Jeopardy! Season 32 (2015-2016)

[Pallida]

Oh, and I was disappointed (and felt really old) when nobody knew "I Don't Like Mondays".

 

I was annoyed at myself for calling it "I Hate Mondays," but it was a year before my time, so it's gotta be outside my knowledge base, right?

[M. Darcy]

I'm really surprised that no one knew FJ -  IMO that's just Paris 101.  They even went there on the first season of The Amazing Race. 

[peeayebee]

I've been fortunate enough to visit Paris a few times, and finally went to the Pantheon on my most recent trip. Even so, I briefly flirted with the Arc de Triomphe before I remembered (a) one would be interred underneath it, not in it, and (b) the only person so interred is the French Unknown Soldier.

My guess was Arc de Triomphe. It was a big guess. If I'd thought of Notre Dame, I would have guessed that. The Pantheon was not in my knowledge base.

 

Man I hope the contestants all knew what a palindrome was before Alex told them. Yeesh again.

My sister asked me what it meant. And even though I knew, I didn't do too well in the category.

[PaulaO]

Um, I was in Paris 2 months ago, and still answered Arc de Triomphe.  I knew I was wrong as soon as I said it, although I confess we never actually made it to the Pantheon but walked near it several times on our way to the crepe restaurant.  I had never even heard of the Pantheon til we planned our trip.....

[mojoween]

Whether or not the contestants knew what a palindrome is, Alex was so condescending when no one knew civic in his explanation as to what the category meant.

Hey. Alex. *I* know what a palindrome is but could have stood there until the Cubs win the World Series and would not have figured out civic. So maybe that was their issue as well, ok?

[proserpina65]

After the guy on the end had that weird interview with Alex, I didn't really want him to stick around, so I was glad the woman in the middle won.

 

I also guessed Notre Dame for FJ. It says "Paris" to me much more than the Pantheon.

I guessed Sacre Coeur since it was built much more recently than Notre Dame (it opened in 1914; ND is medieval), but the only Pantheon I knew of is in Rome.

 

I was screaming "Medieval, you idiot!" at the woman in the middle for the Little Ice Age DD.  I would've like to have seen the rest of that category.  (Seems to me they didn't finish that one, but last night's game isn't on J! Archive yet.)

It depresses me that no one knew "I Don't Like Mondays".

 

Me too.  That's the only Boomtown Rats song I know, but I know every word of it.

I'm really surprised that no one knew FJ -  IMO that's just Paris 101.  They even went there on the first season of The Amazing Race. 

The Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame are Paris 101.  The Pantheon is more like Paris 301.  ;-)

[ClareWalks]

Granted I have never been to Paris, but if someone said to me "where is the Pantheon?" I would guess it was somewhere in Greece.

[alias1]

Granted I have never been to Paris, but if someone said to me "where is the Pantheon?" I would guess it was somewhere in Greece.

Ha Ha.  Good one.  Yes it sounds too much like the Parthenon.  Arc de Triomphe is the first thing I thought of, although I was pretty sure it wasn't right..  You could have tortured me for days and I would not have come up with the the Pantheon.  This is more like Paris 501 to me.

[peeayebee]

And there's the Pantheon in Rome.

[ABay]

the only Pantheon I knew of is in Rome

. Same here.

[MortysCleaningLady]

Loved the Mann category and knew Horace would make the cut.  A colleague of mine deals with a Horace Mann insurance company almost daily and when I started filling in for him, I mentioned, 'like the education reformer'.  Everyone looked at my puzzled then.  Today, I rattled off the question at work and everyone smiled and yelled back Horace Mann! 

[Roaster]

Surprised they let Claudia get away with "What are flamingos?" in Final Jeopardy.

 

The pinkness is of vital importance to this bit of Americana, isn't it?

[ottoDbusdriver]

Surprised they let Claudia get away with "What are flamingos?" in Final Jeopardy.

 

The pinkness is of vital importance to this bit of Americana, isn't it?

 

I think the judges were being overly generous with that ruling, especially when the other two contestants had 'pink' in their answers.  Of course, if the flamingo was named 'Kit' it would have been a different story.  :)

 

And did I hear one of the contestants (I'm not sure which one) pronounce Erin Brockovich without the 'h', because it sounded like she said Erin Brockovic yet still got credit for a correct answer.  WTF ?

 

ETA: I've been thinking about the FJ clue and since they specifically mention National Geographic covers as the inspiration, so I'm thinking they really needed to have 'pink' in their answers.  And searching Wikipedia, it's specifically plastic pink flamingos that were invented in 1957 by Don Featherstone.

 

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

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Featherstone_(artist)

Edited December 19, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[CarpeDiem54]

FJ was a Kids Tournament level clue. I'm not sure about the pinkness. I, at one time, had a flock of plastic flamingos in my backyard and some of them were white. Maybe they were Carson flamingos. Yes, I'm a weirdo.

I ran that World Leaders category. I was surprised most of the clues were TS. I also got caber, Minnetonka, Winter Palace, 1929 and Millers.

I'm not sure I'd want to go to a doctor whose claim to fame is her beer chugging prowess.

I'm glad Claudia pulled it off, but I also liked Kiyana.

Edited December 19, 2015 by CarpeDiem54

[Jesse]

I only just watched last night's episode, but was devastated that Mark lost! So very close! I don't know if I'd ever be able to make a small FJ wager, because you never know what the actual clue will be, but man.

[NorthstarATL]

Having grown up in Minnesota I know that there are Tonka trucks but also Lake Minnetonka (i of 10000), so I was disappointed when no one piggybacked on "Tonka" to give the correct clue. I know that the Sims games allow for recolors of the always-included pink flamingo, so I've seen lawns decorated with birds of many colors in-game, but never in real life. Good for her, though, if the judges ruled that way.

[Pallida]

Around Halloween, I've seen black plastic flamingos with white skeletons. If I ever have a yard, I will get one to sit next to my "go away" yard gnome.

I'm way too amused by a public health doctor chugging beer.

[Tunia]

Loved the Mann category and knew Horace would make the cut.  A colleague of mine deals with a Horace Mann insurance company almost daily and when I started filling in for him, I mentioned, 'like the education reformer'.  Everyone looked at my puzzled then.  Today, I rattled off the question at work and everyone smiled and yelled back Horace Mann! 

 

YAY for Horace!  Pretty much on a daily basis, I pass the historic marker for The Birthplace of Horace Mann as well as the Horace Mann Middle School (in Franklin, MA, which, BTW, is named for Benjamin, who provided the first set of books for the local library!).  History surrounds us!  I love living in New England.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Tunia

[peeayebee]

Having grown up in Minnesota I know that there are Tonka trucks but also Lake Minnetonka (i of 10000), so I was disappointed when no one piggybacked on "Tonka" to give the correct clue. 

I piggybacked on 'Tonka' to get Minnetonka.

 

I ran the Canvas/Artist category, but I think it was pretty easy.

[ChicagoCita]

Around Halloween, I've seen black plastic flamingos with white skeletons.

 

They also make pure black ones. A friend decided to "tease" his wife by planting the front yard full of them on the occasion of her significant ends-in-zero birthday. Let's just say it did not go over well. At all.

 

Here's an article about the man who invented them. He sounds like charming flake. Nothing is said specifically about them having to be pink.

Edited December 19, 2015 by ChicagoCita

[Prevailing Wind]

My brother, father of a Virginia Tech grad and father-in-law to another, was given a pair of "Hokie" colored flamingos - "Chicago maroon" with "burnt orange" accents.  I'm sure they're made in other school colors, too...like the duct tape.  (Yes, nephew was given a roll of Hokie duct tape for Xmas one year.)

[ABay]

it sounded like she said Erin Brockovic yet still got credit for a correct answer.  WTF ?

I also ask WTF was with that because I also head BrokoviK instead of Brokovich. There was another answer I thought was mispronounced but can't remember it now.

[CarpeDiem54]

I also ask WTF was with that because I also head BrokoviK instead of Brokovich. There was another answer I thought was mispronounced but can't remember it now.

Maybe Erin Brokovik is Ebenezer Screws cousin. The judging is so inconsistent. They'll accept those mispronunciations but ding someone because they leave an "s", for example, off the end of a word.

[ChicagoCita]

Maybe Erin Brokovik is Ebenezer Screws cousin. The judging is so inconsistent. They'll accept those mispronunciations but ding someone because they leave an "s", for example, off the end of a word.

 

Kit Screws! Or Erin Carson.

[lambertman]

Yep - according to my friends at Buzzerblog,

The original tape date for this week's shows had to be moved out a week due to Alex's knee surgery, and she wasn't able to make the new date. The show has said they'll bring her back at a future date.

Edited December 21, 2015 by lambertman

[proserpina65]

Aieeeeee!!!!  I had to work Friday night and forgot to record Jeopardy!  Thankfully I have you all here to keep me updated.

[proserpina65]

Upon looking at J! Archive, I see that it would've been a mediocre game for me.  FJ was dead easy, and I would've gotten a lot of answers right (assuming of course that I buzzed in first), but I also would've gotten 5 wrong in the first round (Stephanie Meyer, Erin Brockovich, Manual Noriega, Ariel Sharon and letterhead) and 4 wrong in DJ (sabermetrics, Brunei, Millers and Christians).  I don't feel too bad about Meyer, or as I would've called her "that woman who wrote those shitty Twilight books" or three of the four I got wrong in DJ, but I should've known Brunei and the other 4 answers in the first round.  Oh well.

Around Halloween, I've seen black plastic flamingos with white skeletons. If I ever have a yard, I will get one to sit next to my "go away" yard gnome.

I'm way too amused by a public health doctor chugging beer.

Around here, people have purple ones for the Ravens.  But considering the mention of the National Geographic cover, and the man who invented the plastic critters, they really should've required the "pink" for a correct answer.

 

{LOL to the Carson flamingos!}

Edited December 21, 2015 by proserpina65

[ottoDbusdriver]

When's the last time we had three brand new contestants in a game ?

 

I'm curious how they are going to bring back the current champ next year.  Has that ever been done before ?

Edited December 22, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[teebax]

When's the last time we had three brand new contestants in a game ?

 

I'm curious how they are going to bring back the current champ next year.  Has that ever been done before.

I can't remember a game with three newbies since they stopped the five-game limit. That was a strange beginning, until Alex explained what happened.

The champ from Friday must have gotten the gig of a lifetime. Good for her, and it's good that the show will bring her back. I imagine they'll just have two returning champs that day.

[GreekGeek]

I admit I wasn't paying close attention at the opening, so I wasn't sure why AT assumed the first thing on everyone's mind was his knee, rather than why there were three new players. Fortunately they were all pretty good and non-annoying players, and I learned how Random House got its name!

[teebax]

I admit I wasn't paying close attention at the opening, so I wasn't sure why AT assumed the first thing on everyone's mind was his knee, rather than why there were three new players. Fortunately they were all pretty good and non-annoying players, and I learned how Random House got its name!

GSN used to show old game shows on Sunday nights. I really miss that block. Anyway, Bennett Cerf was a panelist, and I think that's how I learned that tidbit about Random House.

The clue was worded so that it should have been easy to guess at the answer, so I wasn't surprised they all got it right.

Other than saying the full name of each category, I like the new champ. I wondered if there was a benefit to being in the first position early on, since she seemed to be ringing in faster than the others.

Edited December 22, 2015 by teebax

[ChicagoCita]

GSN used to show old game shows on Sunday nights. I really miss that block. Anyway, Bennett Cerf was a panelist, and I think that's how I learned that tidbit about Random House.

 

GSN is showing old episodes of What's My Line for two weeks, right now! In the middle of the night, of course.

 

If you get a deep-cable channel called BUZZR, they show multiple episodes of WML daily. It's kind of sad how very, very happy that makes me. But it does.

 

Regarding Alex's knee, I had a full knee replacement a few years ago and the recovery was long - a week in the hospital, two weeks in a rehab, and home rehab for a couple more weeks. I don't envy him, although I'm delighted with the results and would do it again if I needed to.

 

It will be interesting to see how they shuffle in Claudia. It doesn't seem fair that she'll have to go up against a returning champ, but I guess that's unavoidable.

Edited December 22, 2015 by ChicagoCita

[Mumbles]

 

It will be interesting to see how they shuffle in Claudia. It doesn't seem fair that she'll have to go up against a returning champ, but I guess that's unavoidable.

I am actually surprised that they're letting her back on. If Ken Jennings could go for weeks taping this show, a contestant should be able commit to at least a few days'.  I also remember a few years ago a champ not returning because she got sick.  She didn't get to return.

[peeayebee]

I got Random House at the last second. I had been trying to come up with a publisher's name that included Modern Library (or whatever it was) because I misread the clue.

 

Two TSs I got were cerebellum and gaff.

[Ailianna]

I am actually surprised that they're letting her back on. If Ken Jennings could go for weeks taping this show, a contestant should be able commit to at least a few days'.  I also remember a few years ago a champ not returning because she got sick.  She didn't get to return.

 

But in this case, they delayed the tape days for their reasons (Alex's knee replacement), and so her return date wasn't when it should have been because of Jeopardy!'s schedule, not hers.

[ABay]

Ohhh. The connection wasn't at all clear to me. D'oh.

[proserpina65]

I fell into the same trap that Jay regarding the $2000 WWI clue.  Even though I know that the strait is the Dardenelles, and that Gallipoli is the name of the peninsula along the strait, Gallipoli is what came out of my mouth as the answer.  Argh.  Otherwise I ran the category, which I was thrilled to see; WWI turns up on Jeopardy far too infrequently.  Black Jack Pershing did seem way too easy for a Daily Double in DJ, though.

Edited December 22, 2015 by proserpina65

[trow125]

I am actually surprised that they're letting her back on. If Ken Jennings could go for weeks taping this show, a contestant should be able commit to at least a few days'.  I also remember a few years ago a champ not returning because she got sick.  She didn't get to return.

According to TheJeopardyFan.com, "Priscilla Ball, after winning her first game in 2009, fell ill and was unable to continue her run. She returned a few months later and won a second game." Not sure if you were thinking of her or somebody else, but it looks like the contestant did get a second chance in this case. 

 

I hope the new champ, Liz, continues to do well. A smart, likable contestant with no annoying mannerisms? I'm rooting for her!!

[teebax]

GSN is showing old episodes of What's My Line for two weeks, right now! In the middle of the night, of course.

 

If you get a deep-cable channel called BUZZR, they show multiple episodes of WML daily. It's kind of sad how very, very happy that makes me. But it does.

 

It will be interesting to see how they shuffle in Claudia. It doesn't seem fair that she'll have to go up against a returning champ, but I guess that's unavoidable.

Thanks for the tip! It looks like DirecTV doesn't have that Buzzr channel, but I'm sure I can get to it somehow. I'm going to set the DVR for What's My Line.

I really love old game shows; and I don't like Family Feud nearly enough to watch it as often as they show it on GSN. The only "original" game show on GSN I like is The Chase, which is a version of the British show.

 

I think it's nice of them to let Claudia come back at all. In theory she'll have the same advantage of having played before. I feel worse for the third contestant who will have to face two people who've been on the show previously. Of course that happens when there's a tie as well.

[just prin]

Love, love, love the new champ! Cute, perky, peppy--and, best of all, smart. Even knew that god-awful (to me!) FJ. Please stay!

[mojoween]

Theresa is a bit too jittery for my liking but she was not horrid.

Liz kept saying "elemennery" which is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves, almost as bad as when it's pronounced "elementree."

Why so many unread clues?

[Roaster]

Good game today, but interesting (and risky) FJ wager by Theresa.  She was leading going into FJ but made only a small bet.  If either of the other two contestants got it right, Theresa would have lost.  She lucked into a win.  Can't count on that sort of result very often.  If she finds herself in this situation again, she needs to bet bigger.

[Prevailing Wind]

What the HELL was Alex going on about Xmas at the top of the show?  Are they letting him self-administer his knee pain meds?

[CarpeDiem54]

More shenanigans by the judges. They accepted hardwood for deciduous but wouldn't accept tollroad for turnpike? I call BS! Here, the roads we pay to drive on are called tollroads! A bunch of damned Carson Judges. AARRGGHH!

It was a good game by three pleasant contestants. I liked Theresa's perkiness, so I'm glad she won. I'm also impressed she knew that FJ.

Too many clues left on the board, though. I got the Zubin Mehta TS.

[just prin]

Pay roads are toll roads here, also. And toll roads are called turnpikes all over Google, carpe. I called foul, too, and, if I were the ex-champ, I'd sue! ;)

[Grundoon59]

I at first thought toll roads should have been accepted but then wondered if it was because it is turnpike is clearly one 8 letter word while toll road might really be two words. Have to root for today's champ - she is from a next door to me suburb in Metro Detroit.

[trow125]

Toll road is definitely two words, which is why it wasn't accepted.

Was sorry to see Liz go so soon, but it was a fantastic game!

[secnarf]

I was very surprised toll road wasn't accepted...

But then again, I'm from Canada, and turnpike isn't a word we use here, so it's not something I ever would have thought of.

I think if you were really being generous, you could say "toll-road" as a hyphenated word.

But, it does seem like accepting "hardwood" was being even more generous than that. I think if the judges had rejected both responses, there would be less of an issue.

[Prevailing Wind]

When the contestant came up with "Harrison" and Alex asked, "Which one?" ... how many of us yelled "Carson" at the TV?

[Tunia]

I think if you were really being generous, you could say "toll-road" as a hyphenated word.

But, it does seem like accepting "hardwood" was being even more generous than that. I think if the judges had rejected both responses, there would be less of an issue.

 

The difference tho, is that "hardwood" is a standard as one word.  However, if you Google "tollroad", it corrects to "toll road" as two words, and not recognized as a legitimate one word term.