Jeopardy! Season 31 (2014-2015)

[Abstract]

I've been waiting for some version of that Clay Aiken question. His eternal runner-up status was just begging to be a clue. All that was missing was a Celebrity Apprentice reference.

Hope the new champ gets over her nerves and speeds up a bit in the next game.

[Prevailing Wind]

 

I thought she said "Rowlin" and left the g off.

That's what closed captioning said.

 

I have no idea what the 6 noble gasses are; I just guessed xenon because of the x having a high value in Scrabble.  I'm assuming the clue was ignoring double/triple letter/word scores on the board. 

 

In the promos during local news, they bleeped the last word in "Stitch & Bitch" - encouraging you to tune in to see what she really said.  How lame!

 

I was just watching an old "Match Game 78" and they were having an argument over whether a butcher knife is a meat cleaver and vice versa.  LOL.

[The Wild Sow]

I can't say I particularly enjoyed this game. The best part for me was during the interview portion when Alex asked Jenny about the group she was involved with. You could see Jenny pausing for a split second as she wondered if she could say it, but since he asked... Knit and Bitch. 

 

The three TSs I got were Cubism, Viceroy (butterfly), and Munich. I did not get FJ. Xenon was all I could come up with.

It was STITCH and Bitch :-)  LOL  I would join if I didn't get @#$%^ carpal tunnel from crocheting!

 

I remember learning about the Viceroy Butterfly as a child.  It mimics the (toxic and nasty-tasting) Monarch Butterfly in appearance & coloration so birds don't eat it!  But all I could wonder was why it was named after a cigarette!  Hey, I was 7....not yet familiar with the term "Viceroy" as sort of an Assistant King!

 

About J.K. Rowling - one said RowlingS, and the other said Rowlin, leaving off the G.  It's Rowling.

 

FJ was an instaget for me, but I had to go and mentally count the letters in Helium, although I knew it had to be Krypton.  For some reason I was thinking Helium had 7 letters!  I also had to go count the Scrabble points - I mostly play Words with Friends, where the letter values are a little different.

 

4 letters = Neon (4 pts)

5 letters = Argon, Xenon, Radon (6, 12, & 6 pts)

6 letters = Helium (11 pts)

7 letters = Krypton (16 pts)

 

Hydrogen is also 16 Scrabble pts but it's not a frickin' Noble (aka Inert!) Gas!  With its single electron, a Hydrogen atom is one of the most reactive elements there is, forming compounds with almost any other element that's not a metal!  Hydro-this, Hydrate-that, Hydroxy-whatever......nothing "noble" about Hydrogen at all!

 

I did like Kathy.  She sort of resembles a (somewhat younger!) version of my Mom.  If Gimmickgenius happens to read this, he'll probably agree (she's his Mom too!)  Mom's 91.  A good 91, and she could  probably still kick some butt on Jeopardy given the chance.

[Bastet]

I thought she said "Rowlin" and left the g off.

 

Thanks, I must have heard it wrong -- I thought she went with the wrong O sound but included the G.

[M. Darcy]

I think the new champ's voice sounds just like Sadness in Inside Out. 

[proserpina65]

I missed the FJ due to a torrential downpour which chose that time to roll through.  What was the clue?  The category sounded interesting, although science stuff is usually a bust for me.

[Trey]

I missed the FJ due to a torrential downpour which chose that time to roll through.  What was the clue?  The category sounded interesting, although science stuff is usually a bust for me.

 

Scrabble and Chemistry:

 

As a word used in Scrabble, this longest-named one of the 6 noble gases would give you the highest score.

[proserpina65]

Scrabble and Chemistry:

 

As a word used in Scrabble, this longest-named one of the 6 noble gases would give you the highest score.

Yup, I'd have been screwed because I can only name 4 noble gasses and would've gone with xenon.

[saber5055]

I'm not surprised by the Wrong Way Corrigan TS (which I got) - that's sort of an obscure bit of history unless you're really into aviation history (or your father - like mine - was a WWII buff*).

 

 

Or you are just old. Like me. This was a no-brainer IMO.

 

Since when is a ping pong paddle called a racquet? Or racket, according to the official rules I just looked up. Although it also says this: "Equipment: The paddle should have a red and a black side." No wonder the contestant said "badminton" to the clue that obviously SHOULD have been ping pong if not for the racquet thing. I play ping pong with paddles, always have. And, like stated above, I'm old.

[PaulaO]

How did Jenny, the chemist, not know FJ???

[secnarf]

How did Jenny, the chemist, not know FJ???

Most likely, her work has absolutely nothing to do with the noble gases.

Although, that is pretty embarassing, since it's basic basic basic chemistry.

 

I'm not too sure why the scrabble part of the clue was even there - it's simply the noble gas with the longest name (which was noted in the clue). It's not like there is a tie for the longest name that then requires you to figure out the number of points it would be worth in scrabble.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I'm not too sure why the scrabble part of the clue was even there - it's simply the noble gas with the longest name (which was noted in the clue). It's not like there is a tie for the longest name that then requires you to figure out the number of points it would be worth in scrabble.

 

It was the clue writers trying to come off as clever and failing miserably.

[Browncoat]

Milton for FJ tonight?  Unbelievable.  I have to say, too, that I'm glad that guy lost, and I'm glad he tanked on the DD he found in the DJ round -- it's kind of hard to know how to bet when you don't know anything about the category, dumbass.  But the former champ, not even guessing Rosetta for her DD?  Also incredible.  Even if you don't know that was the place name, you should at least know of the Rosetta stone and make a guess.

 

Also, maybe it's because I'm from Virginia and live there now, but I couldn't believe the Virginia motto was a TS.

[Trey]

I was shouting Da at the contestants for Da Gama, the explorer, but nobody heard me.

 

It was a pretty good game, I thought; not too many clues left.  I'm glad they got all of the 2 or 12 letter words.

 

Another new champ.  He's fairly quiet; maybe he'll stick around for a while.

 

I agree, she should have guessed Rosetta.  I never knew it was named for the village but I haven't heard of any other stone that was a clue to ancient languages.

 

I thought FJ was very easy.  Milton was a very bad guess indeed, not even close to the correct century.  I didn't notice if Kathy had to put her pen down in the middle of writing; maybe she thought she had written it all.

Edited July 11, 2015 by Trey

[M. Darcy]

FJ was extremely easy. I felt it was one of those where all 3 should have been just standing there for a while because they wrote the answer so quickly.

[secnarf]

I got FJ immediately, thanks to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the whole "Adam" thing. Not sure I would have got it otherwise, since I'm not very familiar with the Frankenstein story beyond the basics.

 

I had no idea Rosetta was a place, but that was my guess for the DD.

 

I know virtually nothing about historical objects and I got four of the five in the category (I missed the Agamemnon one), so I think it was on the easier side of things.

 

The games have not been as interesting lately, and I think it's because we keep having one-and-done champs. I am hoping for someone to have a good long run.

[Jesse]

 But the former champ, not even guessing Rosetta for her DD?  Also incredible.  Even if you don't know that was the place name, you should at least know of the Rosetta stone and make a guess.

 

 

Right? Say a word associated with a stone, why not? 

 

I thought FJ was a gimme, but my mother was also thinking Milton, I think. 

[pandora spocks]

The games have not been as interesting lately, and I think it's because we keep having one-and-done champs. I am hoping for someone to have a good long run.

 

At this rate, Jeopardy won't have enough contestants for a ToC next year.  I was able to guess Frankenstein for FJ because I finished watching Penny Dreadful for this season. Yay for the boob tube! Maybe I'm wrong but I felt Alex's reply of "that's nice" at the end of Kelly's story seemed condescending.

[YoureSoUrban]

I'll miss Kathy. I enjoyed her genuine enthusiasm for the game, and she had broad knowledge (we'll just have to ignore that Rosetta Stone situation). And the added salt-in-the-wound fact that you can see said stone at the British Museum? Shut up, Alex. 

 

I missed FJ; my thoughts went to Milton but I knew it wasn't right. Face palm when I saw Frankenstein. Loved the previous game's scrabble+chemistry FJ.

 

I'm not too sure why the scrabble part of the clue was even there - it's simply the noble gas with the longest name (which was noted in the clue). It's not like there is a tie for the longest name that then requires you to figure out the number of points it would be worth in scrabble.

I think they may have added the Scrabble element to make it less of an instaget. Naming the noble gas w/ the longest name is more of a DJ-level question, IMO.

[Prevailing Wind]

I got Frankenstein, but way too late to write it.  Had I been paying closer attention, I might have gotten it sooner, but I'm not wagering everything on that.  LOL.

 

I had the front door open for the cats to go in/out and my next door neighbor (we share the front porch) stuck her head in, asking to see the new kitty.  She thought for sure I was yelling at a new cat named Rosetta.  No, there's no new cat.  Just me getting too involved in "Jeopardy!"

[saber5055]

To say nothing of Rosetta Stone, the foreign-language-teaching DVDs!

 

I yelled foul at my tv when the champ was missing the last two and one half letters of Frankenstein so Trebek ruled her wrong.  Others have gotten only a partial answer down and were correct, or they just scrawl down some doctor's signature and SAY what they wrote and they are give a correct. In the time allowed, not many "regular" people could print that word, it's so freaking long.

 

I really felt bad for her.

 

To go back a day, I've never even heard of a "noble gas" much less would be able to put one on a Scrabble board. I admit it.

 

ETA: I have to say, I really notice now when only one part of someone's name is given as an answer. I keep wanting to add "Carson" to it, making it a full proper name. I wonder if people had answered "J.K." for that wizard clue if they would have been ruled correct instead of goofing up  her last name ... twice.

Edited July 11, 2015 by saber5055

[alias1]

 

I yelled foul at my tv when the champ was missing the last two and one half letters of Frankenstein so Trebek ruled her wrong.  Others have gotten only a partial answer down and were correct, or they just scrawl down some doctor's signature and SAY what they wrote and they are give a correct. In the time allowed, not many "regular" people could print that word, it's so freaking long.

 

I really felt bad for her.

I felt the same way.  Honestly, what else could she have meant with the letters she wrote (Frankensta I think it was).  IDK, maybe if she had written an e instead of an a at the end they would have accepted it.  And I've always wondered what happens if someone continues writing after they call time.

[Jesse]

At least she would have ended up in second place either way.

[Trey]

 

I yelled foul at my tv when the champ was missing the last two and one half letters of Frankenstein so Trebek ruled her wrong.  Others have gotten only a partial answer down and were correct, or they just scrawl down some doctor's signature and SAY what they wrote and they are give a correct. In the time allowed, not many "regular" people could print that word, it's so freaking long.

I don't think she should have been given credit for it.  The answer as written has to be able to be pronounced correctly even if it isn't spelled correctly.  Of course she could complain that Alex Trebek cheated her.

[Bastet]

And I've always wondered what happens if someone continues writing after they call time.

 

Since it's an electronic "pen," is it even possible to continue writing after time expires, or is it disabled?

Edited July 11, 2015 by Bastet

[HelenBaby]

I think the pen quits working after the "think" music ends.

On FJ if you misspell the name as long as it's pronounced the same it would count for example Frankenstine instead of Frankenstein would be okay but Frankensta is not. However that brings me back to a FJ from last week when the answer was Amelia Earhart. The returning champ spelled it Eahardt which would not be correct based on their rules but yet nothing was said and he won.

[Trey]

 

However that brings me back to a FJ from last week when the answer was Amelia Earhart. The returning champ spelled it Eahardt which would not be correct based on their rules but yet nothing was said and he won.

I never even noticed that!  You would think someone would have said something.

[saber5055]

I never even noticed that!  You would think someone would have said something.

 

 

Yeah, like one of us. Well, although HelenBaby just did. Heh. 

 

I'm just noticing a lot of discrepancies lately on this show. Maybe they've always been there and I just never payed attention. Or cared.

 

And yeah, that FJ pen quits when "time is up" so no one can write more.

[ChicagoCita]

The absolute best thing I learned from Friday's show is that there's a sequel by Dodie Smith to The Hundred and One Dalmatians.  Oh, I loved that book, bought from Scholastic for the princely sum of 65 cents.  It's quirky and full of dry humor.  It was my first exposure to England as a story setting, and led to a lifetime of Anglophilia.  It's where I learned that other countries had different customs and that the words we pronounced a certain way in the U.S. weren't necessarily pronounced that way in England.

 

So thanks, Jeopardy! I've already put The Starlight Barking on request at the Library.

[proserpina65]

I yelled foul at my tv when the champ was missing the last two and one half letters of Frankenstein so Trebek ruled her wrong.  Others have gotten only a partial answer down and were correct, or they just scrawl down some doctor's signature and SAY what they wrote and they are give a correct. In the time allowed, not many "regular" people could print that word, it's so freaking long.

 

The answer as written has to be complete enough to not change the pronunciation of the word.  Her response was missing too many letters to be pronounced correctly, so it was clearly wrong.  I'd have been pissed if they had accepted it.

[Roaster]

Lauren had $6400 at the first commercial break - halfway through the first round.

 

That's impressive, but she still didn't win.

 

All three contestants came off as good today,, even  the defending champ who actually finished with no money.  Usually people who finish with no money seem lost during the game, but he was no slouch.

[just prin]

Today's final jeopardy: an instaget--if you're older than Adam, like I!

 

ETA: But let's talk about the champ's "look." Or not. ;)

Edited July 14, 2015 by just prin

[ottoDbusdriver]

I guessed Lysol like Phil did.  Oops !!

[Trey]

I guessed Comet cleanser.  Of course as soon as AT said "brilliant" I knew it was the Brillo pad but it did me no good by then..

 

I thought it was a pretty fast-paced game with quick contestants.  

 

Maybe this new champ will stick around for a while.

 

The only TS I can remember that I got was cedar in the Return of Wood category.  There may have been others.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Trey

[CarpeDiem54]

FJ was an instaget for me, too. Yes, I'm old, which explains why I do a terrible job on categories like Reality Show Hosts.

I liked Lauren's penguin story. My Dad was fascinated by them, too.

Good fast paced game.

Why did Alex think we'd get all excited by that "Wood" category?

[secnarf]

I've honestly never even *heard* of Brillo pads. The only brand I've ever seen/used is SOS - they're essentially the same product with a different brand name (according to Wikipedia). I wonder if Brillo is just less popular in Canada?

 

I always get excited when there is a clue about The Crucible - it is one of my favourite plays.

 

Again with a one-time champ. I don't have much of an opinion one way or the other about the new champ, but I hope he stays around for a while.

[ottoDbusdriver]

The only TS I can remember that I got was cedar in the Return of Wood category.  There may have been others.

 

In the D.C. Landmarks category, the MLK Jr. Memorial was a TS, which was surprising.

[Trey]

In the D.C. Landmarks category, the MLK Jr. Memorial was a TS, which was surprising.

I'd forgotten that one but I did get it too.

 

 

I've honestly never even *heard* of Brillo pads. The only brand I've ever seen/used is SOS - they're essentially the same product with a different brand name (according to Wikipedia). I wonder if Brillo is just less popular in Canada?

 

I'm also in Canada and I've only ever used SOS but I've heard of Brillo pads.  I suppose they are available here but I've never looked for them so maybe not.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Trey

[pandora spocks]

"Why did Alex think we'd get all excited by that "Wood" category?"

Because viewers:

A. Are turned on by home improvement products

B. Think Beavis and Butthead are hilarious

[ABay]

I thought it was because they'd had a Wood category in the past and it became notorious like "Those Darned Etruscans".

[amass]

I was surprised that Jaffa, Israel was a TS - that was an instaget for us

[proserpina65]

Of course as soon as AT said "brilliant" I knew it was the Brillo pad but it did me no good by then..

 

Same with me.  I couldn't think of anything which I thought was right; I came up with Lysol and Clorox but were sure they were wrong.

[proserpina65]

 

In the D.C. Landmarks category, the MLK Jr. Memorial was a TS, which was surprising.

I thought of MLK Jr., but the way the clue was phrased confused the hell out of me and I didn't answer anything at all.

[Bastet]

I figured because the clue read "cleaning item" (rather than "cleaning product") that it was an implement of some sort, rather than a cleanser.  So I started thinking of particular mops, brushes and such, while keeping synonyms for bright and shiny in the back of my mind, and Brillo pad came to me about halfway through. 

 

I knew MLK Jr., cedar, Wit, Monet, and ladder (that one really surprised me as a TS), but I'd never heard of a Jaffa orange or Jaffa, Israel, so that was a stumper for me, too.  Padma Lakshmi was the only reality show host I knew; for Tom Bergeron, I said America's Funniest Home Videos. 

Edited July 14, 2015 by Bastet

[Trey]

I thought of MLK Jr., but the way the clue was phrased confused the hell out of me and I didn't answer anything at all.

 

I don't remember the wording of the clue but you are correct; I did get the answer but I wasn't totally sure it was right because the clue was confusing.  Apparently it confused the three contestants into silence.

[Bastet]

In the DC-area Landmarks category, this was the clue (according to the archive):

 

The figure of this 20th century man is carved into the "Stone of Hope", which stands past the "Mountain of Despair"

[ABay]

From the way the clue was written, I was half surprised the answer wasn't Bilbo Baggins. So Mount Doomish.

[M. Darcy]

I thought the MLK clue was badly written.  I got it but I live in the DC area so it was a given. 

[Prevailing Wind]

"Mountain of Despair" - reminds me of Zevon & his Couch of Pain and Davenport of Despair.  (I usually call it the Couch of Ouch.) It's where he'd sit when writing songs.

[CarpeDiem54]

Well goody, goody. Fox is showing the MLB All Star game. At least they're showing Jeopardy! at 10:30 pm. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks there will be a World Ping Pong Championship, so there will be *another* excuse to pre-empt J. Grrrrr!