Jeopardy! Season 41 (2024-2025)

[ams1001]

October 14:

67% / 47% / 57%

Not a great start to the week...In J I had three good categories and three not so good. Ran Spin and US Geological Survey, missed one in Begins & Ends with E, two in Multiples of 3, and three in October in History and Family Feud. In DJ I had three mediocre categories and three not so good. Missed two in Asian Geography, Choose a Name, and Alliteration, three in Characters and Signs & Signals, and four in Wedding Songs.

I got zero DDs but I did get FJ after thinking for a second or three.

TSes: (J had 5; DJ had 9 + 1 DD) I got pulsar, rice, spinning jenny, 12, endocrine (but not exocrine), oasis, and Japan.

[Bastet]

Since I'll be watching football tonight, I just checked the archive.

I'm a bit surprised by the wild rice TS, since I didn't even need the picture -- did the picture not look like rice?

I ran "E", USGS, and multiples, and got all but jenny in spin (seeing the picture wouldn't have helped) and all but Arrested Development in families (yay for cultural osmosis, because Knives Out is the only one of the films/shows I've seen).  I missed two in history, so a good first round.

I ran only ran signs (giving myself credit for rollover, as I'd have known it if I saw the picture) in DJ.  I got all but Ayn Rand in names (seeing the picture wouldn't have helped) and all but Mickey Mouse in alliteration, but missed two each in characters and geography and three in wedding songs.

I concluded my downhill slide by having absolutely no idea for FJ.  You could have shown me a picture and spotted me McDonalds and I still wouldn't have known.

[illdoc]

23 minutes ago, Katy M said:

. I said Elsa the cow just to say something

Her name is Elsie, not Elsa. So, you still would have been wrong :)

[ams1001]

20 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I'm a bit surprised by the wild rice TS, since I didn't even need the picture -- did the picture not look like rice?

It was a picture of the plant; obviously some kind of grass-like thing but I guess if you don't know what a rice plant looks like..? But "wild" and "grain" were enough for me to get it.

[Browncoat]

I'm pretty impressed that two of the contestants got FJ right -- I didn't have the first clue.  Nothing about that mascot suggests milkshake or taste bud to me, and he's a minor mascot at that!

I did manage to get several TS, though, including jenny, rice, endocrine & exocrine, Margaret Mitchell, oasis, Caitlin (through cultural osmosis, I swear!), odds-on, and Japan.  I thank crossword puzzles for my knowing Japan. 

[opus]

23 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I concluded my downhill slide by having absolutely no idea for FJ.  You could have shown me a picture and spotted me McDonalds and I still wouldn't have known.

I didn’t get it either but I’m proud to say that way I would have nailed it.

[secnarf]

I guessed Ronald McDonald but didn't think that was correct. I forgot about all the other characters, and would never have remembered the name of the purple blob.

[30 Helens]

After the fact, I can see how a purple blob could resemble a taste bud. But a milkshake? I don’t get that part at all.

Either way, I would never have landed on a minor character like Grimace. I was focused on more prominent mascots like Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, Chester the Cheetah, Mr. Peanut, etc. But my major point of confusion was  trying to reconcile an image of a milkshake with an image of a tastebud and finding no similarities. Meh. Didn’t like that one.

Also didn’t like that Jack lost. He had potential.

 

[ebk57]

Right off, I have to say I don't watch the show anymore (but keep reading these threads because everyone here is so lovely!), so I don't know if there was any conversation after FJ.  But the reason that Grimace is "in the news" is because the NY Mets had him/her/it (?) throw out the first ball during what was a not-very-good season and the entire season turned around.  The Mets are now in the NLCS - one step away from the World Series.  

So, that could be why the "minor" mascot was a clue.  And then again, I may be totally off - not the first time.

[Bastet]

32 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

But the reason that Grimace is "in the news" is because the NY Mets had him/her/it (?) throw out the first ball during what was a not-very-good season and the entire season turned around.  The Mets are now in the NLCS - one step away from the World Series.  

First, go Dodgers.

Second, it seems you've indeed identified why this became a clue, that the coincidence between the Grimace toss and the Mets turning their season around got online chatter and even sports media attention, putting it on the writers' radar -- looking it up, Grimace's first pitch at a Mets game was in June, and as of Sep. 16 when this episode of J! was taped, it was fairly widely discussed how things had changed.  (I pay minimal attention to baseball until the playoffs and know fuck all about McDonald's, so Grimace's recent popularity never registered with me.)

[ebk57]

10 minutes ago, Bastet said:

First, go Dodgers.

Agree!

[DaveA]

Were we expecting all these visual changes? I noticed the color change to the board background and text right away. Wife says there's something different with the podiums but couldn't say what. 

[MrAtoz]

I had seen some mention of it in the media ("debuting a redesigned set," something along those lines). That said, in watching I didn't particularly notice the difference, and did not remember that there was supposed to be a difference. It was only this morning, when I saw some other people online talking about it, that I realized, "Oh, yeah, I guess that change was this week."

So it didn't make a big impression on me.

[dgpolo]

2 hours ago, DaveA said:

Wife says there's something different with the podiums but couldn't say what. 

On Twitter Lily pointed out that the podiums used to have a 'space' pattern, stars on a dark blue on the sides of the podium, now it's an ombre effect of blue to white (I think).

[chessiegal]

This is what Andy (The Jeopardy! Fan) had to say about the new set.

Quote

Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:

On what is a holiday Monday for most up north here in Canada, Jeopardy! keeps rolling along with the first episode taped after a long summer break. (The first five weeks of Season 41 were taped in May and June as a contingency against a possible IATSE strike over the summer.) Pop Culture Jeopardy was taped in the interim, and some of the set and video board changes made for the spin-off have made their way onto the main game’s set. The biggest change to the set (as teased on Inside Jeopardy) is that, for the first time in the 40-year history of the show, there are no longer 36 individual monitors to show categories and clues on; it is now a single video board. This should help contestants with minor vision issues be able to read the clues more easily; I can’t wait to see what other changes are coming today!

I noticed the category stayed highlighted after a clue was chosen.

[ams1001]

11 hours ago, ebk57 said:

But the reason that Grimace is "in the news" is because the NY Mets had him/her/it (?) throw out the first ball during what was a not-very-good season and the entire season turned around.  

That explains the clip I saw somewhere of several people in Grimace costumes scattered around the stands. The NYT Connections game also recently (maybe a few weeks ago?) had a category of purple things (or something like that) and Grimace was one of them (though on first reading I was thinking of the facial expression until I figured out the other purple things on the board). That might have contributed to my getting this clue, though the "taste bud/milkshake" thing did seem vaguely familiar.

1 hour ago, MrAtoz said:

I had seen some mention of it in the media ("debuting a redesigned set," something along those lines). That said, in watching I didn't particularly notice the difference, and did not remember that there was supposed to be a difference. It was only this morning, when I saw some other people online talking about it, that I realized, "Oh, yeah, I guess that change was this week."

So it didn't make a big impression on me.

Hadn't heard this and didn't even notice the set looked different. Guess I'll have to pay more attention tonight.

[Browncoat]

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I noticed the category stayed highlighted after a clue was chosen.

I noticed that, too, but nothing else.  I'll pay more attention the next time I watch.  It'll be an archive game for me tonight.

[Grizzly]

I love the deepness of Eamonn's voice.

[Katy M]

I said James Buchanan because I was pretty sure he was from PA and I just didn't know.

I got the missed clues of Nelson Mandella and George Bernard shaw.

I got the entire category of lit right and the entire category of EZ on the map wrong.

Horrible night again. Seriously, I need a brain transplant.

[ams1001]

October 15:

70% / 40% / 56%

Not too bad in the first round…ran Food and Literature; missed one in Second Letter M; two in Building, America; and three in Treason and NFL Connections.

Terrible in the second round…missed one in Dubliners, two in 9-Letter Words, three in Agricultural History, and four in Math, "EZ" on the Map, and Talking Heads. (I know all the songs, and if I hear them I know they're Talking Heads, but apparently my brain is not going the other way tonight).

Only one DD tonight…but I got FJ! Was not at all sure, but I had a vague idea that Nixon was a Quaker.

TSes: (J had 3 + the DD; DJ had 8) I got smock, GB Shaw, and testament.

Please let the new guy be a one day champ.
 

17 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

I love the deepness of Eamonn's voice.

He's easy on the eyes, too. I'm gonna miss him.

[Katy M]

23 hours ago, illdoc said:

Her name is Elsie, not Elsa. So, you still would have been wrong :)

That's her nickname.  Her given name is Elsa.  She was named after her grandmother, but they don't really get along, so she changed it up a bit.  But, I knew her grandmother and she was alright, so I always call her by her legal given name.

[chessiegal]

"Quaker" got me to Nixon. I don't know why I knew he had Quaker connections. Maybe because I lived through his time in office.

[ams1001]

22 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

"Quaker" got me to Nixon. I don't know why I knew he had Quaker connections. Maybe because I lived through his time in office.

Not sure how I knew that, either. He left office a little over a year before I was born.

[Bastet]

The smock and domes TS surprised me.  So did testament a bit.

I missed three in literary, so my first round was not off to a good start, but it got better -- I missed two in treason and ran the rest.

I kicked ass in DJ -- I missed two in EZ, but got all but Barry Keoghan in Dubliners and ran the rest.  (I would not have run math had 144 not been a TS, giving me time to calculate 12 x 12, as my ability to do math in my head is seriously degrading with age.) 

FJ was close to an instaguess; emphasizing a new AG so heavily immediately had me suspect it was Nixon dog whistling about refusing to enforce all the civil rights legislation enacted during LBJ's administration.  Nothing in the rest of the clue confirmed it for me (I didn't know his mom was Quaker, or that would have done it), but it seemed right so I stuck with it.

[januaryman]

I'm glad Rishabh won - I like players with personality.

[30 Helens]

4 hours ago, Katy M said:

Horrible night again. Seriously, I need a brain transplant.

I could use one, too. Maybe we can get a group discount.

I ran the Talking Heads category, but fumbled at FJ. The "long dark night" part gave me Reagan vibes, until I was gently reminded that Nixon was a Quaker. Damn it, I had that fact tucked deeply away in my mental file cabinet, but I opened the wrong drawer. 

[Quickbeam]

I grew up Quaker and Nixon being from Quaker roots was well known in the faith. My husband laughed when he saw the FJ question because he knew it was an insta-get for me. 

[shapeshifter]

21 hours ago, januaryman said:

I'm glad Rishabh won - I like players with personality.

I spent most of my life adjacent to the new champ’s hometown and totally identified with his cringeworthy nerdiness. Maybe it’s something in the water.🙃😄

 

On 10/15/2024 at 8:08 PM, chessiegal said:

"Quaker" got me to Nixon. I don't know why I knew he had Quaker connections. Maybe because I lived through his time in office.

Same. Nixon was kind of anathema to my parents, but he got me my first FJ in almost 2 weeks.

I was very distracted, but managed to get the artist’s smock TS (I wore my Dad’s old button-downs as smocks to Saturday art classes from 5th grade on) and the DD of Mandela. 

ETA: I also got the TS of Sea Breeze because there's a Sea Breeze where I live that is also a "beachside community sounds like a cool wind from off the ocean" 
— albeit it is a cool wind off of Lake Ontario.

I liked the old champ’s first name of Eamonn. 

Edited October 17 by shapeshifter

[SomeTameGazelle]

12 hours ago, Katy M said:

 

I got the missed clues of Nelson Mandella and George Bernard shaw.

I was very stressed out when Zoe missed Mandela so I was glad she made such a good recovery in DJ. 

I was unreasonably flabbergasted that no one knew Shaw. 

I was incapable of thinking of Burning Down the House because when they showed the photo my brain started concentrating on the irrelevant fact that they were in front of Toronto's city hall.

[Clanstarling]

On 10/14/2024 at 5:43 PM, secnarf said:

I guessed Ronald McDonald but didn't think that was correct. I forgot about all the other characters, and would never have remembered the name of the purple blob.

I had heard of Grimace, and in retrospect I can see the tastebud thing (ick). But I had no idea which fast food chain he was from. I haven't eaten at McDonalds in many years.

On 10/15/2024 at 6:22 AM, MrAtoz said:

I had seen some mention of it in the media ("debuting a redesigned set," something along those lines). That said, in watching I didn't particularly notice the difference, and did not remember that there was supposed to be a difference. It was only this morning, when I saw some other people online talking about it, that I realized, "Oh, yeah, I guess that change was this week."

So it didn't make a big impression on me.

I didn't notice a thing - and hadn't heard about a change. Guess I'll have to check it out later today.

16 hours ago, chessiegal said:

"Quaker" got me to Nixon. I don't know why I knew he had Quaker connections. Maybe because I lived through his time in office.

I remembered the Quaker connection. I was a teen when he resigned. I can remember watching his resignation, and his family leaving on the helicopter (I think).

Edited October 16 by Clanstarling

[SomeTameGazelle]

On 10/15/2024 at 11:25 AM, ams1001 said:

That explains the clip I saw somewhere of several people in Grimace costumes scattered around the stands. The NYT Connections game also recently (maybe a few weeks ago?) had a category of purple things (or something like that) and Grimace was one of them (though on first reading I was thinking of the facial expression until I figured out the other purple things on the board). That might have contributed to my getting this clue, though the "taste bud/milkshake" thing did seem vaguely familiar.

I am very annoyed because I forgot Monday was a weekday and I was trying to look up something from Friday on J Archive and accidentally saw FJ = Grimace before the show had even aired in my area. So I have no way of knowing whether I would ever have come up with a correct response. I wish J Archive could wait until later in the day to make that their top piece of info.

[ams1001]

4 minutes ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I am very annoyed because I forgot Monday was a weekday and I was trying to look up something from Friday on J Archive and accidentally saw FJ = Grimace before the show had even aired in my area. So I have no way of knowing whether I would ever have come up with a correct response. I wish J Archive could wait until later in the day to make that their top piece of info.

I have the Show Recent Categories page bookmarked instead of the home page. Then it just shows the current day's categories (which I can easily copy into my scorecard) and no clues that I can accidentally reveal just by moving my mouse.

https://www.j-archive.com/showrecentcategories.php

 

[proserpina65]

I did well on Friday and got FJ because the names sounded English and the year was right for the rise of that creature.  I didn't hate Mark, but I was rooting for Eamonn all the way.

I would never want to drink a milkshake which looked even vaguely like Grimace.  I didn't get to watch Jeopardy on Monday because of stupid baseball, but I wouldn't have gotten that FJ.

I'm sorry to see cute Eamonn go, especially since the new guy is annoyingly hyperactive.

I did fairly well on last night's game and got FJ right away since I knew Nixon came from a Quaker family.

On 10/12/2024 at 3:24 PM, chessiegal said:

What was wrong with Mark? He seemed pleasant and had a good knowledge base.

My only real problem with him was that his first win kept Ryan from getting his fifth victory and I liked Ryan more.  Otherwise Mark was okay.

[proserpina65]

On 10/15/2024 at 12:18 AM, Bastet said:

First, go Dodgers.

I don't like either team, so I guess, go, whoever plays the Yankees?  I hate the Yankees reflexively from childhood.

3 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I didn't notice a thing - and hadn't heard about a change. Guess I'll have to check it out later today.

I read about it but honestly, the changes did not register with me at all last night.

 

[ams1001]

9 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I would never want to drink a milkshake which looked even vaguely like Grimace. 

They made one last year for his birthday...

It's berry-flavored (ostensibly).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimace_Shake

[proserpina65]

8 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

They made one last year for his birthday...

It's berry-flavored (ostensibly).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimace_Shake

I vaguely remember that.  I thought it looked nasty.

[ebk57]

20 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I don't like either team, so I guess, go, whoever plays the Yankees? 

Always a good choice!

[ams1001]

23 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I don't like either team, so I guess, go, whoever plays the Yankees?  I hate the Yankees reflexively from childhood.

My dad roots for "the Yankees, the A's, and whoever's playing the Mets."

(The A's because he grew up in south Jersey and they were in Philly when he was a kid.)

[Browncoat]

Catching up from Tuesday -- I did not get FJ.  I always wonder, when it's an archive game, and I don't get FJ, whether I would have gotten it watching.  That is a tortured sentence!

I did get a few TS, including Nelson Mandela, smock, domes, 144, Sea Breeze, slash-and-burn, and testament.

 

[ams1001]

October 16:

77% / 77% / 77%

Actually had a pretty good game in both rounds! In J I ran Hey Pumpkin and "Out" With It, missed one in Concerto and Show Biz Movies, two Holidays, and three in World Tour. In DJ I ran The Book Nook and The __ of the __, missed one in Astronomy and Cliche, two in American History, and three in What's on TV.

Got all three DDs but no FJ.

TSes: (J had 6 + the DD; DJ had 8 + 1 DD) I got harp, Wipeout, beta carotene, red (surprised no one guessed that with heart in the clue), Orion, Stations of the Cross (DD), fall from grace, and famous last words.

Darn I was rooting for Rachel. Or Jay.

 

[Katy M]

I said Auburn.

I got the missed clues of wipeout, beta-carotene, Mozart, The Silver Chair, Orion and fall from grace.

I got the entire category of astronomy right and TV wrong.

Better night than the last 2, but that's not saying much.

[Grizzly]

I wish I had seen the champ's answer before knowing what the answer was. Not sure I would have gotten Columbia from that mess.

[proserpina65]

I call bullshit on that FJ decision. No way could they read "Columbia" in that mess.

[opus]

Yeah, I wasn’t reading Columbia in there either.

[Browncoat]

Damn.  I was really rooting for Rachel.  Or Jay.  Or anyone else.  But I did get FJ.  It was a guess, but I'll take it!

I also got the TS of harp, Wipeout, beta-carotene, Tropic Thunder, red, The Silver Chair, and Orion.

[ams1001]

I guess if I squint...

...then again I know what I'm looking for...

[Browncoat]

What is Cdumlaq?

[SoMuchTV]

 It’s been explained on their Inside J!  podcast and probably elsewhere, that the judges can see in real time what they’re writing.  So, yeah, I can buy that they saw him writing the correct letters. 

I yelled at my tv when the FJ! clue was revealed, this is not about colleges or towns, it’s about sports!  I was told there wouldn’t be sports! I went with Athens, since I had a vague idea that a lot of colleges are in a town/city with that name. Oh well. 

[opus]

19 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

What is Cdumlaq?

It’s where Mzzori and Sth Crilina campuses are.

[Bastet]

The red TS blew my mind; no one guessed red for a color associated with the heart?!  Famous last words surprised me a bit.

I had a rather "meh" first round; I ran holidays and "out" and got all but Linus in pumpkin, but I missed two each in show biz and world and three in concertos.

I wasn't much better in DJ; I ran history and astronomy and got all but nine-days wonder (never heard that in my life) in clichés.  I missed two each in books and __ of the __ and three in TV -- which is pretty damn good since I've never even heard of any of the shows.

I got FJ, but it took me the entirety of the Think music to work my way through the list of SEC schools and their cities until I came upon a duplicate (I came up with all the schools quickly thanks to football, but not all the cities).  If I'd had to write it down, it would have looked like Rishabh's gibberish.

Which brings me to:  That was some deep-fried bullshit, giving that little twit the win, and I'd have burned the damn studio down in Rachel's place.  They need to bring her back as a second chancer, because she got screwed but good.

Edited October 17 by Bastet