Jeopardy! Season 40 (2023-2024)

[Driad]

Speaking of continental divides, I'm especially interested in triple divides. Water falling on Triple Divide Peak in Montana, for example, flows into the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans.  

[chicagofan]

18 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I did not know what they were getting at with the clue for greed -- why was the insurance gecko relevant?

I believe it was a reference to the movie Wall Street's character Gordon Gekko played by Michael Douglas.

Greed is good.

Edited December 12, 2023 by chicagofan

[SomeTameGazelle]

4 hours ago, chicagofan said:

I believe it was a reference to the movie Wall Street's character Gordon Gekko played by Michael Douglas.

Thank you.

"A talking gecko might tell you it's a 5-letter synonym for avarice."

I don't think spelling it as "gecko" is fair play. And even using "talking" because it’s not remarkable for Gordon Gekko to talk. Obviously they had to know that was misleading.

Most of the time when there's extra information in a clue it's a clear pointer even if the wording is intended to be cute. This feels like an intentional strong misdirect. 

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I did not know what they were getting at with the clue for greed -- why was the insurance gecko relevant?

1 hour ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

Thank you.
"A talking gecko might tell you it's a 5-letter synonym for avarice."
I don't think spelling it as "gecko" is fair play. And even using "talking" because it’s not remarkable for Gordon Gekko to talk. Obviously they had to know that was misleading.
Most of the time when there's extra information in a clue it's a clear pointer even if the wording is intended to be cute. This feels like an intentional strong misdirect. 

And thank you too!
Same thoughts. But I've seen green geckos. Mom used to Swiffer them away because of their abundant poop, but being careful not to kill them because of their alleged good luck.
So in my reverie, I didn't get it quite in time.

 

Regarding Monday's FJ, again, like the previous Monday's 20th CENTURY NOVELS, the category of 20th CENTURY LITERATURE didn't freak me out (Mom bought every bestseller and filled a wall of shelves with the hard covers). 

The clue…

• Thomas Pynchon wrote that this novelist "in 1948 understood that despite the Axis defeat... fascism had not gone away"

…first lead me to 1984 and Orwell, but then Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 seemed more fascist, but I have noticed Jeopardy!  writers seem to include "fire" in the clue for Fahrenheit 451, and I generally regret switching from my first guess, so, let's assume I landed on 1984 in time. 

BTW, Fahrenheit 451 was published in 1949. 
I wonder if the clue writers fiendishly considered the closeness of dates and subjects.

IRL, FJ depends so much upon wagering rather than just getting it right.

Edited December 12, 2023 by shapeshifter

[Browncoat]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 seemed more fascist,

Bradbury crossed my mind, but I thought that book was much later, like well into the 1950s later.  Hooray for not knowing dates, I guess?

[proserpina65]

Had no clue for FJ.  I thought 1984 was published much earlier than 1949 so the year didn't help at all.

[Scott]

30 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I thought 1984 was published much earlier than 1949 so the year didn't help at all.

I would have had no idea when Fahrenheit 451 was published, but I can remember Nineteen Eighty-Four's publishing date from the (probably apocryphal) story that Orwell got the title from flipping the last digits of 1948, when he was writing it.  

[Clanstarling]

We watched on YouTube, unfortunately, the one we watched jumped from showing the FJ category to Ken asking someone if they though of "Orwell" or something like that. After reading the clue on J!, I wasn't sure if I'd have gotten it or not. I certainly read it, but sometimes things click and sometimes they don't.

So we have to be wary of YouTube jeopardy. The posters seem to change their names all the time, so there's no trusted one we can always watch. Thankfully, it's just on Mondays because of football.

Other than that (Mrs. Lincoln) I did pretty well in general. But I'm here for the FJs.

Edited December 12, 2023 by Clanstarling

[ams1001]

23 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

So we have to be wary of YouTube jeopardy. The posters seem to change their names all the time, so there's no trusted one we can always watch. Thankfully, it's just on Mondays because of football.

Sometimes if you look at the comments someone will say whether the video was decent or what kind of issues it had. So far that's been fairly accurate, in my experience, but you also run the risk of spoilers if people actually commented on the game itself.

[shapeshifter]

33 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

We watched on YouTube, unfortunately, the one we watched jumped from showing the FJ category to Ken asking someone if they though of "Orwell" or something like that

The last 2 times I watched YouTube the same thing happened (they cut the FJ think music) so the 3rd time it was pre-empted — 🏈🏟⚾️🏀⛹🏾‍♀️⛹️‍♂️— 
a I decided to first do FJ with a timer and the archive.
I didn’t know that FJ, but at least I had a chance.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Other than that (Mrs. Lincoln)

Ha - we say that all the time in my family, so I enjoyed seeing it from someone else.

[chicagofan]

One of my better games - didn't realize that I did as well as I did until I looked at the J Archive. Sweet.

In the J round I ran "Sounds Kinda "IFF" Y" and got 4 in "Have You 8?", "Auto Racing" and "Animals". Got the TS of tariffs - not a real TS since Henry and Julia didn't get a chance to respond since Gary was initially ruled correct.

Another good round in DJ. Ran "Anaom"e" and "Sticky Stuff" and got 4 in "Yes, I've Eton". TSs were Prince William and krazy glue.

FJ was an instaget- Moby Dick popped into my head immediately, which gave me too much time to talk myself out of my correct response. I briefly considered Mutiny on the Bounty, but ultimately stuck with my first response (haven't read/don't know a lot about either book).

Did Ken actually use the "runaway" word today? I think I head him say it which surprised me since it seems like he tends to go out of his way not to use that word when a contestant has the win in the bag.

[Katy M]

I got FJ, but I didn't really think it was right.  I read it, but don't remember it.

I got the missed clues of taxonomy, Prince William, crazy glue, and Krista McCauliffe.

I got the entire categories of iffy and 8 right.

[ams1001]

December 12:

83% / 70% / 77%

Good J round... I missed one clue in every category except for Auto Racing, of all things, which I ran.

In DJ I ran Anatom"e" and Sticky Stuff, missed one in McPeople, two in Seinfeld Before & After and Words of Peace, and four in Yes I've Eton.

I was a little distracted but I got FJ shortly before the music ended.

TSes: (J had 2 + the DD (though "tariffs" was ruled wrong after the fact so someone else might have gotten it); DJ had 3 + 1DD) I got taxonomy (DD), tariffs, Prince William, Krazy Glue, and Christa McAuliffe (DD).
 

[kathyk2]

Was Gary in the professors tournament? They had a watch party at my nephew's school for him.

[ams1001]

13 minutes ago, kathyk2 said:

Was Gary in the professors tournament? They had a watch party at my nephew's school for him.

Yes, he was - 2021 Professors Tournament semifinalist

[Clanstarling]

19 hours ago, Bastet said:

Ha - we say that all the time in my family, so I enjoyed seeing it from someone else.

I'm so glad someone else says it. Sometimes I get blank looks (but not as often as when I quote SNL "Jane you ignorant slut" - which doesn't really track well these days, so I don't do that one anymore...)

With FJ my thinking was "long book", "Captain...boat" = Moby Dick.

Pretty good game all in all.

Edited December 13, 2023 by Clanstarling

[proserpina65]

Well, crap.  I really didn't like Gary so of course he won.

For FJ: ship + missing limb always equals Moby Dick.

[30 Helens]

On 12/12/2023 at 6:23 AM, SomeTameGazelle said:

I don't think spelling it as "gecko" is fair play. And even using "talking" because it’s not remarkable for Gordon Gekko to talk. Obviously they had to know that was misleading.

Hmm. The gecko is what led me to Gekko and the quote, so I didn’t find it misleading at all!

Loving these literature FJs. Two in a row for me! Although Moby Dick was a guess, since I’ve never read it. I just know it’s very long, so 100 chapters + Captain made me think it was a reasonable guess. It probably didn’t hurt that I recently listened to the Strike Force Five podcast episode where Jimmy Fallon was trying to slog his way through the book. Very funny.

[Clanstarling]

41 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

It probably didn’t hurt that I recently listened to the Strike Force Five podcast episode where Jimmy Fallon was trying to slog his way through the book. Very funny.

That podcast was very funny. I wish they'd keep them up - maybe a Christmas one or something.

[Browncoat]

Catching up from Tuesday (I went to see The Boy and The Heron last night -- I do recommend if you like Studio Ghibli films) -- instaget FJ, and probably the biggest hint for me was the chapter number.  I haven't read it either, but I know it's a slog.

I also got the TS of taxonomy, rat & pig, Prince William, Krazy Glue, and McAuliffe.

[Katy M]

I said Oliver.  Once again, I didn't think it was right, but couldn't think of anything else except for Annie which I didn't think would have won an Oscar.

I got the missed clues of snort, algae (after she clued me in with plankton), smallpox, latent, trisha Yearwood, challenge, and ultimate.

 

[ams1001]

December 13:

53% / 50% / 52%

Ugh, terrible game. Only thing I ran was Who's the Mrs.? Missed one in Science and Name that Carmaker, two in Look Up in the Sky and Oscar, Meyer, Weiner, and 3-4 in everything else.

But FJ was an instaget (I'm sensing a theme with the literary FJs this week…). I got Oliver! but I never would have come up with Gigi.

TSes: (J had 4 + the DD; DJ had 3 + 1DD) I got latent, smallpox (DD), and Trisha Yearwood.

I bet Tyler's good at poker...

[chicagofan]

Today might as well have been a Jeopardy! Masters game considering how I did. I only had two good categories, both in DJ - I ran "French Connections" and got 4 in "Who's the Mrs.?". Got the missed DD of smallpox in the J round and the TS of Trisha Yearwood in DJ.

And it didn’t get any better in FJ. I usually do well in musical type categories, but today I didn't have a clue and just stared at the screen. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

[Browncoat]

FJ was an instaguess -- I said Oliver!, but couldn't remember if it had won any awards at all.  And I couldn't come up with another one-word title of a movie musical, so I stuck with it.  Never would have thought of Gigi.

The only TS I got were smallpox, latent, succulent, and ultimate.

[sugarbaker design]

I was so happy that both Tyler and Emma included the exclamation point for Oliver!

[Prevailing Wind]

I'm embarrassed that I missed FJ.  "One word title" and I jumped straight to Oklahoma! (also with an exclamation point, like Jeopardy!) but then being a character's named ruled that one out.  Spent too much time thinking to come up with the right response. Bummer.

[secnarf]

Yeah I struggled to run through all of the musicals in the time alotted - I couldn't narrow my focus. Never would have got Gigi, mind you, but I should have got Oliver!

[Cotypubby]

Damn, musicals and the Oscars are both my best categories but I could not pull either of those two titles out of my brain! I got stuck on immediately thinking “Chicago” and couldn’t get anything else.

[30 Helens]

Oliver! The movie that traumatized me as a kid. I saw it at the drive-in with my parents (yes, a drive-in. I am ancient.) and I have never forgotten the shock and horror of seeing Bill Sikes kill Nancy on the staircase. The fact that you couldn’t see her, just what was happening to her, made it somehow even worse. Not even the casting of my HR Pufnstuf crush as the Artful Dodger made me want to ever see that movie again. 

 

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, Katy M said:

I said Oliver.  Once again, I didn't think it was right, but couldn't think of anything else except for Annie which I didn't think would have won an Oscar.

I got the missed clues of snort, algae (after she clued me in with plankton), smallpox, latent, trisha Yearwood, challenge, and ultimate.

 

I said Oliver as well.  Couldn't think of another movie but when one of the other contestants answered Gigi, I was like "Of course!".  I've seen both, liked Gigi (loved, loved, LOVED Louis Jourdan in it) but realize how seriously problematic the story is now.

I liked Tyler, but man, I would not want to play poker against him.

10 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Oliver! The movie that traumatized me as a kid. I saw it at the drive-in with my parents (yes, a drive-in. I am ancient.) and I have never forgotten the shock and horror of seeing Bill Sikes kill Nancy on the staircase. The fact that you couldn’t see her, just what was happening to her, made it somehow even worse. Not even the casting of my HR Pufnstuf crush as the Artful Dodger made me want to ever see that movie again. 

 

Yeah, Nancy's death was seriously traumatic.

[Clanstarling]

16 hours ago, Katy M said:

I said Oliver.  Once again, I didn't think it was right, but couldn't think of anything else except for Annie which I didn't think would have won an Oscar.

I too thought Oliver was wrong - but I couldn't think of anything else. Like many here, Gigi didn't even occur to me.

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

I said Oliver as well.  Couldn't think of another movie but when one of the other contestants answered Gigi, I was like "Of course!".  I've seen both, liked Gigi (loved, loved, LOVED Louis Jourdan in it) but realize how seriously problematic the story is now.

I saw Gigi as well, fairly young. First thing I thought when it was accepted was that it sure would be a problematic movie today.

I think Oliver was on my brain because of the Artful Dodger series that just started. The casting is good, but I just didn't connect with it.

 

[Trey]

An okay game for me although I got only one ts, Andromeda, and the missed DD of smallpox.

Oliver was an instaget and I can't say I had any second thoughts about it.  I never would have thought of Gigi although I'm sure I saw it many years ago.  At that time every Saturday afternoon was spent at the movies, a quarter for the movie and I would also get ten cents for a snack.  Pretty good living at that age🙂

[Driad]

I got Oliver but had not known that Gigi came from anything literary.  I saw the movie of Gigi as a young teen and found it vaguely icky.

[Trey]

2 hours ago, Driad said:

I got Oliver but had not known that Gigi came from anything literary.  I saw the movie of Gigi as a young teen and found it vaguely icky.

It was icky, by today's standards and 1950's standards and the standards of any time.  Leslie Caron was 26 when she filmed the movie but Gigi was only 15/16.

[Kimmmmmm]

17 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Oliver! The movie that traumatized me as a kid. I saw it at the drive-in with my parents (yes, a drive-in. I am ancient.) and I have never forgotten the shock and horror of seeing Bill Sikes kill Nancy on the staircase. The fact that you couldn’t see her, just what was happening to her, made it somehow even worse. Not even the casting of my HR Pufnstuf crush as the Artful Dodger made me want to ever see that movie again. 

 

I love that film.

[chicagofan]

Decent game today, especially after yesterday's horrible one. In the J round I ran "It's All Relative" and "A Proverbial Mess", and got 4 in "Tennis-y Williams". TSs/missed DDs were the Freedom Trail (DD), Utah and North Carolina.

Didn't do quite as well in DJ, but I got 4 in "A Matter of "Life" or "Death". But I did get all 3 TSs - the staff of life, Life Guards and Pennsylvania.

FJ was pretty much an instaget. Big 4 U.S. Airlines - United, American - oh wait, Southwest. I also came up with the 4th airline - Delta - but it didn't have any impact on my answer. It probably didn't hurt that Southwest has a big presence in Chicago and I flew on them a lot while I was still traveling since they were usually cheaper than United or American. FJs this week - 3 for 4.

Edited December 15, 2023 by chicagofan

[ams1001]

December 14:

70% / 57% / 64%

Decent first round…ran A Proverbial Mess, missed one in Tennis-y Williams and It's All Relative, two in Literature and State of the College, and three in In the Footsteps of History.

Not so decent second round…ran High Water, missed two in Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and Sea's Bounty, and three in Brownian Notions, "Life" or "Death" and Hell.

Didn't get FJ…I guessed United just to guess something. Didn't even think of Southwest.

TSes: (J had 4 + the DD; DJ had 3) I got Utah, Freedom Trail (DD), and Pennsylvania.

Yay, I was rooting for Yungsheng 永勝 and I loved how he hugged both of the other guys.
 

19 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Oliver! The movie that traumatized me as a kid. I saw it at the drive-in with my parents (yes, a drive-in. I am ancient.) and I have never forgotten the shock and horror of seeing Bill Sikes kill Nancy on the staircase. The fact that you couldn’t see her, just what was happening to her, made it somehow even worse. Not even the casting of my HR Pufnstuf crush as the Artful Dodger made me want to ever see that movie again. 

I saw that movie a number of times (on VHS) as a kid. I often didn't watch all the way to the end. I'm not sure I really remember that scene. Maybe I just didn't register what was happening...or blocked it out.

Edited December 15, 2023 by ams1001

[chitowngirl]

I thought of the Friends episode TOW the Embryos with the category “It’s All Relative”! 

[Browncoat]

I immediately came up with three major airlines (United, American, and Delta), knew they were all pretty old, then pondered for a second what could be the fourth.  I took a chance and guessed Southwest.  I wondered about Alaska Airlines, but didn't think it was one of the four biggest.  I honestly had no idea Southwest was that big.  

I also got the TS of Freedom Trail, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and staff of life.

[bad things are bad]

So now I'm curious about Yungsheng's backstory: like father like son..."not always"

[shapeshifter]

BUSINESS is not my strong suit.

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

I immediately came up with three major airlines (United, American, and Delta), knew they were all pretty old, then pondered for a second what could be the fourth.

I too came up with United, American, and Delta, but then got discouraged with Jet Blue and gave up.
I guessed Delta.
At least I had good COMPANY.

Was the A PROVERBIAL MESS category just a freebee? Or is it just that I grew up on proverbial sayings?

 

Wednesday FJ:

21 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

I got stuck on immediately thinking “Chicago” and couldn’t get anything else.

I got from Chicago to Annie, but would never have come up with Gigi or Oliver!.

[SomeTameGazelle]

44 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I got from Chicago to Annie, but would never have come up with Gigi or Oliver!.

I considered Cinderella but plumped for Gigi; Oliver! never crossed my mind. I've only seen clips of either.

For the airlines I thought of Delta and American first. Southwest came into my mind but I despaired of figuring out which was most recent so would probably have guessed Delta.

[30 Helens]

I live in Southwest’s home city (Dallas). Southwest is my favorite airline because it flies out of Love Field, a small, easily accessible airport not far from my house, and allows me to avoid the congested headache that is DFW Airport.

I said Southwest Airlines. You guys, I’m scared. I only have one to go to make a perfect week, and I just know they’re going to throw geography or opera at me.

[Cotypubby]

I immediately thought of American, United and Delta, and thought the fourth (and youngest) was JetBlue. I always forget that Southwest even exists!

[chicagofan]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Was the A PROVERBIAL MESS category just a freebee? Or is it just that I grew up on proverbial sayings?

I ran the category and thought it was easy. Looking at the J! Archive I just noticed that Yungsheng ran it as well, which I don't think was mentioned on the show. Not surprising since the way the contestants bounce around the board makes it hard to keep track of when a contestant runs a category.

[Trey]

Another okay game for me.

I got the ts's or missed DDs of Michigan, life guard, Pennsylvania, and staff of life.

I am not too familiar with the various American airlines, other than knowing Delta is one of the oldest.  I really couldn't come up with any others so said Northwest - so close yet so far from correct.

[Clanstarling]

17 hours ago, Kimmmmmm said:

I love that film.

I still sing songs from it, when I'm puttering around the house. Mostly "Consider Yourself" and "Oom pah pah".

15 hours ago, bad things are bad said:

So now I'm curious about Yungsheng's backstory: like father like son..."not always"

I am curious, but it sounded like it might be private, and said in an accidental knee jerk reaction.

13 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

For the airlines I thought of Delta and American first. Southwest came into my mind but I despaired of figuring out which was most recent so would probably have guessed Delta.

Southwest came into my mind too - but I went with Alaska. Oh well.

[MrAtoz]

I said Delta as well; didn't realize that it was that old. I thought about Southwest, but I wasn't sure it was one of the top 4 airlines. Although now that I think about it, I can't figure out any other likely contenders.

I got Oliver! right. I've done the show in community theater. I played, among other things, the policeman who finds Nancy's body. Later I got to shoot Bill Sikes with my trusty starter's pistol! (Yes, we used a starter's pistol. It looked and sounded exactly like a starter's pistol. Oh, the magic of theater!)

[chessiegal]

When I was young some Sunday afternoons my dad liked to go to the Philadelphia airport to watch the planes. Even though we never flew anywhere, I was familiar with airlines. Thinking about today, Southwest came to mind because it wasn't around when I was a kid or even a teenager.