Jeopardy! Season 40 (2023-2024)

[ams1001]

January 1:
Happy New Year..?

77% / 53% / 64%

Started out okay in the first round…missed one in every category except Ex-Cars where I missed two. Went downhill in the second...ran Religion, missed one in Tough 7-Letter Words and Misheard Lyrics, three in Long Time, four in Know Sea, and all five in Retired. Didn't get FJ, either.

TSes: (J had 2; DJ had 10 + 1 DD) I got Shinto, jaybird, Thursday (DD), Africa, Neil Diamond, and Angel of the Morning (but after she was ruled wrong).
 

[Katy M]

I said Westminster Abbey.

I got the missed clues of Taxi Driver, AMC (after GMC), Shinto, raw umber, Wilma, jaybird, Rainforest Crunch (loved that stuff), and Thursday.

I got the entire category of misheard lyrics wrong.  

I had a fairly good first round, but a pretty bad DJ and missed final, and I really need to find a job so I can pay my jeopardy losings.

[Browncoat]

I couldn't come up with anything for FJ, not even a wild-ass guess.

But I did get the TS of AMC, Weddell seal, umber, jaybird, Neil Diamond, and abiotic.

 

[dgpolo]

4 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I couldn't come up with anything for FJ, not even a wild-ass guess.

My wild-ass guess was the Brandenburg Gate! Yay!

[SoMuchTV]

18 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I couldn't come up with anything for FJ, not even a wild-ass guess.

But I did get the TS of AMC, Weddell seal, umber, jaybird, Neil Diamond, and abiotic.

 

My WAG was the Eiffel Tower, even though I’m pretty sure I was a century or so off. 

And I thought jaybird was super obvious, but the Mr, who is of a similar age and background, said he had no clue. 

I’m glad they went with retired Crayola colors and not color names, because that’s a whole other category. 

[shapeshifter]

I am having an attack of Imposter Syndrome for getting the FJ of Brandenburg Gate. I didn't even know I knew that LANDMARK name. Weird. Wikipedia indicates it was in a lot of news stories I followed over the years, so maybe that's it?
Still. Weird. 

 

Seaman Gregg lost his sea legs on the KNOW SEA category, and then failed to hear us hollering through the time portal of DD: Thursday! Like Thor's Day!

 

I think most of us at home instagot Jaybird for the TS in TOUGH 7-LETTER WORDS category with the clue of "Idiomatically, you don't wanna be naked like this feathered fellow seen here." 
Maybe the players saw the picture before the clue was read and didn't pick up on "naked like"? Plus, the idiom is "naked as a jaybird," not "naked like a jaybird."
But what was the category about? "TOUGH" because of spelling? Like, whether or not jaybird is one or two words? 

[possibilities]

I took a break during the strikes, but am finally getting back to watching. I don't remember any of the 2nd chance contestants who were in today's game. So, it felt like a regular game to me, until the end when they used multiple day scores to determine the winner.

I will be laughing over "the girl with colitis goes by" for a long time.

[Prevailing Wind]

My WAG for FJ was The Bastille.  Special door for Royalty. Bwaahahahaha.

[Clanstarling]

17 hours ago, Katy M said:

I said Westminster Abbey.

Me too. It's the only thing I could come up with, despite having extensive experience with Germany. I just don't go to "royal" when it comes to Germany, even though I know that there was royalty in the past. Guess I'm stuck in post WW1 history. I certainly know the gate - but it never entered my mind.

16 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

And I thought jaybird was super obvious, but the Mr, who is of a similar age and background, said he had no clue.

I'm not a bird person (though I did get all but one in the category) but the clue (naked)  is what gave it to me.

I managed to get Thursday by thinking of Thor, despite having no clue otherwise.

[Trey]

That picture of the "jaybird" they showed looks like the Eurasian Jay.  It certainly wasn't a North American blue jay or gray jay.

I got the ts of Neil Diamond and the missed DD of Thursday but that was it.

For FJ I said London Bridge, thinking it might have, at each end, five gates for entry to the bridge.  So, I guess I was sort of on the right track but still totally wrong.

[shapeshifter]

18 hours ago, Katy M said:

I said Westminster Abbey.

31 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

Me too. It's the only thing I could come up with, despite having extensive experience with Germany. I just don't go to "royal" when it comes to Germany, even though I know that there was royalty in the past. Guess I'm stuck in post WW1 history. I certainly know the gate - but it never entered my mind.

@Clanstarling, you suffered from the ol' "Burden of knowledge" syndrome for FJ. 
I, OTOH, was ignorant enough of Europe and History to get it by sheer luck of the randomly firing neurons in my old brain.

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, Trey said:

That picture of the "jaybird" they showed looks like the Eurasian Jay.  It certainly wasn't a North American blue jay or gray jay.

Ah, yes, that is probably why they missed jaybird; it was not like:
 
It was more like:

Often the clue pictures do not look very much like the common images generally associated with the person, place, thing, or animal.

[Katy M]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

but the clue (naked)  is what gave it to me.

Me, too.  Then, Idecided I did think it looked a bit like a blue jay in shape.

[Driad]

Why "naked as a jaybird" anyway?  Jays are no more naked than other birds.  I have heard "naked as a frog," which makes more sense.

[chessiegal]

10 minutes ago, Driad said:

Why "naked as a jaybird" anyway?  Jays are no more naked than other birds.  I have heard "naked as a frog," which makes more sense.

Quote

In 1920s and 30s America, J-bird was short for jailbird and when they were brought in from the bus, they went to the showers were given their kit and made to walk from one end of the prison to the other naked. Hence naked as a j-bird – or jaybird.

Origin of naked as a jaybird

[ProudMary]

I think "naked as a jay bird" is no longer in common use. I got it instantly because I remember my Grandma using the idiom and I'm a Baby Boomer! I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone much under 60 who's familiar with the term. I wasn't very surprised that it was a TS for the contestants. 

 

[possibilities]

38 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

I think "naked as a jay bird" is no longer in common use. I got it instantly because I remember my Grandma using the idiom and I'm a Baby Boomer! I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone much under 60 who's familiar with the term. I wasn't very surprised that it was a TS for the contestants. 

 

I was sitting here thinking "I'm not 60 and I've heard it!" and then I realized... I'm 58. So...  your point stands.

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

I think "naked as a jay bird" is no longer in common use. I got it instantly because I remember my Grandma using the idiom and I'm a Baby Boomer! I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone much under 60 who's familiar with the term. I wasn't very surprised that it was a TS for the contestants. 

I resemble that generalization. But I’ll have to check in with my millennial children, especially the one who claims her favorite shows include 60 Minutes and Jeopardy. 
 

Update: said millennial claims no knowledge of that phrase. Now I’m questioning what I’ve heard/read/watched that made that phrase so familiar to me, but not to my immediate family. It’s not like it’s something I recall my parents or relatives of their generation saying, either. 

Edited January 2 by SoMuchTV

[Mondrianyone]

No one has mentioned that finger-snapping thing Chris (yes? the guy with the blue eyeglass frames) did all throughout the game, usually when everyone else was applauding. It was like what beatniks did instead of clap at poetry readings, except they did it slowly and his was rapid snaps. I wasn't sure if it was alternative applause or had some other meaning. Someone else noticed this, right?

[Katy M]

I got FJ.  Whoo-hoo.

I got the missed clues of blue chip and Jerry Maguire.  

I got the entire category of stocks and investments right.

 

[ams1001]

From my facebook memories this morning...😄

January 2:

63% / 67% / 66%

Meh game. In J I ran Close Encounters, missed one in Museums and Investments, and three in everything else. In DJ I ran Historic Lasts, missed one in Celebrate and Child Performers, two in Astronomy, and three in What's "New" and Shakespeare.

Got FJ pretty quickly; never heard of the prank but it was the logical guess. (Or maybe not, since two of them got it wrong...)

TSes: (There were 3 in each round.) I got blue chip and Jerry Maguire (before she managed to spit it out too late).

5 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I managed to get Thursday by thinking of Thor, despite having no clue otherwise.

Same here; at first I guessed Saturday just to guess, but then I realized "thunder" was the relevant part of the clue.

2 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

I resemble that generalization. But I’ll have to check in with my millennial children, especially the one who claims her favorite shows include 60 Minutes and Jeopardy. 

I'm Gen X (48) and I don't know where I heard it but I know I have (obviously, since I got it right).

29 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

No one has mentioned that finger-snapping thing Chris (yes? the guy with the blue eyeglass frames) did all throughout the game, usually when everyone else was applauding. It was like what beatniks did instead of clap at poetry readings, except they did it slowly and his was rapid snaps. I wasn't sure if it was alternative applause or had some other meaning. Someone else noticed this, right?

I noticed it but only once (I tend to look away from the screen between clues, though). Forgot to mention it when I wrote my comment later.

 

[Browncoat]

Instaget FJ tonight.  I was surprised that two missed it.

The only TS I got were blue chip and Jerry Maguire.

[dgpolo]

Just now, Browncoat said:

Instaget FJ tonight.  I was surprised that two missed it.

Not quite insta but pretty quick. Also, Landmarks two days in a row? What is that about?

[anniebird]

6 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

Not quite insta but pretty quick. Also, Landmarks two days in a row? What is that about?

I thought I was crazy - I had to check my DVR list to make sure I was watching the current episode and that I had watched the current episode last night too. This is the first time in memory that's ever happened.

[dgpolo]

1 minute ago, anniebird said:

I thought I was crazy - I had to check my DVR list to make sure I was watching the current episode and that I had watched the current episode last night too. This is the first time in memory that's ever happened.

I double checked on the Archive. When they showed it I was scratching my head, why? They didn't film out of order or something did they?

[ProudMary]

I wonder if we'll get a full week of "Landmarks" FJs. 🤔

[secnarf]

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

I wonder if we'll get a full week of "Landmarks" FJs. 🤔

I hope not, or I am heading for another zero.

[Prevailing Wind]

O??!??!  Why would anyone cover the O in Hollywood to honor the Pope?

[Cotypubby]

5 hours ago, ProudMary said:

I think "naked as a jay bird" is no longer in common use. I got it instantly because I remember my Grandma using the idiom and I'm a Baby Boomer! I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone much under 60 who's familiar with the term. I wasn't very surprised that it was a TS for the contestants. 

 

I’m 41 and I thought it was stupidly easy and was shocked none of them knew it.

Today’s FJ was an instaget. I felt bad for Sophia but that’s why you have to read the clue! She would have won if she read what they were asking for.

Edited January 3 by Cotypubby

[Bastet]

After so long not watching, then holiday madness affecting my schedule shortly after the post-strike episodes started airing, I have not yet gotten back into my usual J! routine in terms of even watching, let alone tracking my performance.  Hopefully I will now that I'm back to work.

I started off quite rusty;  I only ran investments and geography in the first round.  I got all but one in close (I have never heard "close enough for jazz"), but I missed two each in museums and Charles and blew concert tours entirely. 

I did not manage to knock much of that rust off in DJ; I didn't run a single category.  I got all but one each in astronomy, lasts, and celebrate, but missed three each in Shakespeare and child performers and two in "new".

FJ was a near instaget, at least -- that it was the Hollywood sign was instant, and that it had to be one of the L's came a second after that.

In the Child Performers category, one of two I knew was Jerry Maguire (the other was what I figured had to be the correct guess of Bambi), but while I could instantly picture the film, I had a momentary brain fart on its title, so I got an empathetic laugh out of Sharon only getting as far as "Show me the money" in trying to remember it in time.

The blue chip TS surprised me, with the "colorful" hint.

Sophia is not an idiot, of course, having qualified for J!, but not realizing she'd fucked up her FJ response when Sharon's correct answer was revealed was really quite stupid.  The initial mistake of not properly reading the question, that happens, unfortunately, but she was confused when Ken ruled her incorrect.  Duh; if the person next to you just got ruled correct for a different answer, yours is wrong.

 

[possibilities]

5 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

I wasn't sure if it was alternative applause or had some other meaning. Someone else noticed this, right?

I've seen rapid snapping as being used for applause during things like hipster poetry readings, in the current era. I think it's a thing. Though members of the current generation probably don't think of themselves as hipsters, I'm old enough to be their grandmother and they look like hipsters to me. 

SoMuchTV, I vaguely have the idea that "naked as a jaybird" was a catchphrase of some famous someone back in the day, but I can't remember who. It might be where you heard it, if it's not something that you got from family members. 

[ams1001]

lol…

[proserpina65]

Why are any of these people getting second chances?  None of them really deserve it.  They had their shot, they lost, move on.  (I'm not saying the contestants haven't moved on, just that the show needs to.)

And anyone who does jazz hands during their intro definitely gets on my hate list, so of course Michael won.  Ugh.

[illdoc]

10 hours ago, Bastet said:

so I got an empathetic laugh out of Sharon only getting as far as "Show me the money" in trying to remember it in time.

The thing is, she answered it (correctly) after time was up but neither of the other two rang in with it, so it became a TS!

[Trey]

An okay game for me although I had only one ts, Cornwall.

FJ was an instaget.

[Clanstarling]

18 hours ago, ProudMary said:

I think "naked as a jay bird" is no longer in common use. I got it instantly because I remember my Grandma using the idiom and I'm a Baby Boomer! I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone much under 60 who's familiar with the term. I wasn't very surprised that it was a TS for the contestants.

Well, hell, there goes my pleasure for getting it. 😉

15 hours ago, dgpolo said:

Not quite insta but pretty quick. Also, Landmarks two days in a row? What is that about?

When I was recording the FJ for the Jeopardy Contest, I had to double check my work - I thought I'd made a mistake. I don't think I've ever seen two of the same FJ categories in a row before.

14 hours ago, ProudMary said:

I wonder if we'll get a full week of "Landmarks" FJs. 🤔

Now, that would be kind of fun. Maybe we should read up on landmarks, just in case. 😁

13 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

Today’s FJ was an instaget. I felt bad for Sophia but that’s why you have to read the clue! She would have won if she read what they were asking for.

I felt for her too, as I started out with "Hollywood Sign" and remembered what they were asking for at the last second.

Edited January 3 by Clanstarling

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, illdoc said:

The thing is, she answered it (correctly) after time was up but neither of the other two rang in with it, so it became a TS!

That was the crazy thing.  Neither of the other two contestants knew Jerry Maguire?  Maybe they just misunderstood the clue.

[Good Queen Jane]

Maybe they heard Sharon say "Jerry Maguire" and was ruled incorrect and they didn't realize it was because time had run out. So they thought Jerry Maguire was the wrong response.

[Bastet]

40 minutes ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Maybe they heard Sharon say "Jerry Maguire" and was ruled incorrect and they didn't realize it was because time had run out. So they thought Jerry Maguire was the wrong response.

That was my guess, but I was so busy laughing at both of us having trouble coming up with the title to a movie we knew (especially because, for me, it's not even the first time with that particular film), I didn't pay close attention to how closely together she finally spit it out and Ken said she was out of time. 

[Katy M]

FJ was an instaget.

I didn't get any missed clues or run any categories.

I had a horrible, horrible DJ.  I did manage to get at least one right in each category and I had one category where I only missed one, but it was definitely not a shining moment for me.

[ams1001]

January 3:

80% / 63% / 72%

Good first round, not so good second. In J I ran Where'd You Go?, missed two in Geography and one in everything else. In DJ I missed one in William Blake in Pop Culture and two in everything else.

FJ was an instaget.

TSes: (J had 2; DJ had 4 + 1DD) I only got humpback whale.

[Bastet]

Oh, for Pete's sake -- only my second game back and it's preempted by basketball.  So, archive game for me.  Thankfully, not being able to see the photo clues wasn't an issue.

I'm annoyed Bull Durham was not one of the William Blake in Pop Culture clues; I cannot read his name without hearing it in Susan Sarandon's voice.

I don't know any more about John Green than the last time they gave him a category, but I got all but the monster TS in that one -- and that was my only miss in the entire first round, so I thought the rust was well and truly gone just two games back.

But then came DJ.  I only ran words.  I got all but the TS in abbreviations and missed two each in scientists and Americas, but missed three in William Blake and almost blew paint entirely, only getting Georgia O'Keeffe.

FJ was another instaget, though.

[30 Helens]

12 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I don't think I've ever seen two of the same FJ categories in a row before

Not exactly the same, but week 14 had “20th century literature” followed by “American literature”.  That was a good two days for me.

French words + old movies = no thought required. That is my perfect intersection.

[Browncoat]

Archive game for me last night, but FJ was an instaget.  

I also got the TS of combustible (although that was a weird clue, and I definitely said it in the form of a question), and humpback whales.

[ams1001]

January 4:

73% / 43% / 59%

My good categories were really good - ran All About Authors, Game Show, and Of Thrones, and missed one in I Sense Some Negativity; and my bad categories were really bad - missed three in Cabinet Department and four in Languages, and in DJ I missed two in Earth Science and three in everything else. 😳

FJ was an instaget.

TSes: (J had 0 + the DD ; DJ had 7) I got Robert Louis Stevenson (DD) and Mumbai.
 

[Browncoat]

Instaget FJ for me tonight.

I also got the TS of Robert Louis Stevenson and Bhopal, although Bhopal was a guess based on the Union Carbide disaster.  I had no idea it was a capital.

[30 Helens]

Another instaget tonight. I think the writers are embracing the Giving Season and taking it easy on me.   

[ams1001]

January 5:

63% / 50% / 57%

Geez, what a terrible game. In J I ran Weight, Weight, Don't Tell Me, missed one in Lines in Classic Novels and Our Man on the Field (a sports category!!), two in Nyming-Nyms, three in This & That, and four in Black History Year (I, too, was good at being off by one). In DJ I missed one in 20th Century Pop Culture, two in Famous Objects and Woman in the Field, three in Alliteration and The Ocean, and four in Country Overlaps.

But I got FJ! Had to think for a bit.  And it was an asterisk!

TSes: (J had 4 + the DD; DJ had 2 + 1 DD) I only got A Tale of Two Cities (DD).

Michael makes me anxious. But he helps animals, so..
 

[Katy M]

I got FJ.  The contestants didn't have bad guesses, but nothing else even occurred to me once I thought "garden."

I got the missed clues of A Tale of Two Cities, 1962, salinity and goose grease.

[dgpolo]

FJ was just about an instaget. I could not get Burt Lancaster out of my head long enough to say Elmer Gantry. 😞

[Browncoat]

I did not get FJ tonight.  I couldn't decide what was the relevant part of the clue, and couldn't think of what might have been updated recently, and I ran out of time before I had a guess.  Oh well.

I did get the TS of A Tale of Two Cities, salinity, and goose grease.