Jeopardy! Season 41 (2024-2025)

[paulaolson57]

I knew it was the inventor of the microscope and I made an educated guess at the spelling.  But I read the clue wrong.  Even if I read the clue correctly, I wouldn’t have been able to get lion out of it. I don’t know what was going on with Thursday’s contestants. But they seemed paralyzed with nerves. This will be an interesting final game. The winner could be up for grabs as long as they all stay calm and focused.  I don’t want Mark to win, but I think he will. I’m rooting for Adriana.

[ams1001]

February 6:

63% / 53% / 57%

In J I ran Ends in FF, missed one in Legendary Tweets, two in Cabinet, Western Hemisphere and Library Glossary, and four in Blue Pop Culture. In DJ I ran Specialist, missed two in English Lit and Newish Words, three in the Arts and Well, and four in Funny Boy is an Actor Now.

I got FJ. It was kind of a throwaway guess because I wasn't actually sure if there was a valley of queens, but I figured if the men were in the valley of kings, then the women might have their own.

Drew G. broke my heart when he missed that second DD. He wasn't listening to me! I was rooting for him! Oh, well, at least that means I don't have to be torn between rooting for two people in the final.

TSes: (J had 7 + the DD; DJ had 6 + 1 DD) I got Bob Saget, Sandals Resorts, Nunavut (DD), scoff, Library of Congress, grand mal (DD), and cromulent.

Aw, they should'a let Drew G. play as Lisa Ann. Lol at Neilesh being "honorary third Drew."
 

[Katy M]

I got FJ.

I got the missed clues of Bob Saget, Sandals, and grand mal (I could not believe he missed that).

[Browncoat]

Rats!  I was rooting for Lisa Ann, er, Drew G.  He clearly didn't hear me, either, @ams1001 -- I was loud, too!  Oh well.

I did not get FJ, although it makes perfect sense in hindsight.

I did get quite a few of the many TS, including citation, Sandals, scoff, Library of Congress, grand mal, cromulent, and when your well runs dry.

I take exception to scoff, though.  I've heard "scarf" your food, not "scoff" your food.  I managed scoff from the other part of the clue.

[SoMuchTV]

Dang it, I guess the two Drews canceled each other out. 

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

I take exception to scoff, though.  I've heard "scarf" your food, not "scoff" your food.  I managed scoff from the other part of the clue.

Merriam-Webster has it as a second verb definition, "to eat greedily."

[SomeTameGazelle]

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

grand mal (I could not believe he missed that).

I told Goins not to do anything foolish and then when the clue came up I briefly hoped he would get grand mal and then realized that he didn't know. I was hoping he might recover but when I realised he ended DJ with half Neilesh's score I figured it would be very unlikely he could make it through. 

If Goins couldn't win I'm glad it was Neilesh.

[Bastet]

Good grief, the Elon Musk and tariff clues were unpleasant distractions from my half hour escape from current events.

I missed three each in pop culture and tweets (neither of which were a surprise), so I did not have a great first round.  I only ran cabinet and library, but I got all but Sandals in western hemisphere and all but Hufflepuff in FF (I say scarf down food, not scoff down, but I figured that had to be it).

I had a dismal DJ; I ran specialists and got all but Rebekah in well, but otherwise sucked -- I blew lit entirely (again) and missed three each in the rest.

I had no idea for FJ, so this was just not my game.

[ams1001]

20 hours ago, Bastet said:

Good grief, the Elon Musk and tariff clues were unpleasant distractions from my half hour escape from current events.

Ugh, I felt like it needed a "this episode was taped last year" disclaimer (December 5th). I watched yesterday's Celebrity Jeopardy a little later and there was an Elon Musk clue in that game, too.

Edited Saturday at 12:27 AM by ams1001
had wrong tape date

[30 Helens]

SCOFF down food?? Really?? I don’t care what the dictionary says, that is not a thing. Unless you’re from Brooklyn and don’t pronounce your Rs. Because the term is definitely SCARF.

It’s also possible that I’m just a little salty. I had high hopes for Lisa Ann Drew G, and while I appreciate the iron balls that went into that second DD,  I wish he had played it a little safer. Given how dominant he was in the last minutes of DJ, I think he could have had a runaway if he weren’t starting from 0. But instead, I have to watch the human metronome for yet another round. I don’t think there’s enough Dramamine on the planet.

Go Adriana. Damn it. 

[ECM1231]

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

I got FJ.

I got the missed clues of Bob Saget, Sandals, and grand mal (I could not believe he missed that).

I was surprised by that, too. Hawaii Drew seemed to be a bit off his game today. I suck at Jeopardy most days, and even I knew that one. 

[SoMuchTV]

19 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

SCOFF down food?? Really?? I don’t care what the dictionary says, that is not a thing. Unless you’re from Brooklyn and don’t pronounce your Rs. Because the term is definitely SCARF.

Yeah apparently that’s British? Didn’t sound familiar to me either. 

[30 Helens]

8 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Yeah apparently that’s British? Didn’t sound familiar to me either. 

Well, there you go. “Scarf” in a British accent sounds very much like “scoff”. I maintain it’s a case of a dropped “r”. (Or maybe we added one. Because come to think of it, what does a long, flowy neck wrap have to do with eating?)

Edited February 7 by 30 Helens

[Shrek]

9 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Yeah apparently that’s British? Didn’t sound familiar to me either. 

As the resident Brit it is definitely used a lot there.

 

9 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

SCOFF down food?? Really?? I don’t care what the dictionary says, that is not a thing. Unless you’re from Brooklyn and don’t pronounce your Rs. Because the term is definitely SCARF.

 

Just because you don't use it doesn't mean it's not a thing. Weirdly I used scoffed when talking to my grandson when he ate his mini pizza a full 4 hours before Jeopardy aired.

Edited February 7 by Shrek

[ams1001]

40 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

Because come to think of it, what does a long, flowy neck wrap have to do with eating?

Nothing, apparently..

Quote

scarf (v.)

"eat hastily," 1960, U.S. teen slang, originally a noun meaning "food, meal" (1932), perhaps imitative, or from nautical slang scoff "eat hastily or voraciously, devour" which is attested from 1846 (compare U.S. tramps slang scoffing "food, something to eat," 1907). This is said to be a variant of scaff (by 1797) in the same sense, and scaff (n.) "food, provisions" is attested from 1768, but the group is of obscure origin. Perhaps the word comes ultimately from some survival of Old English sceorfan "to gnaw, bite" (see scarf (n.2)). South African scoff (n.) is said to be a colloquial representation of Dutch schoft "quarter of a day," hence "each of the meals of a day." Related: Scarfed; scarfing.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/scarf

[DrSpaceman73]

This was a perfectly cromulent episode. 

[bad things are bad]

Clearly these people don't spend enough time on internet discussion boards, not knowing cromulent 

[Clanstarling]

17 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I got FJ. It was kind of a throwaway guess because I wasn't actually sure if there was a valley of queens, but I figured if the men were in the valley of kings, then the women might have their own.

I was pretty convinced it was right, because the logic fit the clue ("similar and better known location). Of course, my logic doesn't always match Jeopardy's. 

16 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I take exception to scoff, though.  I've heard "scarf" your food, not "scoff" your food.  I managed scoff from the other part of the clue.

I've always heard "scarf" but I can see how that might evolve from "scoff."

14 hours ago, Bastet said:

Good grief, the Elon Musk and tariff clues were unpleasant distractions from my half hour escape from current events.

I turned to my husband and said "yet another example of the Jeopardy Curse"

[EtheltoTillie]

@shapeshifter I bet you were appalled that Library of Congress was a TS.  Sheesh!   And it had a giveaway with the initials, LC.

Edited February 7 by EtheltoTillie

[30 Helens]

3 hours ago, Shrek said:

Just because you don't use it doesn't mean it's not a thing.

You’re absolutely right, of course. I’m just shocked that in all my years of reading novels (many of them British) and watching TV shows (ditto), I have never, ever encountered this usage. But based on the evidence, I’m now assuming that “scarf” is just a derivative form of “scoff”.

Language is a fascinating thing.

[ams1001]

February 7:

60% / 57% / 57%

In J I missed one in Declaration of Independence, Flights of Fancy, and 12-Letter Words, two in Pole, three in Landmarks, and four in Position (thank you, Prince, for saving me from complete failure). 

In DJ I missed one in Winds, two in Worm Movies, CEOs, Anagrams, and Africa, and four in Poetry (thank you, Haiku).

Had no clue for final.

TSes: (J had 4 +  the DD; DJ had 4) I got Machu Picchu (DD), Virginia, slavery, Anthem, and Santa Ana winds (that one feels like it should have had a "this was taped last year" disclaimer, too).

I liked Adriana's dress.

Wow, they had some low scores in the end.

[Katy M]

I said Bourbon but then changed it to Capet.

I got the missed clues of Virginia, slavery, Sappho and Santa Ana winds.

[Browncoat]

No clue for FJ tonight, as I predicted from the category.  

And the only TS I got were Machu Picchu, reproduction, Virginia, slavery, and Santa Ana winds.  

Go, Adriana!  

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

@shapeshifter I bet you were appalled that Library of Congress was a TS.  Sheesh!   And it had a giveaway with the initials, LC.

And TS citation too! 
I didn't just run the category of LIBRARY GLOSSARY, I flew through it, LOL!

Today I got the TSs of Virginia (after Massachusetts was eliminated) and Santa Ana Winds. The game was taped Dec. 5, so before the LA fires when the Santa Anas were frequently mentioned in the news.

Very glad Adriana won. 
F'loved Isaac's shirt. 

[graybrown bird]

"Capet" for FJ came to me instantly-- I flashed back to Robert Morley's humiliated face as he was addressed as ""Citizen Capet" in the 1938 MGM movie.  (Norma Shearer played Marie Antoinette, but it was Morley as Louis XVI who made the biggest impression on me.)

[DrSpaceman73]

Exciting game one. I forgot they changed the finals format

[EtheltoTillie]

How do y’all know what date the games were taped?  

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

How do y’all know what date the games were taped?  

On the J! Archive page for the season (current season is j-archive.com/showseason.php?season=41) for each game, at the bottom of the page there’s a “Game tape date.”

[SomeTameGazelle]

It irks me that they're still having Ken say "best of 7" with the clarification of "first to 3" which is not the same thing. If contestant A wins the first 3, there is still the theoretical possibility that B or C could have bested them by winning all of the last 4. 

I was pleased that it was such a close game even though Isaac got both his DDs and Adriana lost hers. Go Adriana! 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 03:38 PM by SomeTameGazelle
Grammar re counter-factual

[DrSpaceman73]

16 minutes ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

It irks me that they're still having Ken say "best of 7" with the clarification of "first to 3" which is not the same thing. If contestant A wins the first 3, there is still the theoretical possibility that B or C could have bested them by winning all of the last 4. 

I was pleased that it was such a close game even though Isaac got both his DDs and Adriana lost hers. Go Adriana! 

 

 

You're right it's first to 3 not at all the same as best of 7

[30 Helens]

1 hour ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

You're right it's first to 3 not at all the same as best of 7

Yeah, best of 7 would be first to 4. You’d think Ken would be on top of that.

Glad Adriana won, but I just kept thinking how much more fun the game would be if Drew were still there.

[chessiegal]

27 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

but I just kept thinking how much more fun the game would be if Drew were still there.

I'm assuming you mean Drew Goins and not Drew Basile. 😉

[The Wild Sow]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

  1 hour ago, 30 Helens said:

but I just kept thinking how much more fun the game would be if Drew were still there.

 

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

I'm assuming you mean Drew Goins and not Drew Basile. 😉

I really was hoping Drew G. would make it to the finals -- at first I was kind of put off by the cockiness, but he was so good-natured and having so much FUN with it, he just grew on me!  

But really, missing "grand mal"? He's never watched a medical show?  Or read a book with an epileptic character? Or just, you know, absorbed it from living in the world??  I assumed that term was common knowledge.

Grad Mal = Big Bad!

Petit Mal = Little Bad, the "absence" type of seizure. Brief loss of awareness but without the "falling" that often happens in a grand mal seizure.

Guillain Barre is a whole 'nother condition.

[SomeTameGazelle]

29 minutes ago, The Wild Sow said:

 

I really was hoping Drew G. would make it to the finals -- at first I was kind of put off by the cockiness, but he was so good-natured and having so much FUN with it, he just grew on me!  

But really, missing "grand mal"? He's never watched a medical show?  Or read a book with an epileptic character? Or just, you know, absorbed it from living in the world??  I assumed that term was common knowledge.

Grad Mal = Big Bad!

Petit Mal = Little Bad, the "absence" type of seizure. Brief loss of awareness but without the "falling" that often happens in a grand mal seizure.

Guillain Barre is a whole 'nother condition.

I think he got distracted by the French part and overcomplicated it for himself. 

[Bliss]

I'm bummed Drew from Hawaii didn't make it.

I'm bummed my Carly (dog) didn't make it.

I'm bummed about what someone (POTUS) is doing.

Thank goodness for Adriana!

[Bastet]

I watched with friends, so didn't keep track, but did pretty well -- except for FJ, which none of us even had a guess for.

I desperately want Adriana to win this thing, so am glad she got the first win.

[proserpina65]

On 2/7/2025 at 7:32 PM, Katy M said:

I said Bourbon but then changed it to Capet.

I got the missed clues of Virginia, slavery, Sappho and Santa Ana winds.

I got those clues but did not change Bourbon to Capet.

I'd like Adriana to win but can live with Isaac winning, too.  Neilesh - ugh.

On 2/8/2025 at 1:46 PM, The Wild Sow said:

But really, missing "grand mal"? He's never watched a medical show?  Or read a book with an epileptic character? Or just, you know, absorbed it from living in the world??  I assumed that term was common knowledge.

Speaking from experience, it's very easy to forget things or not be able to drag them out of your brain while standing on the Jeopardy stage.  So he might've known it but just couldn't come up with it in the moment.  (I know damned well that "an" is not a three-letter word, but I said it instead of "the" anyway.)

[Katy M]

I said Pericles because I know nothing.

I got the entire category of TV change a letter wrong.

No missed clues.

 

[Browncoat]

I didn't even have a guess for FJ, but I said, "Duh, of course!" when the correct response was revealed.

I only got one TS:  If I Were a Rich Man of Steel wool.

Ken, please do not ever attempt a Scottish accent again.

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

Ken, please do not ever attempt a Scottish accent again.

But didn’t he redeem himself for you by ending the show with sex?

[Editing to clarify, in case anyone sees this years from now:

last clue: 

Quote

The only Constitutional Amendment with no comma is the 19th from 1920, seen here with this single word missing

Correct response:

Quote

sex

Ken’s comment:

Quote

Ken: That is correct; the round ends with [*], as the home audience always likes to see.)]

For FJ! I suspected they were referring to a Phyrric victory but I was lucky getting the guy’s actual name. Good thing spelling doesn’t count! 

Edited Tuesday at 02:46 AM by SoMuchTV

[ams1001]

I was at my parents so I didn't keep score. I got zero TSes and had no clue for FJ.

[Bastet]

LOL at "coercey".

I had a good first round; I ran drinks (and now want a Cadillac margarita, but I have somehow let myself run out of tequila) and quotes (finally a lit category in this ToC I didn't bomb!), and got all but capillary in C-Y and all but Pisa in schools.  I missed two each in TV and America.

I did very well in DJ for a ToC finals game -- I ran Before, During & After (hella fun category!) and commas and got all but dendrites in life science, missing two each in the rest.

For FJ, I quickly figured it was whoever Pyrrhic victory was named for, but then had to figure out the name.  Pyrrha?  No, that doesn't sound right.  Pyrrhus?  Maybe, let's go with that.

Edited Tuesday at 05:05 AM by Bastet

[Browncoat]

10 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

But didn’t he redeem himself for you by ending the show with sex?

That was funny!

[SomeTameGazelle]

11 hours ago, Katy M said:

I got the entire category of TV change a letter wrong.

I got stuck on the clue that mentioned the Russo children trying to change a letter in Blossom. 

[DXD526]

Did Neilesh throw a bit of a hissy fit at the end of DJ? Due to recent schedule changes, I'm sometimes rather tired by the time I can fit in watching J!, but I thought it looked like he was frustrated with himself, and walked away from his podium briefly. I assume he was upset over being unable to make the game a runaway. 

It was uncomfortable to watch. Makes me want Adriana to win even more. I guess Isaac and his pornstach would be ok, too. 

[Clanstarling]

On 2/8/2025 at 11:17 AM, SomeTameGazelle said:

I think he got distracted by the French part and overcomplicated it for himself. 

Or, like me, he got to "G" and snatched whatever medical "G" word he could capture in his brain.

1 minute ago, DXD526 said:

Did Neilesh throw a bit of a hissy fit at the end of DJ? Due to recent schedule changes, I'm sometimes rather tired by the time I can fit in watching J!, but I thought it looked like he was frustrated with himself, and walked away from his podium briefly. I assume he was upset over being unable to make the game a runaway. 

He looked pretty upset. I was surprised, but my couch mate said it was probably because he didn't make it a runaway.

[proserpina65]

17 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I didn't even have a guess for FJ, but I said, "Duh, of course!" when the correct response was revealed.

I can thank Ken Burns for teaching me that Chancellorsville was a Pyrrhic victory.  Too bad Neilesh knew it.

1 hour ago, DXD526 said:

Did Neilesh throw a bit of a hissy fit at the end of DJ? Due to recent schedule changes, I'm sometimes rather tired by the time I can fit in watching J!, but I thought it looked like he was frustrated with himself, and walked away from his podium briefly. I assume he was upset over being unable to make the game a runaway. 

Seemed that way to me and my mother.  I'm sure it was frustration with himself, but it was not a good look at all.

Edited Tuesday at 06:27 PM by proserpina65

[chessiegal]

The only person I saw look upset at the result was Drew Basile in his game with Drew Goins and Neilesh.

[Shrek]

I know it's not done to say anything about someone's appearance, but Neilish reminds me of Mr. Bean.

[Katy M]

9 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I got stuck on the clue that mentioned the Russo children trying to change a letter in Blossom. 

That was my first thought, but I was pretty sure they were going for a different show that I didn't know and didn't put too much brain effort into that one.