Jeopardy! Season 40 (2023-2024)

[proserpina65]

On 1/5/2024 at 8:36 PM, ams1001 said:

Agreed. I suck at normal geography categories...

I guessed Cubaruba on one of them. I was wrong but it was more fun to say than Cubahamas. (Then I remembered that Aruba is Dutch, not British.)

I like saying Cubaruba better.

On 1/8/2024 at 11:34 AM, Clanstarling said:

Tristram Shandy anyone?

It made for an interesting movie at least.  Not a comprehensible one but not a boring one either.

On 1/9/2024 at 1:59 PM, Good Queen Jane said:

I said Providence and Hartford figuring that RI and Connecticut are both so small that everything in one was close to the other.

I knew Roger Williams had founded RI after getting kicked out of Massachusetts by the Puritans, so Boston & Providence seemed logical to me even though I have no idea how far apart they are.

Thank goodness Mr. Jazz Hands got it wrong.  I didn't care who won as long as it wasn't him.

On 1/9/2024 at 5:32 PM, possibilities said:

It never occurred to me that one state might ban a person from another, outside that conflict.

They weren't states yet.  The Puritans who ran Massachusetts Bay colony hated anyone who believed differently, so they were fine with banning non-Puritans.  Roger Williams was too much of a free thinker for them.  From ushistory,org on his banishment: "Two ideas got him into big trouble in Massachusetts Bay. First, he preached separation of church and state. He believed in complete RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, so no single church should be supported by tax dollars. Massachusetts Puritans believed they had the one true faith; therefore such talk was intolerable. Second, Williams claimed taking land from the Native Americans without proper payment was unfair."

16 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Serious question for those who say they are tired of Second Chance. Is it because you remember all these people and don’t want to see them again? Or you’re against the general principle, and want to see new players? Or, something else…?  Because I just turn on the tv and follow along with a game of Jeopardy!  As far as I’m concerned they could probably just have James, Amy, and Sam play every day and I’d be fine. Just kidding, mostly. 

I'm against it in principle.  Everyone had a fair shot at winning when they originally appeared.  The only person who's competed in the Second Chance Tournament who actually deserved another shot was last year - the woman who got screwed over by the bad ruling on her Harriet Tubman answer - and even she should've just been asked back for a regular game as was always the practice before.  Basically I can't be on the show again despite losing a tough FJ to a multi-game champ, so why should any of these people get to?  (Obviously if I ever get asked back, I'll turn it down. lol)

That said, there have been a few contestants who I've remembered from their previous game and liked, but they actually were in the Champions Wildcard games.

5 hours ago, ams1001 said:

"Our Grocery Specialists ensure the highest level of guest service and ensure an organized and smoothly run grocery department including ordering, pricing, and inventory control. To manage, motivate, and provide grocery team with the tools required to be successful in their jobs." The salary range is $9-13/hr, which seems awfully low for that description.

So just a basic grocery store clerk with a fancy name but no money.  

[chessiegal]

32 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

So just a basic grocery store clerk with a fancy name but no money

My experience with The Fresh Market is that staff are trained to be customer focused. Clerks don't do that. Someone trains them to do it, so I can see a Grocery Specialist doing that.

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

My experience with The Fresh Market is that staff are trained to be customer focused. Clerks don't do that. Someone trains them to do it, so I can see a Grocery Specialist doing that.

It sounds like a perfectly respectable job. It doesn't matter to me what kind of job contestants have - some of the job designations these days are just new corporate speak for jobs that used to be called something else. (my own job title was changed during the years I worked and it's called something else now).

[Grizzly]

Lol for FJ, I said Fruit Loops. Didn't really think that was it since "fruit" was in the clue.

[ams1001]

January 11:

87% / 60% / 74%

Excellent first round - I only missed four clues! Ran Notorious, Parts of the Whole, and It's Up 2 U, missed one in Movie Bill and Old York, and two in Bible Books.

And then they gave me a geography category. I missed one each in The Constitutional Convention, Novels, and Sitcom Episodes, two in Clocks, three in 7-Letter Words, and four in Former Names of Capital Cities (and I only got Lisbon after Madrid was ruled wrong; I figured it was one or the other and guessed Madrid first).

Got all three DDs, though, and FJ was an instaget. And now I want some chocolate frosted Pop Tarts.

TSes: (J had 0; DJ had 4) I got The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and Sandra Cisneros.

The players also had an excellent first round; only four clues weren't answered correctly on the first try. Of the non-stumpers in DJ only two were missed on the first try.

[Katy M]

I got FJ right.  At first I said Fig Newton, but changed to Pop Tarts.

I got the missed clue of ferris wheel.'

I got the entire categories of notorious, 2 us, Old York and Bible book right.

I did much better in the first round than the second.  Actually I only missed 4 clues in the first round.

[Browncoat]

31 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I got FJ right.  At first I said Fig Newton, but changed to Pop Tarts.

Same!  My gut reaction was Fig Newton, but no art movement fit the clue, so I concentrated on the date and came up with pop art, which of course led to Pop Tart.  Sometimes it's amazing how fast the brain works.

I only got one TS -- Ferris wheel.

That was a great game!

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

That was a great game!

I laughed at Allison's little "ta-da" gesture as her FJ bet (all but $1) was revealed.

Edited January 12 by ams1001

[dgpolo]

47 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

That was a great game!

It really was, Long got into the 5 digits w/o the DDs the others got and then was the only one to get FJ. It was great!

FJ for me was an instaget, my grandaughter has one every single morning! and only moves between 2 flavors.

[BuckeyeLou]

I figured out Pop Tart just in time, for some reason my mind pulled up a picture of that Human Pop Tart in the giant Toaster at the Pop Tart Bowl, lol.

[shapeshifter]

17 minutes ago, BuckeyeLou said:

I figured out Pop Tart just in time, for some reason my mind pulled up a picture of that Human Pop Tart in the giant Toaster at the Pop Tart Bowl, lol.

I, OTOH, could not get this picture out of my mind while I kept repeating "Pop…? Pop…? Pop…?"

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

My gut reaction was Fig Newton, but no art movement fit the clue, so I concentrated on the date and came up with pop art, which of course led to Pop Tart.  Sometimes it's amazing how fast the brain works.

Ooo. If I'd said "Pop art" out loud, maybe I would've gotten there. 
In the end I went with "Poppin Fresh," but I knew it was wrong.

 

I read Sandra Cisneros' "House on Mango Street" during the 4 years I was Librarian in a girls high school, but I could not pull that NOVELS TS out of my brain either. Well, it was 25 years ago.
And I'm distracted by the birth of grandson #2 who is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

[Clanstarling]

15 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

And I'm distracted by the birth of grandson #2 who is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Congratulations on grandson #2! My best wishes to your family.

[proserpina65]

21 hours ago, chessiegal said:

My experience with The Fresh Market is that staff are trained to be customer focused. Clerks don't do that. Someone trains them to do it, so I can see a Grocery Specialist doing that.

The posted description sounds like a clerk, not someone who trains them; that is, however, just my interpretation.  I worked retail for more than a decade, so I have a lot of respect for customer-facing employees because the job is hard and you tend to get very few thanks for it.  But no matter what his job is, it doesn't really matter as far as him being a Jeopardy contestant is concerned.  All I care about is do they play the game well and do they have any annoying habits.

Although I do also appreciate it if they're cute.

17 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Lol for FJ, I said Fruit Loops. Didn't really think that was it since "fruit" was in the clue.

I like that. 😀  I had no idea although after hearing the answer it was obvious.  But I would never have gotten it because I hate the whole Pop Art movement and have apparently banished the words from my brain.

[Shrek]

20 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Lol for FJ, I said Fruit Loops. Didn't really think that was it since "fruit" was in the clue.

You would have still been wrong even if that was the answer, it's spelt Froot Loops.

Just messing with you.

[SoMuchTV]

15 minutes ago, Shrek said:

You would have still been wrong even if that was the answer, it's spelt Froot Loops.

Just messing with you.

Continuing the hypothetical, it would still be counted correct if it could arguably be pronounced the same.  So there!

[Katy M]

FJ was an instaguess and then I went through as many capitals as I could and luckily didn't see a better alternative.

I got the missed clues of Windsor knot, kitten heel (a guess, but I'm surprised nobody else guessed it), The Sopranos, Carrie Nation and Jenna Fisher.

I got the entire movie category wrong.  Kicked myself for saying Hitler in Springtime.  

 

[ams1001]

January 12:

73% / 70% / 70%

Not-terrible end to the week. In J I ran Double Talk Geography, missed one each in An 'A' in Science, Fashion, and Anagrams, two in TV and three in UFOs. In DJ I ran Historic American Women, missed one in A Seasoned Film, and two in everything else. Did not get FJ.

TSes: (J had 6; DJ had 7 + 1 DD) I got Windsor knot, kitten heels, Carrie Nation (DD), Maintenance Phase (I actually listen to that one), Spring Breakers, and Explorer in Residence.

All the DDs in DJ were in the bottom right corner of the board.

[Browncoat]

I misunderstood FJ, and named the city instead of the river.  But at least I got that right, I suppose?

And I only got three TS -- Windsor knot, The Good Fight, and kitten heel.

[Good Queen Jane]

Is it wrong for me to wish that Long had not gotten FJ correct? Not that I want him to lose, but that would mean that all three contestants would have started Day Two at zero. It would have been mind blowing!

[ams1001]

6 minutes ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Is it wrong for me to wish that Long had not gotten FJ correct? Not that I want him to lose, but that would mean that all three contestants would have started Day Two at zero. It would have been mind blowing!

That would be pretty funny. I wonder if it's ever happened.

[Bastet]

I watched with friends last night, so didn't track my performance, but I did well.  After being terrible in Wednesday's DJ, I was a bit oh no, here we go again when I had no idea on the first nearly half dozen clues in last night's, but then I got in a good groove. 

I was the odd person out in the group for never eating Kit Kats or Pop Tarts (but I got both of them).  I was the only one who got Sandra Cisneros, and I told my friends they'd be in excellent company on the show as clues about The House on Mango Street seem to be perpetual TS.

Tonight was not as good a game for me.  I missed three in television and two in UFO's, but ran everything else in the first round.  In DJ, I ran women, but otherwise it was again not my board; I missed three each in films and podcasts and two each in the rest.

But, as with Wednesday's dismal DJ performance, I rebounded with FJ being an instaget.

And DJ did give me this oddly fun moment:  I'd have known the Anderson Cooper clue anyway, since I know his mom was Gloria Vanderbilt, but I had just learned about his podcast not even two hours before the show started!  (I don't even remember where the rabbit hole started, as it had nothing to do with grief, Anderson Cooper, or Ashley Judd, but at some point I came across reference to a conversation between the two of them on said podcast.)  In poking around, I saw President Biden was a recent guest, so I don't know how I managed to miss reading about that.

I took Ken responding to the kitten heels TS by chuckling the contestants are the "wrong crowd" to mean they're all men, and found that rather silly when they'd a handful of clues earlier also all been stumped by a tie knot.  (I'd give the benefit of the doubt he didn't think about the gender implication and just meant it was not their category if they'd blown the whole thing, but that was only the second clue in that category they'd uncovered and they were the two highest valued.)

I apparently do not pay attention to the contestants' written names (unless they do something funky), because I did not notice until we were heading into the commercial break between DJ and FJ that the student's name is Rotimi, not Rotini like the pasta, as I have heard it in my head both of his games (in this wildcard thing; I have no recollection if I watched any or all of the teen tournament when he was in it).  I withdraw my thoughts about his parents.  😄

Holy cow, is Long going to be all but impossible to beat; he'll pretty much have to beat himself.

[laredhead]

Long is a come from behind winner it seems.  I kept thinking he was going to run out of time on answering several clue, but he pulled out the correct answers at the last second.  He looks like he is going through a mental file cabinet of info when he's deliberating an answer.  Anyone else notice that?

 

[Katy M]

12 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Is it wrong for me to wish that Long had not gotten FJ correct? Not that I want him to lose, but that would mean that all three contestants would have started Day Two at zero. It would have been mind blowing!

I thought the same thing.  It would have been cool.

[SomeTameGazelle]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

Long is a come from behind winner it seems.  I kept thinking he was going to run out of time on answering several clue, but he pulled out the correct answers at the last second.  He looks like he is going through a mental file cabinet of info when he's deliberating an answer.  Anyone else notice that?

 

I think he is taking a risk in order to beat his opponents on the buzzer and then think of the response. 

I was very anxious for Long on the East of Eden DD since he took so long to say anything. (But I had stupidly guessed The Grapes of Wrath without thinking it through.) 

I felt bad for Roy but I didn't think he needed to risk everything on that DD. 

13 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I misunderstood FJ, and named the city instead of the river.  But at least I got that right, I suppose?

Going into FJ I was warning Long not to take any foolish risks. Then when I saw the clue I muttered "don't put Amsterdam -- it's Amstel!". At least Roy and Rotimi were completely wrong with wrong rivers. But I would have advised Long to bet no more than half to guarantee a cushion. 

The pressure is definitely on for Monday. 

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, laredhead said:

Long is a come from behind winner it seems.  I kept thinking he was going to run out of time on answering several clue, but he pulled out the correct answers at the last second.  He looks like he is going through a mental file cabinet of info when he's deliberating an answer.  Anyone else notice that?

Yes, but given his accented English, I now think there might have been some mental translating going on.

49 minutes ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I was very anxious for Long on the East of Eden DD since he took so long to say anything. (But I had stupidly guessed The Grapes of Wrath without thinking it through.) 

Given the clue for that DJ DD:

• BOOK TITLES
  You'll find this Steinbeck title in Genesis 4:16

I was confidently yelling "East of Eden!" at him. 
Even though Long took a long time responding, the expression on his face was different than when contestants just don't know the correct response. 
At one point I was thinking of those current Chess match scandals in which players were getting fed information. But, no, I'm sure he was just doing some mental gymnastics with languages to arrive at the right place.
It seems like his vast store of knowledge lives in the area of his brain (or whatever) where his first language resides.

 

[Clanstarling]

14 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Is it wrong for me to wish that Long had not gotten FJ correct? Not that I want him to lose, but that would mean that all three contestants would have started Day Two at zero. It would have been mind blowing!

I was so surprised that the two bet their entire wad and ended up with nothing, that it took me a while to realize Long had as well. 

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

But I had stupidly guessed The Grapes of Wrath without thinking it through.

I very confidently answered "The Grapes of Wrath" as well.

[possibilities]

Even when we have contestants who seem slow to answer, or when we have what feel to me like a lot of TS, somehow they still manage to clear the board nowadays. It's such a relief compared to when there were constantly a bunch of clues left unrevealed. And it makes me think they're not actually taking as long as it feels during those pauses.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

Even when we have contestants who seem slow to answer, or when we have what feel to me like a lot of TS, somehow they still manage to clear the board nowadays.

It will be interesting to see if the "regular" (non-second-chance) players manage to clear the board.

[ProudMary]

45 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

It will be interesting to see if the "regular" (non-second-chance) players manage to clear the board.

Good point. Everyone playing in this seemingly endless stream of special competitions has at least one Jeopardy! appearance under their belt already, so there's a built-in level of familiarity.

[ABay]

I meant to come back after the writers' strike questions were done but keep forgetting to check YT for J! in the evenings. By morning it's too late. I did catch one episode of the second chance tournament. It all feels sort of underwhelming now.

[Browncoat]

I ended up checking the archive because I couldn't find today's ep -- the postponed football game is being played on my regular Jeopardy! channel.  And then I found it at 5:30!  Anyway, I did not get FJ today.  

I did get the TS of beans, kangaroo rat, creosote, and Eagles.  I believe I would have gotten Jungle Book if I'd been able to see the clue.  When I did see it, it seemed obvious, but I suppose it would if one knows the answer.

But, Remy, in Ratatouille, was a rat, not a mouse.

[justmehere]

Something weird today - instead of the 2nd half of the finals from Friday, with Rotimi, Long, and Roy, I had a repeat of the first day of finals for another group (Jen, Dennis, and Nick). Did anyone else have a "wrong" episode or was it just my affiliate? If you did have the right one, who won? Thanks.

[ams1001]

January 15:

87% / 63% / 74%

Started out so well! Ran Disney Film Titles Visualized, Fruits & Veggies, and Authors' Birthstones, missed one in Portlandia and Unusual House, and two in World History. DJ was not my friend…missed one in Religions and "G" Whiz, two in Desert Flora & Fauna, three in African Cities, and Celine Dion saved me from completely tanking Pop Music.

Had no clue for FJ. The name Paul Robeson puts Ol' Man River in my head.

TSes: (J had 3; DJ had 4) I got Jungle Book, Powell's, (full of) beans, and kangaroo rat (DD).

[Katy M]

I said Sweeney Todd.  I've had worse wrong answers, LOL.

I got the missed clues of beans and kanagaroo rat.

Not a good game for me.  Although, I was very impressed I got Namibia.  I feel like that was a hard one.

21 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

But, Remy, in Ratatouille, was a rat, not a mouse.

But, was he a kangaroo rat?

[ams1001]

3 minutes ago, justmehere said:

Something weird today - instead of the 2nd half of the finals from Friday, with Rotimi, Long, and Roy, I had a repeat of the first day of finals for another group (Jen, Dennis, and Nick). Did anyone else have a "wrong" episode or was it just my affiliate? If you did have the right one, who won? Thanks.

It was fine for me. Long won, even though they all got final jeopardy wrong.

Rotimi wins for best answer-when-you-have-no-clue, though: Who is: I lost the buzzer race but I just won $10,000! :)

Edited January 16 by ams1001

[justmehere]

Just now, ams1001 said:

It was fine for me. Long won, even though they all got it wrong.

Rotimi wins for best answer-when-you-have-no-clue, though: Who is: I lost the buzzer race but I just won $10,000! :)

Thanks for the reply. Not the first time this has happened. Don't know what's wrong with my affiliate! 

[Bastet]

I checked the archive at halftime, as I'll be watching football tonight, too, and can't properly guess how I'd have done in the Disney category if I'd been able to see the pictures; several of those titles were unfamiliar to me.

It wasn't a great first round for me -- I only ran Portland -- but not bad; I got all but one in history, birthstones, and fruits & veggies (the beans TS stumped me, too; I have never heard "full of beans"), and missed two in house.

I only ran cities and G in DJ, but had a good round; I got all but one in safe and pop music, and missed two each in religion and desert.

I had no idea for FJ, though.

[SoMuchTV]

12 minutes ago, justmehere said:

Something weird today - instead of the 2nd half of the finals from Friday, with Rotimi, Long, and Roy, I had a repeat of the first day of finals for another group (Jen, Dennis, and Nick). Did anyone else have a "wrong" episode or was it just my affiliate? If you did have the right one, who won? Thanks.

Very odd. But at least you got some Jeopardy!  My station preempted entirely, in favor of some sort of sportsball. But I was able to find it on YouTube. My permanent first option for recent search is “Jeopardy full episode today”. 

[SomeTameGazelle]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

and fruits & veggies (the beans TS stumped me, too; I have never heard "full of beans")

I've heard "full of beans" my whole life so I was confident in my answer even though I don't think I have ever heard of their special pot. 

[justmehere]

3 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Very odd. But at least you got some Jeopardy!  My station preempted entirely, in favor of some sort of sportsball. But I was able to find it on YouTube. My permanent first option for recent search is “Jeopardy full episode today”. 

Oh - wonderful! I didn't know they posted them on YT. Found it - thank you for the resource!

[ABay]

If the answer is Paul Robeson the question is going to be about Othello or Ol' Man River. He did so much more but J! knows those 2 things.

[SomeTameGazelle]

1 hour ago, ABay said:

If the answer is Paul Robeson the question is going to be about Othello or Ol' Man River. He did so much more but J! knows those 2 things.

J! expects contestants probably know those two things ... but they actually do seem to try to sneak in some of the other information in Robeson-related clues in several cases.

https://j-archive.com/search.php?search=Paul+robeson&submit=Search

[Quickbeam]

Thanks everyone for filling in from yesterday. My CBS affiliate which runs Jeopardy in my market doubled down on football followed by a Packer extra. 🧐

[ams1001]

17 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I've heard "full of beans" my whole life so I was confident in my answer even though I don't think I have ever heard of their special pot. 

What is special about a bean pot?

Bean pots have thick, wide and rounded sides with a tapered base and narrow mouth — a construction that allows slow cooking without burning.

17 hours ago, justmehere said:

Oh - wonderful! I didn't know they posted them on YT. Found it - thank you for the resource!

They're not official postings, though, so they don't usually stay up long. Last time I missed it I found the previous day's game in the morning while I was getting ready for work and it was gone by the time I went to actually watch it a couple hours later. Sometimes they have weird edits, too, but usually they're better than nothing. (Sometimes I check the comments because often someone will say if it's a decent upload or if there are bad issues. You risk FJ spoilers that way, though.)

 

[PaulaO]

For Monday’s FJ! I answered “Porgy or Othello.”   Tuesday’s game had a contestant ring in on more than one $2,000 clue and not be able to answer it.  Don’t do that!  Don’t guess. No clue as to Tuesday’s FJ!
 

[ams1001]

January 16:

63% / 60% / 61%

Meh today…In J I missed one each in World Geography, Law, and Feathered Friends, two in Hats in Other Words, and three in 1980s Pro Wrestling and Major "Key" Alert. In DJ I ran 20th Century Americans, missed two in Ballet, TV Cliffhangers, and Rhyme Time, and three in Half a Category and Authors as Book Characters.

Had not a clue for FJ.

TSes: (J had 6; DJ had 8) I got top hat, hard hat, fourth amendment, fake snake, and Bayard Rustin (helped by the fact that Colman Domingo, who plays Rustin in the movie, was just on The Late Show last week, though I was aware of the movie and saw a news piece on Rustin a while back so I think I would have gotten it either way, but it might not have been as quickly).

Hulk Hogan was a clue and during the last commercial break I got a news teaser about him helping to save a teenager from a car accident (I googled; it was in Tampa on Sunday, he used a pen to puncture the airbag that was trapping her in her overturned car, and the girl had only minor injuries.)

[Browncoat]

Did not get FJ today.  I didn't even have a guess.  I'm off to a terrible start this week!

I did get the TS of Fourth Amendment, hard hat, halftrack, and fake snake.

[Prevailing Wind]

2 hours ago, PaulaO said:

For Monday’s FJ! I answered “Porgy or Othello.”  

I went with Porgy.

[Trey]

13 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I went with Porgy.

Me too.  It was wrong but at least Paul Robeson did play Porgy. And there was a murder committed in Porgy and Bess although not committed by Porgy.

I was distracted during most of Jeopardy round by a cat who needed attention and I missed a lot of DJ too.  My only ts's were hard hat and halftrack, helped partly by remembering General Halftrack in the Beetle Bailey comic strip.

Edited January 17 by Trey