree that "anachronism" was a confusing word to use in that context. Did he think that violence was no longer a thing? 

[crashdown]

I was bugged enough by what I thought was an obvious misunderstanding of the word “anachronism” that I did a little research. Here’s MacArthur’s full quotation, which makes more sense in full context:

Quote

General Douglas MacArthur: Nothing more revolting has occurred in history of modern world than the senseless assassination of this venerable man. That he should die by violence is one of those bitter anachronisms that seems to refute all logic. In the evolution of civilization, if it is to survive, all men cannot fail eventually to adopt his belief that the process of mass application of force to resolve contentious issues is fundamentally not only wrong but contains within itself the germs of self-destruction. Gandhiji, however, was one of those prophets who lived far ahead of the times.

 

[PBnJay]

11 minutes ago, possibilities said:

The only person I could think of tonight was John Lennon and I was sure it was not what they were looking for, but it amused me to think about MacArthur making the statement about him. 

Oddly creepy and curse-like since today is 41 years exactly since John was murdered. 

[Bastet]

It didn't seem to me like Sam corrected himself from Parliament to House of Commons before Mayim ruled him incorrect, but maybe he got out "House" just before she said "no" and then continued on?

It wouldn't matter, obviously; he completely dominated the game even without ever landing on a DD (29 right, 0 wrong).

I was rooting for Ashleigh, but for a U.S. history professor, her House of Representatives answer to that clue was surprising.  It was very early in the game, so I'll chalk it up to nerves.  I liked when she got Green New Deal at the last second on that DD, even though she wasn't sure of it.

The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn TS surprised me, with the clue asking for two geographic limits of an agreement with Tropical in the title.

The Peacock TS surprised me a bit, too, but I'm sure with a little more time someone running through their mental list of streaming services for one that would use a feather would have had the "A-ha!" moment it's easier to have here at home.

Not only do I know nothing about golf, my answer to the "you can be disqualified if you sign & return an incorrect scorecard" clue was BINGO.  Go ahead and laugh.

I didn't know what specific type of wrestling they wanted for the last clue in that same category, either, and missed another two each in 100 and colors.  I missed one each in Tut's tomb and environment; Prepositional Phrases was the only category I ran in the first round.

In DJ, I was off to a bad start, missing three in literary professors, followed by two in math, but then I ran islands, rhyme time, and ennial.  I missed two in 2021.  So I did better in DJ than the first round, which doesn't happen all that often.

And FJ came to me pretty quickly; concentrating on advocates for non-violence who were assassinated, I first thought of MLK Jr., but then twigged to the MacArthur part of the clue and realized, duh, I need to think earlier in the 20th century, and then Gandhi was my first thought.

 

[secnarf]

I was surprised Huawei was a TS - it seems like Huawei and Meng Wanzhou and the whole associated debacle has been on the news at least once a week since she was arrested, and sometimes more often depending on what is happening in the world. I think the tournament was filmed in late October and it was definitely a news highlight a few weeks prior with the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and her simultaneous but allegedly unrelated return to China that was referenced in the clue. I guess they didn't write these clues that far in advance!

For FJ I did initially say MLK Jr but before Mayim was done reading the clue, I had switched to Gandhi. To me, it was obvious it had to be someone known for non-violence, but it also seemed an odd thing to say about MLK's death. I was also confused about the anachronism terminology used in the clue, but in the full context of the quote it makes more sense. JFK as a guess surprised me, but I guess they were thinking of a notable assassination in the 20th century.

 

[Cotypubby]

I was shocked Gandhi was a TS, I got that immediately, it was the only name I thought of. Non-violence + assassination = Gandhi. Though if you had no idea I can see MLK at least being a reasonable guess. 

[ProudMary]

22 minutes ago, Cotypubby said:

I was shocked Gandhi was a TS, I got that immediately, it was the only name I thought of. Non-violence + assassination = Gandhi. Though if you had no idea I can see MLK at least being a reasonable guess. 

Instaget for me too. Non-violence + assassination could also equal MLK, but I remembered that MacArthur died in 1964, pre-dating Dr. King's assassination by 4 years, leaving Gandhi as the only reasonable choice.

[853fisher]

I know it’s tough under the lights and so on, but I'm pretty underwhelmed by this tournament so far.  I know it's a joke because they're college professors, you get degrees in college, ha ha ha, but if your promo spots promise "competition in the highest degree," I'm going to expect a little more.  Without a Matt or Amy juggernaut, everyone should be able to show us their best.  The last few days have left me wondering, is that it?  We had a special tournament for this?  Feh!

Edited December 9, 2021 by 853fisher

[GreekGeek]

49 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I know it’s tough under the lights and so on, but I'm pretty underwhelmed by this tournament so far.  I know it's a joke because they're college professors, you get degrees in college, ha ha ha, but if your promo spots promise "competition in the highest degree," I'm going to expect a little more.  Without a Matt or Amy juggernaut, everyone should be able to show us their best.  The last few days have left me wondering, is that it?  We had a special tournament for this?  Feh!

I agree no one has been especially impressive thus far, but many professors are not that interested in or knowledgeable about any field except their own specialized one. The broad general knowledge that J! requires is exactly what they don't have. Many also tend to be unaware of popular culture unless their students talk to them about it--I think of The Big Bang Theory and Sheldon being able to solve complex math problems instantly but not knowing anything about the Brady Bunch. Not that TBBT got everything right about scientists, but that bit rang true. 

That said, I was really surprised that nobody got FJ right. 

[shapeshifter]

51 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I know it’s tough under the lights and so on, but I'm pretty underwhelmed by this tournament so far.  I know it's a joke because they're college professors, you get degrees in college, ha ha ha, but if your promo spots promise "competition in the highest degree," I'm going to expect a little more.  Without a Matt or Amy juggernaut, everyone should be able to show us their best.  The last few days have left me wondering, is that it?  We had a special tournament for this?  Feh!

You’re not wrong, although Sam was looking like a strong player——but, yeah not a runaway. But that was in part because the others had their strengths too.

But with this being the first such tournament, I’m guessing the applicant pool was not very large. It’s not like professors have a lot of open-ended spare time; generally they are focused on updating their curriculum and publishing, while mentoring students.
Although back in the 2000s I knew a then-new professor who went on Wheel of Fortune and won a car, which he sold for a down payment on a first home for his young family.

If the Professors tournament becomes popular, maybe there will be more applicants. Perhaps college donors might giddily open their purse strings at the thought of having a Jeopardy! champion faculty member. IDK.  
But, yeah:

8 minutes ago, GreekGeek said:

I was really surprised that nobody got FJ right.

 

[Clanstarling]

17 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

I've always associated the Barbary Coast with San Francisco. It was an unsavory part of town, nicknamed Barbary Coast that was associated with crime, being "shanghaied", where treatment was "barbaric."  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_Coast,_San_Francisco  I didn't know the reference was to an area of Africa.

Ahh, that explains why I was fuzzy on where the Barbary Coast was - I'd heard it most often in relation to San Francisco.

12 hours ago, SeanC said:

Sam has a Steve Martin-ish appearance.

We thought so too.

 

10 hours ago, crashdown said:

I was bugged enough by what I thought was an obvious misunderstanding of the word “anachronism” that I did a little research. Here’s MacArthur’s full quotation, which makes more sense in full context:

The quote didn't copy over, but it makes so much more sense in the full context. Which is why, in general, I hate sound bite news. Without context you can make people sound like they're saying something they're not.

7 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Instaget for me too. Non-violence + assassination could also equal MLK, but I remembered that MacArthur died in 1964, pre-dating Dr. King's assassination by 4 years, leaving Gandhi as the only reasonable choice.

Dates wouldn't have helped me they seem to rattle me for some reason, but McArthur nailed it for me - I may not know the dates, but I knew they were contemporaneous. So it was an almost instaget for me.

[Trey]

11 hours ago, secnarf said:

I was surprised Huawei was a TS - it seems like Huawei and Meng Wanzhou and the whole associated debacle has been on the news at least once a week since she was arrested, and sometimes more often depending on what is happening in the world. I think the tournament was filmed in late October and it was definitely a news highlight a few weeks prior with the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and her simultaneous but allegedly unrelated return to China that was referenced in the clue. I guess they didn't write these clues that far in advance!

 

 

After all the attention I paid to this story over the last couple of years, I still could not pull Huawei from my brain in time.  I was very embarrassed for myself. I think the story was probably bigger in Canada than in the US.

9 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Instaget for me too. Non-violence + assassination could also equal MLK, but I remembered that MacArthur died in 1964, pre-dating Dr. King's assassination by 4 years, leaving Gandhi as the only reasonable choice.

I didn't remember (or, more likely, never knew) the year MacArthur died but I was pretty sure it was before MLK or JFK died. Plus the non-violence thing made me pretty sure the answer was Gandhi.

I don't think the questions are any harder for this Professors' Tournament than for regular games.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Trey

[M. Darcy]

10 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

was shocked Gandhi was a TS, I got that immediately, it was the only name I thought of. Non-violence + assassination = Gandhi

Me too.  As soon as I saw "violence" Gandhi was just the only answer I thought of.

[Driad]

1 hour ago, Trey said:

I don't think the questions are any harder for this Professors' Tournament than for regular games.

For Teachers' Tournaments, the questions often seem easier. As a child of teachers I find this vaguely insulting.

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, Katy M said:

I said MLK also, but at least I don't think it's a ridiculous answer unlike some of the stuff I've been coming up with lately.

Me, too.  I briefly considered Gandhi, but discarded that answer because I'd forgotten he'd been assassinated (assuming I ever knew that).

14 hours ago, crashdown said:

I was bugged enough by what I thought was an obvious misunderstanding of the word “anachronism” that I did a little research. Here’s MacArthur’s full quotation, which makes more sense in full context:

 

Idk, still seems like anachronism is the wrong word.

I had no idea when MacArthur died so I had no clue whether he could have said this before or after JFK and MLK were assassinated.

 

I did pretty well over all, though.

 

One of the many quirks of soccer is that the referee is the only person in the stadium who really knows how much time is left in a match.

[SomeTameGazelle]

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Idk, still seems like anachronism is the wrong word.

My impression is that in this context "anachronism" underscores a presumption that violence is or should be a thing of the past. He admits that Gandhi was ahead of his time, so in theory the anachronism is the non-violent man of the future met with the violence of the present. 

[Toothbrush]

I finally got FJ correct! I ran 5 categories - King Tut’s Tomb, Rules of the Game, Prepositional Phrases, Movie Math and another one I can’t recall. 
I liked all of the contestants & the interview portion was fun. 
Agree with everyone on Sam looking like Steve Martin. 
I loved the blouse Mayim wore Wednesday. 

[proserpina65]

43 minutes ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

My impression is that in this context "anachronism" underscores a presumption that violence is or should be a thing of the past. He admits that Gandhi was ahead of his time, so in theory the anachronism is the non-violent man of the future met with the violence of the present. 

Ah, I guess that makes sense.  Thanks for the explanation.

[DXD526]

Quote

Sam has a Steve Martin-ish appearance.

Definitely. And Lisa looked something like Kathy Bates, IMO.

[853fisher]

I didn’t think Mayim did well today. Just what is it that she doesn’t understand about including humanities courses in the curriculum of a college focused on science and technology?

Beyond the interviews, I think she remains an average clue reader. The IUD is pronounced “RAY-nuh,” not “REE-nuh,” and it was also clear that she missed the intended hint in “On, this big ten school! Coached by…” “On, Wisconsin!” is their fight song, with a meaning like “Forward!” or “Go!”

But she read it like "on this big ten school coached by Mark Johnson, the women's hockey team won the title," whatever it would mean to win a title "on" a big ten school. In fairness, she's not a team of one, and someone else on set should've had her re-record those during the break.

"Mirena" was simply wrong, but the other is a bit more subtle. I think Mayim misses those beats too often.

[Bastet]

Archive game for me since it's a football night.

I missed three literary characters, so I was off to a terrible start, but I got everything else in the first round correct.

It was a different story in DJ, where I did not run a single category.  I mostly just missed one or two, except for TV, where I missed all but one (I only knew Hannibal). 

And, boy, do I feel like a dunce over FJ, because I didn't even know the St. Lawrence Seaway exists.  (St. Lawrence River, yes, but I had no idea there was a whole canal thing going on up there.)