Jeopardy! Season 41 (2024-2025)

[SoMuchTV]

23 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Does anyone know what the selection process is for who gets to be in 2nd Chance? I had been thinking it probably was something like people who won a lot of money, or came very close to qualifying for the ToC for some other reaosn. I don't think it's just randomly chosen people who lost. 

I’m sure it’s not random but I don’t think they’re going to publicize any exact formula, either. If there was a hard and fast formula, it could entice players to change their game accordingly. So, I’m sure a lot of players seem second chance-worthy, and the show uses their discretion to choose among them. 

They talk a lot on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast about how certain non-winners would be good candidates for Second Chance. 

[ams1001]

January 1, 2025:

Missed the first half of the first round because Biden was speaking about what happened in New Orleans last night; they came in just as Ken was saying they'd be right back. Had to catch up with the archive during the second break.

I don't remember any of these people...

73% / 67% / 70%

Not terrible tonight. In J I ran Potpourri, missed one in State Parks and It Comes in Bottles, and two in New Year's Day, Races, and 4 Letter Words with an X. In DJ I ran Medical Terminology, missed one in TV Music and 3 Initials, two in People of Africa and WWII Linguist, and four in Shakespeare.

FJ was pretty much an instaget. (Though Eisenhower did also go to West Point; I didn't think of him. I even went to Eisenhower Middle School.)

TSes: (J had 1; DJ had 5 + 1 DD) I got depth charge (DD), WEB DuBois, and CCH Pounder.

Happy new year, everyone.

[Bastet]

Archive game for me. 

CCH Pounder being a TS, even with a picture, bummed me out.  I cannot believe W.E.B. Du Bois was a TS.

I almost ran the entire first round, getting everything except Samuel Pepys.

I didn't run anything in DJ, but I got all but one each in everything except Africa, in which I missed two.

FJ wasn't an instaget, but it came to me pretty quickly.

[Browncoat]

I did not get FJ.  Anything bearing a resemblance to history is always going to be a weak spot for me.

And the only TS I got were depth charge, WEB DuBois, and banzai.

[kathyk2]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

Archive game for me. 

CCH Pounder being a TS, even with a picture, bummed me out.  I cannot believe W.E.B. Du Bois was a TS.

I almost ran the entire first round, getting everything except Samuel Pepys.

I didn't run anything in DJ, but I got all but one each in everything except Africa, in which I missed two.

FJ wasn't an instaget, but it came to me pretty quickly.

I guessed correctly for Final Jeopardy. I squealed like a little girl when I answered the Sesame Street question.

[Cotypubby]

Had no clue for FJ but I did say Eisenhower so at least I was close.

[SoMuchTV]

14 minutes ago, Cotypubby said:

Had no clue for FJ but I did say Eisenhower so at least I was close.

Don’t take this the wrong way but how is Eisenhower close to Grant?

Not that I have any high ground here; my best guess was Teddy Roosevelt. Basically ruled out presidents I was sure didn’t go to West Point, and who I was pretty sure didn’t have a son named Fred. Definitely nobody who was president since I was born, and I’m old. So somebody who was a bit outgoing/rulebreaking? 

Mr TV said oh, of course, Grant was well known to be a smoker. Me: huh?

[Prevailing Wind]

3 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Don’t take this the wrong way but how is Eisenhower close to Grant?

Republican Generals?

 

Edited January 2 by Prevailing Wind

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Don’t take this the wrong way but how is Eisenhower close to Grant?

5 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Republican Generals?

Logical, but also…
FJ clue:

• U.S. PRESIDENTS

  According to his son Fred, this man first tried smoking just because it was against the rules at West Point

Google: 
which us presidents attended west point
[Grant & Eisenhower]
 

**********

Whatever Secret Sauce TPTB at Jeopardy! used to select Second Chancers seems to be working since the TSs are much fewer than they’ve been — seemingly at least by 75%.

Edited January 2 by shapeshifter

[chessiegal]

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Whatever Secret Sauce TPTB at Jeopardy! used to select Second Chancers seems to be working since the TSs are much fewer than they’ve been

We were commenting last night about how much money the contestants had going into FJ: $11,800, $12,200, and $18,600. Respectable totals.

[SoMuchTV]

10 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Don’t take this the wrong way but how is Eisenhower close to Grant?

And, since I posted that, I've come to learn that those were the only two presidents who attended West Point.  A fact that is apparently known to more people than I realized.  So, close indeed.

[DrSpaceman73]

Pre tempted show last night news report on the new Orleans attack.  

40 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

And, since I posted that, I've come to learn that those were the only two presidents who attended West Point.  A fact that is apparently known to more people than I realized.  So, close indeed.

That surprises me. 

[chessiegal]

A few years ago, I became interested in Grant, so I knew he graduated from West Point and was known to enjoy a cigar. Lucky coincidence.

[ProudMary]

Most of what I know about Grant, I learned from the History Channel mini-series a few years ago. While THC's documentaries certainly aren't Ken Burns level, I learned enough to remember that he went to West Point and enjoyed smoking. Drinking, also, but that wasn't needed for the FJ response. 😉

[ams1001]

January 2:

Hey, I remember these people...😜

Another bible category? (Plus a bible clue in another category...)

67% / 70% / 68%

In J I ran Tobago, missed one in Idiot Idioms and Classy Creatures, two in Seconds, and three in Bible and Name Drops. 

In DJ I ran Opening Act and Tributaries, missed one in Novel Title Drop a Letter and Antonyms, three in Whiskey, and four in Trials.

Had to think for a bit but I got FJ with time to spare.

TSes: (J had 4; DJ had 5 + 1 DD) I got stupid is as stupid does, mammals, and William Jennings Bryan.

lol…I just watched a video this afternoon of Hugh Grant watching scenes from some of his movies, including one from Love, Actually (though I would have known that one, anyway).
 

 

[Browncoat]

I did not get FJ.  I was trying to think of constellations or something, so at least I was in space?  I guess?  

But I did get the TS of bivalves, mammals, dermis, and William Jennings Bryan.

[shapeshifter]

52 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I did not get FJ.  I was trying to think of constellations or something, so at least I was in space?  I guess?  

But I did get the TS of bivalves, mammals, dermis, and William Jennings Bryan.

I think we might've had FJ if they hadn't faded the clue off the screen for the last bit. 

My instaget TSs were bivalves, dermis, and fathom.
Didn't you get fathom too, @Browncoat, after all that time at sea recently?

[ams1001]

Unrelated (well, there was a book category tonight), but this came up in my facebook memories today 😄:

[Browncoat]

20 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Didn't you get fathom too, @Browncoat, after all that time at sea recently?

I was briefly distracted, and didn't hear the clue -- I heard Ken say "fathom" and went back to check the clue.  I probably would have gotten it, but can't give myself credit.

[Bastet]

I vaguely recognize Colleen and maybe Kaitlin.

Oh, look, a Bible category.  I managed to only miss two, so good for me.  Alas, my recent streak of kick-ass first rounds came to an end, but I still had a good one -- I missed another two in names, but I ran class, idiot, and Tobago and got all but Empire in seconds.

I did, however, kick ass in DJ, running the entire round!  I don't think I've ever done that.

No FJ for me, though; my brain hears mythology and just shuts down if it's not something I know right away.

[ams1001]

I don't know why, but I was expecting Colleen's son to be older when she talked about him teasing her about missing all three daily doubles when she first played. Like a snarky teen, at least.

[Driad]

16 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I was expecting Colleen's son to be older when she talked about him teasing her about missing all three daily doubles when she first played.

I was expecting someone to say they hope he will be a Jeopardy contestant some day, so he will experience how stressful it is.

[Clanstarling]

On 1/1/2025 at 10:12 AM, Cotypubby said:

FJ was an instaget. Surprised none of the three got it, that seems really easy to me. Pan= all and from there the rest is obvious.

Unfortunately, I got the mime part of it, and wandered to "mimicry" and didn't get to pan. I was surprised that I didn't get it too - having done a fair bit of acting in my youth.

On 1/1/2025 at 10:38 AM, DrSpaceman73 said:

Could do a topic or theme for all the clues and rotate this each year. Like American history tourney, classic literature tourney, etc.  Crown a category champion

I like the idea of themed tourneys. But I'm okay with the way it is.

On 1/1/2025 at 1:40 PM, bad things are bad said:

I suppose they would accept "nuke-you-lar" as it's so common  (still grating IMO). I have heard larynx mispronounced pretty often 

Well, that's how the late President Carter said it - so I guess it would have executive level approval. 😉 I still remember the SNL send up of him saying that (though not the details). (well, I can't find it on YouTube, but I think it had to do with Three Mile Island...)

On 1/1/2025 at 8:55 PM, SoMuchTV said:

Mr TV said oh, of course, Grant was well known to be a smoker. Me: huh?

My mister said "and it killed him - he died of throat cancer." I joined you in going "huh?" (and I said Teddy too).

On 1/2/2025 at 8:16 AM, DrSpaceman73 said:

Pre tempted show last night news report on the new Orleans attack. 

I know this is just a typo, but the idea of a show being "pre tempted" amused me a great deal. I think I might like that more than trailers...

15 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I don't know why, but I was expecting Colleen's son to be older when she talked about him teasing her about missing all three daily doubles when she first played. Like a snarky teen, at least.

I loved that he was younger, it makes me think the family dynamic is really fun (and not unlike my own when my kids were young).

Edited January 3 by Clanstarling

[ams1001]

January 3:

73% / 50% / 62%

In J I ran 10-11-&12-Letter Words and Clothing Time, missed one in Named for a Place, two in Sci-Fi and Emmy, and three in Historic Americans. 

In DJ I missed two in Slang from your Start-Up Job, "R" We There Yet, and Birders, and three in 19th Century Beard, Models, and In the Building.

Had no clue for FJ.

TSes: (J had 3; DJ had 5) I got bialy, Scream, culottes, Rheims, and Ross Sea.
 

[Katy M]

 

On 1/1/2025 at 6:29 PM, possibilities said:

Does anyone know what the selection process is for who gets to be in 2nd Chance? I had been thinking it probably was something like people who won a lot of money, or came very close to qualifying for the ToC for some other reaosn. I don't think it's just randomly chosen people who lost. 

They're people who didn't win at all, but came close in their first game.  Usually against a superchamp.

For FJ, the only book I could think of was the Scarlet Letter, and that made me think of Hosea.  But, that just seemed too out there for anyone to get, so I said Moses because he's the most famous prophet, IMO.

I got the missed clue of Gaudi and that's pretty much all I have to say for myself.

[Browncoat]

It took me almost the entire time, but I finally managed to connect the dots to get to the correct response for FJ.  I had just enough time to write it down.

I also got the TS of bialy, scream, culottes, Gaudi, and Ross Sea.

[possibilities]

The book that got into my brain was "Uncle Tom's Cabin" but I wasn't sure if the year was right, and I wasn't sure what prophet (though Moses would be the obvious one, he didn't spring to mind) or if there was a port city involved. So I guessed Elijah, who is my go-to prophet in all instances where nobody else comes to mind.

And thus, I was wrong in every possible way.

 

[MrAtoz]

I knew they were asking about Moby Dick, because the sermon scene is fairly famous (Orson Welles delivered it in the 1956 movie version), but I couldn't remember what prophet the sermon was about. For some reason, the terribly obvious Jonah and the Whale association didn't occur to me. So I guessed Ahab (even though the biblical Ahab was a king, not a prophet).

[Cotypubby]

Bah, I knew they were talking about Moby Dick but I’ve never actually read it so answered “Ishmael” thinking that sounds like it’s a Biblical prophet name. Didn’t even think any further to get to Jonah.

I like that the scores were such that anyone could have won and it really did just come down to FJ.

[Clanstarling]

2 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

I knew they were asking about Moby Dick, because the sermon scene is fairly famous (Orson Welles delivered it in the 1956 movie version), but I couldn't remember what prophet the sermon was about. For some reason, the terribly obvious Jonah and the Whale association didn't occur to me. So I guessed Ahab (even though the biblical Ahab was a king, not a prophet).

I knew it too - but I haven't seen the movie or read the book (despite being an English major - I've never read it, though I did read Ahab's Wife).

How I didn't connect Jonah and the whale, I don't know. I hate it when that happens.

[Bastet]

The only things I know about Moby Dick are the things Scully talked about on The X-Files, and she did not cover Jonah, so I had no idea.  I watched with friends, and one saw "New England" and immediately said it had to be about Moby Dick.  With "port city" also in the clue, that made sense, but I still had no idea who, in MD, the clue was referring to.  She talked herself out of MD and went on to The Scarlet Letter and got nowhere, and our other friend had no idea and gave up.  So a TS in that house.

We were also unanimous in shouting at the TV that "identify Ohio on a map" was a $1600 clue.  Seriously?!

It wasn't a great game for me overall; I didn't keep track of specifics, but know I blew sci-fi entirely (as expected) and missed most of the Emmy and slang clues.  Checking the archive for TS, I got culottes, bialy, and Lauren Hutton (that was an instaget, but neither of my friends remembered her, which surprised me given they're in their 50s and 60s).

[Prevailing Wind]

20 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

I guessed Ahab (even though the biblical Ahab was a king, not a prophet

I slogged my way through Moby D. and immediately forgot anything I read in it. My cultural reference is Ray Stevens: Ahab was an A-rab, sheik of the burning sands. With a camel named Clyde.

[Clanstarling]

5 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I slogged my way through Moby D. and immediately forgot anything I read in it. My cultural reference is Ray Stevens: Ahab was an A-rab, sheik of the burning sands. With a camel named Clyde.

I haven't though of Ray Stevens in years...thanks for the memories!

[Trey]

13 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I haven't though of Ray Stevens in years...thanks for the memories!

And the earworm!

[Scott]

Had to laugh at another (slightly premature) victim of the "Jeopardy curse"...I'm not sure why anyone would know Whiskey Pete's unless they'd done the LA-Vegas drive, but I was amused to see it pop up as a response after reading that it had permanently closed on Dec. 17 (and driving by earlier on Thursday).

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Scott said:

Had to laugh at another (slightly premature) victim of the "Jeopardy curse"...I'm not sure why anyone would know Whiskey Pete's unless they'd done the LA-Vegas drive, but I was amused to see it pop up as a response after reading that it had permanently closed on Dec. 17 (and driving by earlier on Thursday).

Yeah, that was an instaget for me, but precisely because I used to make that drive once every few years.  A friend and I stopped in once; it was cheesy, but we had fun.  I didn't know it had closed.  I just read a couple of articles about it, and apparently it was an abrupt, vague announcement.

[Prevailing Wind]

12 hours ago, Trey said:

And the earworm!

My cat thought I was trying to hawk up a hairball when I imitated Clyde the Camel. She may be scarred for life now.

 

[30 Helens]

On 1/2/2025 at 9:59 PM, Driad said:

I was expecting someone to say they hope he will be a Jeopardy contestant some day, so he will experience how stressful it is.

I was hoping someone would invite him to be a Jeopardy contestant some day, so his mom could make fun of him.

[ams1001]

January 6:

I actually remember one of these people (Drew)! I kind of remember the name Jonquil, but I can't say I remember the person. (Again, you'd think Steve is distinctive-looking enough that I'd remember him, but no.)

63% / 83% / 73%

Today was a reverse game - did meh in the first round and really well in the second. In J I missed one in History, Palindromic Words, and Soy What?, two in Albums, and three in Brass and Flags. In DJ I ran Love Poetry, Stars of Stage & Screen, Manual Events, and Recent Science Nobel Prizes, missed two in Soy Que?, and three in Alliteration on the Map.

Did not get FJ.

TSes: (J had 3; DJ had 1) I got snowflakes.

I was cracking up when Drew got the Taylor Swift clue. Was hoping they'd cut to his brother in the audience to get his reaction.
 

[Katy M]

Was it just me or was FJ wicked ridiculously easy?

I got the missed clue of snowflakes.

I got the entire category of manual events right.

And I pulled an opposite day and did bad in the first round and fairly well in DJ.

[Browncoat]

I did not get any TS, but FJ was an instaget.

[SoMuchTV]

29 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Was it just me or was FJ wicked ridiculously easy?

Maybe not just you, but definitely not me. I was on the path of dating apps, but couldn’t come up with what would be the most popular. Hinge? Maybe, based on the ads I see. No! It must be a ride share app, right? So uber? Oh well, better a far miss than a near miss, I suppose. 

[Prevailing Wind]

13 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Maybe not just you, but definitely not me. I was on the path of dating apps, but couldn’t come up with what would be the most popular. Hinge? Maybe, based on the ads I see. No! It must be a ride share app, right? So uber? Oh well, better a far miss than a near miss, I suppose. 

I went the other way - I focused on the "box" part of Matchbox, thought of how you might keep/store tiny stuff* in a matchbox, and happily and loudly declared, "DROPBOX!"

ETA:  *Strongly influenced by Melanie's song, "Alexander Beetle."

Edited January 7 by Prevailing Wind

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

I was cracking up when Drew got the Taylor Swift clue. Was hoping they'd cut to his brother in the audience to get his reaction.

This was just one of the times I laughed and clapped during this game. 
All these tourneys have thankfully had few TSs, but this game was the most entertaining for me.

Are Drew and his brother/coach twins?

 

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

Was it just me or was FJ wicked ridiculously easy?

Yes. It was easy. But I could not come up with it. Should've read it out loud to myself.

[possibilities]

This was definitely Drew's night. Is his brother a twin? Looked that way to me. But Drew looked so familiar to me, I was certain he's an actor, not a journalist, and that I've seen him in... something. Maybe his brother is the actor. I don't know. 

Him getting the Taylor Swift question was fun. 

But if a woman's nipples showed as much as his did, they'd have stopped production and told her to cover up. As a woman who does not even own a bra, I'm resentful that dudes get the freedom to poke through their shirts and we get the Scandal Branding if we do.

Still, that's not his fault.

 

For FJ, I knew it had to be adating app. I ws thinking of Match.com, but the only other app I could think of was grindr and I was pretty sure that wasn't what they were going for. If Jonquil can miss Idina Menzel, I feel like when I have "the blue screen" I can take it okay.

Edited January 7 by possibilities

[secnarf]

I had a big sense of deja vu for FJ today. I was absolutely certain of Tinder, but I felt like this fact has come up before. A search of the j-archive does not seem to suggest that it has, though.

[ams1001]

57 minutes ago, possibilities said:

For FJ, I knew it had to be adating app. I ws thinking of Match.com, but the only other app I could think of was grindr and I was pretty sure that wasn't what they were going for. If Jonquil can miss Idina Menzel, I feel like when I have "the blue screen" I can take it okay.

I knew that Match had to be the other "too close" company name, so it must be a dating app, but I didn't think of Tinder in time. (Also wondered if Drew has the same mental block I do in which I always think that Tinder has no E because I know that Grindr doesn't.)

[dgpolo]

41 minutes ago, secnarf said:

I had a big sense of deja vu for FJ today

Whereas I was having one about the Vatican Flag clue, I was sure there had been another clue recently about the Vatican and it's flag but after searching all kinds of different ways on the Archive I couldn't come up with one. Then, 💡! I realized it must have been a clue on my Jeopardy calendar, and sure enough I found it for December 22: Its flag features 2 big keys that are mentioned in the New Testament.

[ProudMary]

I didn't get FJ. To me, Matchbox=cars, granted, tiny ones, but cars nonetheless, so I thought it must be Uber. Oh well.

I remembered both Drew and Steve. They're the first Second Chancers I've recognized. I remembered someone with the name Jonquil, but I didn't recognize her. I was hoping Steve would win. I liked him. Drew is an excellent player and has the potential to make it to the TOC, but he comes across as fake to me. Just my opinion.

I, also, was hoping the camera would pivot to Drew's brother in the audience when he got 1989. That was a cool moment and did feel genuine.

[Bastet]

I again do not remember any of these people.

Holy shit, I had a terrible first round!  I could not for the life of me get most of the history responses from my brain to my mouth in time, so I missed all but one.  Albums I just plain didn't know, so blew the entire category.  I missed two each in flags and brass.  I only ran palindromes, and got all but Boca Burger in soy.

Thankfully, it was one of those odd games in which I did better in DJ -- much better!  I kicked ass, only missing three in the entire round (I dreaded poetry, but - thanks to several lucky guesses - got all but Marlowe, and I missed two in alliteration).

It's interesting that several of us had that kind of game -- worse than usual in the first round but better than usual in the second.

I initially just sat here in frustration for FJ, as Matchbox had me, like @ProudMary, thinking of the little cars.  But no one would call an app having anything to do with cars Matchbox because they'd get sued, so, ugh, get out of my head, little cars!  Then the light bulb went on that it must be referring to Match.com as the other company.  Okay, so it's a dating app, let's think of the ones I've read about in the Dating thread here.  Oh, wait -- Tinder!  Tinder/Matchbox -- things that light fires; must be that one.  So it took me a lot more thought than it probably took any of them (I wasn't paying attention, focused on my own thought process), but I got there in time.