Jeopardy! Season 40 (2023-2024)

[BuckeyeLou]

30 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I didn't get to see game one of the finals, as I was with a friend and her cat at the emergency vet (kitty is fine now), and when I got home and checked the archive I realized that was a good thing -- not my game!  But I did very well in game two.

I'm glad Juveria won. 

And I'm looking forward to being able to discuss games here again; it was kind of weird to not "be with" y'all during the finals.

Yes, I like Juveria...she is a good Winner.  She has such a calm presence about her.  And Yes, it's nice to be 'back on Board" :)

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Here are a few notes I took last week which can serve to bump up this thread in time for this evening's game:

I am not a strong Jeopardy! player, and had 0/5 for last week's FJs.
Nevertheless:

• Jan 31 Wed:
  • A SQUARE MEAL for $200 was clued:
    “The ‘original’ flavor of this century-old woven cracker brand has 3 ingredients: whole grain wheat, canola oil & sea salt.” 
    The correct response was, of course: Triscuit
    
    Although I generally do not eat or drink anything other than water during Jeopardy!
    (because I have enough trouble focusing as it is) 
    …Wednesday evening I did almost choke on my Triscuits
    (“Hint of Sea Salt” flavor with Muenster cheese slices)
    …in my effort to blurt out the answer ahead of the champs. 
  • Canadian Juveria missed this one, but she deservedly wound up advancing to the TOC.
    I hope she does well there too.

 

Love Triscuits - but I never eat them when I might talk. 😁

For some reason I didn't like Juveria at first, but I didn't know why. I still don't know why, but I like her and look forward to seeing her dominate in whatever stage of the competition we're in (I lost track). Weird. Maybe I was hormonal (if I have any left).😉

Edited February 5 by Clanstarling

[kathyk2]

I was happy that Juveria won I thought Friday's final Jeopardy was impossible for her.  The people who complied that Billboard list have no taste in music.

[Browncoat]

Glad to see y'all back!  I found myself less interested in the games without people to discuss it with.  (Ugh, that sentence!).  So I may not have paid as much attention to the games last week, but I did get a few TS, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Monday), Clemson, egad, Toledo, glass (Tuesday), Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Roger Corman, spent, biometrics (Wednesday), Lorne Greene (Thursday), gall bladder, and Inklings (Friday).

Only one FJ, though -- the easiest one on Wednesday.

[Grizzly]

That was the longest week of my life! Seriously, I might be slightly addicted to this site. Just wanted to say congrats to Juveria on her awesome win.

[Clanstarling]

8 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

That was the longest week of my life! Seriously, I might be slightly addicted to this site. Just wanted to say congrats to Juveria on her awesome win.

I wasn't expecting to miss everyone quite as much as I did. I got back on a second after the countdown ended (well, I did have to post last week's questions for the Contest crowd).

Edited February 5 by Clanstarling

[ams1001]

I missed you guys!

I kept track of my game scores but they were nothing to brag about so I deleted them. I got several TSes over the week but I didn't make a list.

Fun coincidence: the day they had the Harlem Hellraisers category with Robin Roberts, the book chapter I started later that night mentioned the Harlem Hellraisers in the first paragragh.

[Katy M]

I said Cambodia, but I really didn't know why.  Still counts, though, right?

I got the missed clues of Caspian Sea, Cal Tech, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Jewel, sea lions, and yawn.

 

[ams1001]

February 5:

63% / 73% / 67%

Meh game.. in J I missed one in Historic Currency and Tools, three in Lakes & Rivers, and two in everything else. In DJ I missed two in British Literature and Lazy Words, and one in everything else.

No FJ. Though Angkor Wat did briefly cross my mind, I never said Cambodia.

TSes: (J had 6 + the DD; DJ had 6 + 1DD) I got fanfare (DD), Salmon P. Chase, L, United Nations, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, yawning, and Jewel.
 

Edited February 6 by ams1001

[Browncoat]

Angkor Wat came to mind immediately.  It took a few seconds for me to remember where Angkor Wat is, but I got it in plenty of time to write it down.

I also got the TS of fanfare, United Nations, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, sea lions, and yawning.  I'm one of those weird people who actually likes the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

[secnarf]

It was a slow mental trek towards FJ for me today - my brain was slowly shifting from West to East, and then slowly picturing red and blue...a shape of a building coming into focus, first in broad strokes and then more detailed...narrowing it down to SE Asia...Considered Laos, then thought of Cambodia and went with that, just in the nick of time.

 

[SoMuchTV]

Interesting to see that all three contestants wagered $0 for FJ, and it was pretty much the best choice for all of them. 

[dgpolo]

24 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Interesting to see that all three contestants wagered $0 for FJ, and it was pretty much the best choice for all of them. 

I thought so too and that if Mira hadn't answered that last clue it wouldn't have been a runaway. You could tell Kate knew as soon as Mira got it that it was over for her.

My TSs were the Caspian Sea (pure luck as I always mix it up with the Black Sea and usually say the wrong one), yawning and the Wife of Bath which I was surprised on one got. I still remember my HS teacher making us listen to some of the tales in Middle English.

My first thought for FJ was the Taj Mahal but knew it wasn't on the flag of India then I knew it was that temple over there 👉but totally blanked on both the name of the site and the country. 😞

Edited February 6 by dgpolo
ETA: clarity

[Bastet]

I didn't keep track, as I was watching in the bedroom, but I did very well in the first round.  Just okay in DJ, but I did find myself yelling several of the TS at the screen.

I have never in my life referred to an L wrench.  Hex key, usually, Allen wrench if someone looks at me blankly, but never L wrench.  (I knew the answer, since I know the shape, but the term on its own, no.) 

FJ was an instaguess I figured was correct.

Edited February 6 by Bastet

[Prevailing Wind]

6 hours ago, dgpolo said:

the Caspian Sea (pure luck as I always mix it up with the Black Sea and usually say the wrong one)

It's like I have a twin!  I ALWAYS say the wrong one, even when I try to fake myself out and say the one I don't think it is.

[Shrek]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

 

I have never in my life referred to an L wrench.  Hex key, usually, Allen wrench if someone looks at me blankly, but never L wrench.  (I knew the answer, since I know the shape, but the term on its own, no.) 

 

For some reason I remember it being called an Allen key so a mix of both yours but never once have I heard it called an L wrench, ever.

[shapeshifter]

7 minutes ago, Shrek said:

For some reason I remember it being called an Allen key so a mix of both yours but never once have I heard it called an L wrench, ever.

I've only ever heard Allen wrench, but the category and clue got me to L:

• TOOLS
  Used on bolts or screws, metric hex keys are known by this letter, their shape

Likewise, I got the TS of yawning because of the clue:

• Oscitant is an adjective that means doing this--& don't start, because I will too

— despite the rather obtuse category title of SOME LAZY WORDS. To me, LAZY always has at least a subtext of something derogatory.

 

15 hours ago, Katy M said:

I said Cambodia, but I really didn't know why.  Still counts, though, right?

For FJ, Cambodia was my first guess, but, sadly, not my last. 
Since I couldn't picture the flag, I'm okay with not getting it, although I heartily honor all "lucky" guesses, especially since on Jeopardy! they are probably always rooted in at least some bit of buried knowledge.
For this FJ flag, it was just beyond excavation within my brain — that knowledge must've composted and been used to grow other trivia.

[Prevailing Wind]

58 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Oscitant is an adjective that means doing this--& don't start, because I will too

I will yawn because the cat yawned. It's not species specific. LOL

 

[possibilities]

I could picture the flag, but couldn't remember what country it went to. 

And I'm another person who never heard of "L" key. I even HAVE one, and it's either a hex or an Allen, any time I've ever heard anyone speak of one.

This feels like the longest Jeopardy! competition ever. I've lost track of how many weeks it's taking. 

[Browncoat]

I've only ever heard it called an Allen wrench.

[Scott]

Ah, I've missed the site.  So many contestants who annoyed me, and nowhere to complain about them! 😁

Quote

Cal Tech

I don't mean to be nitpicking, but since we all presumably do enjoy trivia:  the California Institute of Technology gets very fussy about their nickname, and "Caltech" is the preferred spelling.  A few years ago, the city of Pasadena put up some new decorative signage, and the school was referred to as "Cal Tech" on the signs.  Evidently a stink was raised, and shortly thereafter corrections were applied to all the signs 

[Clanstarling]

17 hours ago, Katy M said:

I said Cambodia, but I really didn't know why.  Still counts, though, right?

You bet. IMO, guesses seem to come out of nowhere because we can't track the thought process and confirm our knowledge. (I'm always coming up with scenarios that explain things - doesn't mean they're true, sadly.)

1 hour ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I will yawn because the cat yawned. It's not species specific. LOL

 

I will yawn at a picture of someone/some animal yawning.

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

This feels like the longest Jeopardy! competition ever. I've lost track of how many weeks it's taking. 

Early on I decided to just go with it and not even think about the competition - but then last night I was "when will this competition be over?" I already forget the answer, and don't bother to let me know. Until we're back in regular play, I won't really absorb it.

[Katy M]

I had no idea on FJ.  Never read Heart of Darkness, so even if I knew the German word for short, I would have been out of luck.

I got the missed clues of 8 seconds, Stanley and Livingston, lexicographer, no engine, nightingale, and duck.

I got the entire categories of rodeo and 2 books right.

[ams1001]

February 6:

70% / 60% / 65%

Ran the 1970s (fun fact, I am 10 days older than Saturday Night Live) and 2 Books in 1, missed one in Rodeo, two in Famous Pairs and Avengers, and four in 13-Letter Words.

Missed one in Tiny Desk Concert*, Sooner, and Later Dude, two in layers, three in It's a Bird! It's a Plane!, and four in Around the Atlantic.

No FJ again…in my defense, I hated Heart of Darkness.

TSes: (J had 4 + the DD; DJ had 6 + 1DD) I got 8 seconds, Paul Harvey, Nightingale (DD), and Garth Brooks.

*(oddly enough, the one I missed was was Randy Newman, because I didn't get a good enough look at the picture, and not T-Pain, which I knew because NPR's Up First podcast just did a "Sunday Story" episode about the Tiny Desk Concert and talked about people being surprised he can actually sing)

[Browncoat]

No FJ for me tonight.  I've never read Heart of Darkness, though I have seen Apocalypse Now, and I've heard of Kurtz.  Had no idea it was German for short.

I did get the TS of 8 seconds, Stanley and Livingston, demonstration, Panama, and Paul Harvey.

Did deb seem this bored the first time around?

[dgpolo]

11 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

No FJ for me tonight.  I've never read Heart of Darkness, though I have seen Apocalypse Now, and I've heard of Kurtz.  Had no idea it was German for short.

I think I did have to read Heart of Darkness once for a lit class, don't really remember it, remember a little more from Apocalypse Now. Still never occurred to me for FJ.

Got Lexicographer, Garth Brooks, and the missed DDs Stanley and Livingstone and Nightengale. Could not remember Gordon Cooper's last name.

[SoMuchTV]

23 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Interesting to see that all three contestants wagered $0 for FJ, and it was pretty much the best choice for all of them. 

Andy at Thejeopardyfan.com (who seems to know what he’s talking about) says “this is believed to be the first game in the show’s history where all three players bet $0 in Final Jeopardy”

I thought it was unusual but I didn’t realize it was that unusual!

[SomeTameGazelle]

1 hour ago, dgpolo said:

I think I did have to read Heart of Darkness once for a lit class, don't really remember it, remember a little more from Apocalypse Now. Still never occurred to me for FJ.

I know enough German that I got to Kurtz, remembered the title of Apocalypse Now but hadn't quite got to the title of the book which we had absolutely read in school, reread the clue and confirmed they didn't care about the title, and spent the rest of my time hoping Matt would win. I was surprised that none of them had any idea but in fairness Apocalypse Now was set in 1970 so it might not be obvious how old the book was and if you don't know German then there's nothing to grab onto.

[Bastet]

I wonder if all or some were stuck on JFK as the person rather than the airport, not really cottoning to what LGA stood for, thus international being a TS.  Since I can't stand him, Garth Brooks being a TS amused me.  Gordo Cooper being a TS didn't surprise me, but it did bum me out a little; I guess none of them have watched The Right Stuff multiple times like I have.

If not for the damn Avengers category, I'd have only missed one in the entire first round (I only got the second half of the "A Prayer for Garp" clue).  But I know nothing about that franchise and cultural osmosis failed me this time, so I blew the entire category.

No bad categories for me in DJ, in which I had a fantastic round; I ran Tiny Desk Concerts (I never would have come up with Randy Newman without the picture, so I'm glad that was included), layers, and later, and got all but one each in the rest.

It all came to a crashing halt with FJ, though.  I know I had to read "Heart of Darkness" in high school, but I didn't like it and literally cannot remember anything about it other than who wrote it.  I've never seen Apocalypse Now, and didn't know that was loosely based on the book anyway.  I only know a handful of German words, none of which is kurtz.  All around, I had nothing to go on in that clue. 

[Driad]

FJ:  I have not read "Heart of Darkness" but I know a little German so I said Kurt, which might be someone's name.  On the grounds of pronunciation I assume that it would not be ruled correct.

[ams1001]

10 hours ago, Bastet said:

If not for the damn Avengers category,

When I saw that category, I thought, "well, that'll be a fail" but cultural osmosis got me three of them. I expected to do better in 13-letter words, but I did not.

[Clanstarling]

13 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I know enough German that I got to Kurtz, remembered the title of Apocalypse Now but hadn't quite got to the title of the book which we had absolutely read in school, reread the clue and confirmed they didn't care about the title, and spent the rest of my time hoping Matt would win. I was surprised that none of them had any idea but in fairness Apocalypse Now was set in 1970 so it might not be obvious how old the book was and if you don't know German then there's nothing to grab onto.

I got it both because I know the German for short, and I remembered the character's name. Couldn't for life of me remember the title - I read it in college and all I remember, really, is well, darkness and jungle(?). But I did know an Oliver Stone movie had been based on it - but because I'm no fan I didn't see it and couldn't remember the (irrelevant to FJ) title.

The walkman clue made me feel a bit old. Still, I ran the cateogry and I comfort myself that I've been around for the beginning of all sorts of technology we take for granted today.

It was an okay game for me, not great, not terrible.

 

Edited February 7 by Clanstarling

[possibilities]

15 hours ago, Bastet said:

I wonder if all or some were stuck on JFK as the person rather than the airport

That's where my head was.

 

[proserpina65]

On 2/5/2024 at 5:12 PM, kathyk2 said:

I was happy that Juveria won I thought Friday's final Jeopardy was impossible for her.  The people who complied that Billboard list have no taste in music.

I was a little torn on Juveria.  On one hand I tend to not like runaway games.  On the other, she was fast on the buzzer, knew her stuff and didn't have any annoying personality quirks.  Plus, she earned bonus points in her original comeback game by betting a huge amount of money on an Opera DD and getting it right.  So I'll forgive the runaway final.

Black Hawks were my wild-ass guess since I thought they were named for a Native American tribe, not a specific person.  But it was all I could think of, probably thanks to having seen Black Hawk Down multiple times.

On 2/6/2024 at 4:39 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

It's like I have a twin!  I ALWAYS say the wrong one, even when I try to fake myself out and say the one I don't think it is.

There are triplets of us, cause I do the same thing.

19 hours ago, dgpolo said:

Could not remember Gordon Cooper's last name.

I confess to being very fond of Dennis Quaid's portrayal of Gordo Cooper in The Right Stuff, so this was a total gimme for me.

 

16 hours ago, Bastet said:

I wonder if all or some were stuck on JFK as the person rather than the airport, not really cottoning to what LGA stood for, thus international being a TS. 

I didn't understand the clue at all.  I have, however, been sick since last week so I'm sure that's why.  Absolutely the only reason.  😲

[ams1001]

February 7:

83% / 60% / 70%

Good first round, not so good second. Ran US National Forests and Ahhh, The French; missed one each in Literature, What Do You Collect?, and The "Ick"; and two in Sports Professors. In DJ I missed one each in Anthropologists, Do Me a Flavor, and Numerically Prefixed, two in TV Shows by Character, three in Quoting the Old Testament, and four in It Happened in February.

Didn't get FJ; also thought Colossus of Rhodes. "Second sun" should have tipped me off but my mind didn't go there.

TSes: (J had 2 + the DD; DJ had 6 + 1DD) I got Toulouse-Lautrec, records, Peking Man (DD) and Decameron.
 

[Katy M]

I also said the Colossus of Rhodes.

I got the missed clues of records, Gideon and Jacob.

I got the entire category of National Forest right and the entire category of sports wrong.

[shapeshifter]

For the WHAT DO YOU COLLECT? TS for $400, clued:

• In "Diner", Daniel Stern plays an avid collector of these; when wife Ellen Barkin says, "Who cares" what's on the flip side?, uh-oh

I guessed "45s," which are not the same as LPs, but are records.
If anyone here is familiar with the movie: Would "45s" have been accepted?

I did instaget the TS of Toulouse-Lautrec and got to the TS of Jacob in time.

[DXD526]

I also said 45s, and wondered if it would have been accepted. It makes a lot more sense than just 'records.'

[Browncoat]

I had no idea at all for FJ tonight.  

The only TS I got were Toulouse-Lautrec, records, Peking Man, and divorce.

[Grizzly]

For FJ, I said the Great Pyramid. Happy to be in the right country.

Good to know people contributed to Taylor's charity. After he mentioned it, I remembered his story.

[dgpolo]

34 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I guessed "45s," which are not the same as LPs, but are records.
If anyone here is familiar with the movie: Would "45s" have been accepted?

I also said '45s' so I googled it, there was a clip from the film and it showed him playing an LP (331/3) record. So no, I don't think 45s would have been accepted.

3 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

For FJ, I said the Great Pyramid. Happy to be in the right country.

I also said the Great Pyramid, thinking of the mountain shape and the gold top shown in the second Mummy movie (not that I know if that was historical, but it fit the clue)

[SoMuchTV]

35 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

For the WHAT DO YOU COLLECT? TS for $400, clued:

• In "Diner", Daniel Stern plays an avid collector of these; when wife Ellen Barkin says, "Who cares" what's on the flip side?, uh-oh

I guessed "45s," which are not the same as LPs, but are records.
If anyone here is familiar with the movie: Would "45s" have been accepted?

 

26 minutes ago, DXD526 said:

I also said 45s, and wondered if it would have been accepted. It makes a lot more sense than just 'records.'

It’s been ages since I saw the movie, but in light of the wording of the clue (regarding the “flip side“), 45s makes much more sense than LPs. I even had the DVD of that movie at one point, but I think it found its way to my son’s house. 

[shapeshifter]

33 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

I also said '45s' so I googled it, there was a clip from the film and it showed him playing an LP (331/3) record. So no, I don't think 45s would have been accepted.

31 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

 

It’s been ages since I saw the movie, but in light of the wording of the clue (regarding the “flip side“), 45s makes much more sense than LPs. I even had the DVD of that movie at one point, but I think it found its way to my son’s house. 

Woohoo!
It’s a 45!
Starting at the 2:26 mark:

 

                                       ꧁༒❊༒꧂

I'm guessing I'm the only one who guessed Hanging Gardens of Babylon for FJ.

Edited February 8 by shapeshifter

[SomeTameGazelle]

42 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm guessing I'm the only one who guessed Hanging Gardens of Babylon for FJ.

I rejected both the Hanging Gardens and the Colossus before remembering there was a Lighthouse and spent the rest of my time wondering whether they would let me get away with simply Pharos or if I would have to remember where it was located. (I wasn't sure if Alexandria was correct.)

 

1 hour ago, SoMuchTV said:

in light of the wording of the clue (regarding the “flip side“), 45s makes much more sense than LPs.

I would have thought that both LPs and 45s can have a flip side but only 45s have an A side and a B side.

I was very surprised that no one got records but perhaps my age is showing (or the contestants' youth?). I also got Toulouse-Lautrec (thanks to Mary Tyler Moore) and divorce.

[Bliss]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Woohoo!
It’s a 45!
Starting at the 2:26 mark:

 

                                       ꧁༒❊༒꧂

I'm guessing I'm the only one who guessed Hanging Gardens of Babylon for FJ.

You are so good to post links!

Personally, I had many 45's... and for some of them, the flip side became my favourite song. I don't remember ever having an LP that had a flip side.

[Bastet]

The audio kept getting interrupted by storm alerts here, but I could read lips well enough to confirm I was right when they said the same thing I'd said.  If I was wrong or didn't know, though, I couldn't tell from lip reading what the correct response was, especially if it was Ken doing the talking; the way he holds his mouth/tongue when he speaks is not something I can follow visually. 

I remembered Lisa for two things: great blouses, and hilariously entertaining wackadoodle wrong answers.  So I was rooting for her.

I was off my game in the first round; I only ran forest.  But it wasn't a terrible round, as I got all but one in French, sports, and ick, but missed two each in the others.

It only got worse in DJ, though; I ran February, but missed two each in flavors and prefixed, three each in anthropologists and TV, and blew the Bible category entirely (please, contain your shock).

So, of course, to top it all off, I didn't know FJ.  I'm not very good with the wonders, and that description didn't fit any of the ones I could think of, so I had no guess.

I'd blame my stubborn head cold, but I feel better tonight than I did 24 hours ago when I had a great game, so even my cat won't give me that one.

[Scott]

I like that "The Little Foxes" popped up in a clue without any reference to Lillian Hellman.

[Katy M]

7 hours ago, Bliss said:

Personally, I had many 45's... and for some of them, the flip side became my favourite song. I don't remember ever having an LP that had a flip side.

Well, of course it had a flip side.  It had side one, and then side two.  

but, yeah, sometimes on the 45s, the flip side was better than the "popular song" and sometimes that song also ended up being very popular.

[laredhead]

10 hours ago, Bastet said:

I remembered Lisa for two things: great blouses, and hilariously entertaining wackadoodle wrong answers.

Yes, I remembered her too, and wasn't a fan the first time around.  She was going strong and then just hit a wall on some easy answers.  Maybe she lost her buzzer mojo after that daily double misstep. 

[Bliss]

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

Well, of course it had a flip side.  It had side one, and then side two.  

but, yeah, sometimes on the 45s, the flip side was better than the "popular song" and sometimes that song also ended up being very popular.

LOL... of course it had a flip side! I left out a key word: favourite. My point was that I often had a 45 whose flip side turned out to be better than the main side. I'm probably not making my point very well.