Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions

[stonehaven]

God, I love Ken. Going to miss him in January. I want Sam on my TV every day for a month. Can that be arranged?

I think I got ONE of the Hits of 2022...and a few others but I yelled out with great agony, "FORT MYERS". Grew up there in the 80's. My late mother lived there til she passed a few months ago. It breaks my heart that it was a TS. My hometown of Duluth, MN was a TS on FJ! not too long ago.

Some people...sigh.....Duluth and Fort Myers NEED to educate people on what they offer.....or just their existence....

So happy Amy won even though I'm rooting for Sam. That means we get four games now!!!! Wooohooo!!!!!!

[PaulaO]

Wait, why won’t Ken be hosting in January???

How could Fort Myers have never been an answer???

[LexieLily]

28 minutes ago, stonehaven said:

God, I love Ken. Going to miss him in January. I want Sam on my TV every day for a month. Can that be arranged?

What happens in January? Ken is so much better as host than Mayim. 

[DrSpaceman73]

2 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

What happens in January? Ken is so much better as host than Mayim. 

They split the year. He does half then mayim the other half

[stonehaven]

According to this article from July:

------Jennings will host from September until December, a run that includes the inaugural Second Chance competition and the Tournament of Champions.

Bialik will take over in January by hosting Celebrity Jeopardy! and the Jeopardy! National College Championship. Her hosting duties will be balanced with her acting duties on the FOX show Call Me Kat, Davies said.----------

https://www.npr.org/2022/07/28/1114116264/jeopardy-host-ken-jennings-mayim-bialik#:~:text=Press-,Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik will permanently co-host 'Jeopardy,consulting producer on the show.

[shapeshifter]

20 minutes ago, stonehaven said:

Bialik will take over in January by hosting Celebrity Jeopardy! and the Jeopardy! National College Championship. Her hosting duties will be balanced with her acting duties on the FOX show Call Me Kat, Davies said.----------

https://www.npr.org/2022/07/28/1114116264/jeopardy-host-ken-jennings-mayim-bialik#:~:text=Press-,Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik will permanently co-host 'Jeopardy,consulting producer on the show.

If Ken comes back after the National College Championship, that would be fine with me.

[Prevailing Wind]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

I LOL'd so hard at Ken's comment about Spockets.

I was just coming here to post a similar comment. Bwaahahahaha

[South]

On 11/12/2022 at 4:52 PM, Bastet said:

Every ounce of me wants Amy to win.  I'll be a lesser degree of happy if Sam wins and I won't be upset if Andrew does, but I unreservedly want Amy to come out on top in the finals.

Any time all three contestants are good players and seem to also be good people, if there's one woman vs. two men, I am rooting for the woman. 

In this case, there's the bonus that Amy reminds me a bit of Julia, one of my all-time favorite champs, in how she calmly and traditionally plays the board.  (I enjoy players with personalities like Mattea's and/or board hopping strategies like several other champs, too; I just particularly respond to the Julias and Amys of the contestant world as that's how I'd play.)

And then add on that, as a transgender woman, Amy has people not just rooting against but spewing hatred at her purely for who she is.  Not mannerisms, not playing style, not an interview about abandoning a puppy -- her very existence has some actively hoping for her to lose (and worse).  So I'm just as fervently hoping she wins.

A++++++++++++++++ 

[South]

2 hours ago, illdoc said:

"Kiss me, Hardy"?!!!!!!!!

I know!  Never, not once in my life have I heard that.  Could Jeopardy clue writers be using Wikipedia for fact finding?  Its often Anglo-centric in spelling, phrasing and reference points.

[Bastet]

Excellent DJ surge by Amy -- whew!

The Japan TS had me yelling at the TV so loudly my cat came in to see what the hell I was on about.

If not for the hits of 2002 category, I'd have done okay - for a ToC game - in the first round.  I ran portmanteaus and facts & figures and missed two each in the others, but I blew that songs category entirely.

I did do okay - again, for a ToC game - in DJ.  I ran econ and words, missed two each in history and streaming, and three each in responses and books.

I have never heard "Kiss me, Hardy" in my life.  "Kiss me, Kate" sure, but not that one.  So I had no chance of getting FJ.

[GreekGeek]

Thanks to those who clarified the "best of 7" matter.

I never heard of "Kiss me Hardy" either. All I could think of was Davy Jones' locker. But I did know Fort Myers, having lived in Tampa in the 90's.

Good for Amy today! I wonder if Andrew's big bets will be his downfall or his victory.

[SomeTameGazelle]

9 minutes ago, GreekGeek said:

I never heard of "Kiss me Hardy" either.

I didn't remember it before Ken gave the correct answer (I rejected Dickens, Trollope, and all Brontes before deciding to guess Eliot) and I kicked myself for not getting there. I don't think about Thomas Hardy the author enough but if I had maybe I could have dredged up the memorable Kiss me, Hardy from my reading of 1066 and All That.

[Prevailing Wind]

I wonder if "Kiss me, Hardy" has had a surge in googling.

[30 Helens]

Never heard of Gridley, never heard of Hardy, and I damn sure never heard of that so-called Famous Phrase. But at least now I feel a little better now, knowing I’m not the only ignorant one! 

At least I got 1 TS (“Tom Tom Club”), and in a game this difficult, I’ll take all I can get. I loved Sam’s enthusiastic response of “Doja Cat” in the same category.

I groaned when Amy made a conservative DD wager. She and Sam need to get more aggressive in their wagering, or somehow keep Andrew away from the DDs altogether, or he will run away with this. Amy’s just lucky he didn’t know Hornsby, either.

3 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I LOL'd so hard at Ken's comment about Spockets.

Me too! And I really wanted Andrew to reply “and this is the time when we dance!” while busting a small move. I kind of think he didn’t know the reference, though.

Edited November 16, 2022 by 30 Helens

[possibilities]

I wonder why they don't rotate who stands at each lectern, and thus who starts each game.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, 30 Helens said:

I groaned when Amy made a conservative DD wager. She and Sam need to get more aggressive in their wagering, or somehow keep Andrew away from the DDs altogether, or he will run away with this.

In general, I agree, but with scores as they were at the time, early in DJ, I was hesitant for her to make it a true DD, so when she bet $4000 instead of the whole $6000-something she had, I understood.

[Irlandesa]

5 hours ago, PaulaO said:

How could Fort Myers have never been an answer???

As soon as he read the clue, I thought For Myers must be the answer.  Then I dismissed it because, like you, I wondered how it couldn't have been a response before.

3 hours ago, GreekGeek said:

Good for Amy today! I wonder if Andrew's big bets will be his downfall or his victory.

Live by the sword.  Die by the sword. 

As much as I like Sam, I'm rooting for Amy.  Today's game felt a bit slower than yesterday's for which I'm grateful.  I think I got whiplash at how fast the board was moving yesterday.

I can't believe there's only a month and a half left of Ken,  I hope he'll make a return in the second half of the season--otherwise it'll mean Mayim hosts a majority of the episodes. 

[30 Helens]

19 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I can't believe there's only a month and a half left of Ken,  I hope he'll make a return in the second half of the season--otherwise it'll mean Mayim hosts a majority of the episodes. 

No matter how many she hosts, it’s going to seem like a majority and feel like eternity.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

I was sure Sam was going to say he played the banjo!😄

[DrSpaceman73]

I wonder if kiss me Hardy is more of a British saying.  Any Brits in here? 

Also some claim it was misheard and he said 'kismet hardy', which if true, once hardy kissed him, must have made for some very awkward final moments between the hardy,,

What you doing there hardy?

Oh.....I thought you said kiss me...

Noooo.....KISMET!  KISMET!

OHhhh.....well.....hmmmm.  just forget that then 

[Welshman in Ca]

1 minute ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I wonder if kiss me Hardy is more of a British saying.  Any Brits in here? 

Also some claim it was misheard and he said 'kismet hardy', which if true, once hardy kissed him, must have made for some very awkward final moments between the hardy,,

What you doing there hardy?

Oh.....I thought you said kiss me...

Noooo.....KISMET!  KISMET!

OHhhh.....well.....hmmmm.  just forget that then 

Just a Welshman 🙂. I've heard it & knew where it came from & both are used, kiss me & kismet, although kiss me is more commonly used as it just sounds better and more fun. I wouldn't say it was widely used but I had heard it said quite a few times  when I was younger, more in a jokey way. 

[DXD526]

I knew Tom Tom Club was going to be a TS, but it was still kind of depressing.  

[proserpina65]

18 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I'm really surprised some people are dwelling on things that don't matter about this ToC instead of enjoying the competition with three top-notch players, something we haven't seen for a long time. Ken also appears to share my enthusiasm, his interviews have been stellar, and he makes every player feel welcome and important. I don't care if this tournament runs seven months (I wish it would), I'm enjoying every second of it. Ken also is pleased and happy with the quality and skill of all three players, if my read on it is correct.

I especially liked Amy's interview yesterday. I played tournament tennis back in the day and was riveted to the television to watch Billy Jean King take on Male Chauvinist Bobby Riggs. That was must-see tv back then. BJK has been a hero of mine since always, so for her to ask to meet Amy ... OMG, what an honor of the highest level. And to all of those trolls who hate Amy for being Amy ... BJK will never want to meet you.

We're allowed to have our opinions about the format, the content, the host, the contestants and basically whatever the hell we want to have opinions about.  And expressing those opinions, both positive and negative, is the entire purpose of these forums.

Personally I hate the format of this tournament.  All the contestants should've had to play the quarterfinal rounds and the finals should be two games.  I think the current producer is changing things just for the sake of change, which, to me, is definitely a case of fucking with something that didn't need fixed.

I missed FJ.  I knew the date was too early for the Gridley quote but I couldn't come up with anything else DESPITE being really into the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.  (Thank you, Ioan Gruffud and your glass-cutting cheekbones.)

14 hours ago, PaulaO said:

Really.  That’s a famous phrase?

For those really into naval-related quotations, yes.  But I didn't get it, so . . . 

[proserpina65]

13 hours ago, PaulaO said:

Wait, why won’t Ken be hosting in January???

How could Fort Myers have never been an answer???

Mayim takes over in January, per the idiotic decision to split hosting duties.

10 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

I loved Sam’s enthusiastic response of “Doja Cat” in the same category.

Me, too.

7 minutes ago, DXD526 said:

I knew Tom Tom Club was going to be a TS, but it was still kind of depressing.  

I should've gotten that one but could not drag it out of my brain.

[shapeshifter]

37 minutes ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I wonder if kiss me Hardy is more of a British saying.

FWIW, on my laptop browser in the US, the first page of Google search results for:

• kiss me Hardy

yields 18 sites ending in .uk including the top 3.

[ABay]

I have heard of "kiss me, Hardy" as Nelson's final words, but only a couple of times, and not so often it came to mind for the question. I would not call it a famous phrase.

[Clanstarling]

22 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I am saying if it were a true best of seven that could happen.  Which is why they shouldn't refer to it that way. 

Don't quote me (😉) but I think the World Series is referred to as the best of seven as well - though with only two contenders, it's four winning games that end the series.

19 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I especially liked Amy's interview yesterday. I played tournament tennis back in the day and was riveted to the television to watch Billy Jean King take on Male Chauvinist Bobby Riggs. That was must-see tv back then. BJK has been a hero of mine since always, so for her to ask to meet Amy ... OMG, what an honor of the highest level. And to all of those trolls who hate Amy for being Amy ... BJK will never want to meet you.

I was riveted by the BJK and Bobby Riggs game too. And when Bobby lost, there came all the excuses from men (including my dad) "it wasn't comparable, he's older, etc. etc. etc.)

15 hours ago, illdoc said:

"Kiss me, Hardy"?!!!!!!!!

Yeah, never heard it. I went with the only naval saying that popped into my head "damn the rocks, full speed ahead" though I knew it was wrong.

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

I wonder why they don't rotate who stands at each lectern, and thus who starts each game.

I wondered about that as well.

[dcalley]

16 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I LOL'd so hard at Ken's comment about Spockets.

I wondered if Andrew got the Sprockets reference.

I also got Tom Tom Club!

[Trey]

So, who was Nelson having an affair with, Thomas Hardy the author, or Thomas Hardy the ship captain?

[DrSpaceman73]

29 minutes ago, Trey said:

So, who was Nelson having an affair with, Thomas Hardy the author, or Thomas Hardy the ship captain?

Well not sure it was an affair with either but Thomas hardy the author wasn't born for 30 plus years after Nelson died. 

Edited November 16, 2022 by DrSpaceman73

[Conotocarious]

I really like Amy and Sam. I just can’t warm up to Andrew, sorry buddy. I’m sure he’s a really nice person though.

[ABay]

The only 2 naval quotes I know that I would consider famous are "England expects every man to do his duty" which was also Nelson at Trafalgar and "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" (is it rocks instead of torpedoes?) 

[chessiegal]

26 minutes ago, ABay said:

The only 2 naval quotes I know that I would consider famous are "England expects every man to do his duty" which was also Nelson at Trafalgar and "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" (is it rocks instead of torpedoes?) 

Nelson did not say Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. Farragut said it at the battle of Mobile Bay on or about August 5th, 1864.

[853fisher]

I loved the mention in Assonance of "Weddings Bells (Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine)." It was a big hit in 1929 and has been covered several times since. The line about friends "singing love songs" who "forgot 'Sweet Adeline'" refers to the barbershop standard - in other words, the narrator misses them all getting together to sing. Lennon and McCartney have both identified "Wedding Bells" as a song that spoke to them in the wake of The Beatles' breakup. Many interpretations are plaintive, as you might expect, but I couldn't resist linking to a hotter dance band version.

[ams1001]

63% / 43% / 52%

In J! I ran Assonance, missed one Flower and Beastly Book, and three in everything else.

In DJ I did even worse than yesterday! Got three in opera and Cold and those were my best categories. At least I didn't totally fail any (got one movie quote and two in the others).

Did not get FJ. I guessed Ephesians.

TSes were Dracula orchid, sleepwalking, and New Guinea.

I love Sam's stories.
 

[853fisher]

Comments are swarming elsewhere about the FJ clue.

The Epistle to the Hebrews has indeed been traditionally attributed to Paul, but most modern scholars believe it was written by an unconfirmed other person, in imitation of Paul's style.  In fact, questions about the attribution to Paul go back to the third century.  Interestingly, it has been pointed out that the LDS Church, of which Ken is a member, is one group which holds that Paul did write it.  I bring this up because some have asked, "even if the writers missed this, why didn't Ken catch it when he looked over the clues before the game?"

Meanwhile, the Epistle to the Romans, the answer given by Sam and ruled incorrect, is uncontroversially attributed to Paul.  It would also apparently be the correct response to the clue if Hebrews is discounted.

This is what I've gathered from some light research.  Perhaps others here are more knowledgeable.  I'm curious to learn more.  It really would be disappointing if this was the error it seems it might be, especially because it couldn't easily be mitigated, depending on how it might affect the eventual result of the tournament.

Edited November 17, 2022 by 853fisher

[ABay]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

Nelson did not say Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. Farragut said it at the battle of Mobile Bay on or about August 5th, 1864.

I meant Nelson said "England expects every man to do his duty" as well as "Kiss me, Hardy," I think it was Farragut who said "Damn the torpedoes."

[Katy M]

I got FJ, but I was beginning to second guess myself as the author of Hebrews isn't really known, though often attributed to Paul.

I got the missed clues of Nicki (sp?) Minaj, Men who Stare at Goats (saw the movie, thought it was stupid), and sleepwalking.

Did much better tonight.  But, still not good.

[Browncoat]

Damn, Sam!  I was rooting for you!  I also said Romans for FJ.  

The only TS I got were LL Cool J, Better Off Dead, and sleepwalking.  Better Off Dead is absurdly hilarious.  I love that movie.  It's a bit dated, and a little problematic (there are two minor characters, one of whom speaks no English, and the other of whom learned English from watching the Wide World of Sports, so speaks like Howard Cosell), but I laugh so much when I watch it. 

[annzeepark914]

😖 C'mon, Sam & Amy. Sam should've known "wedding bells" from that old song, 🎶"Those Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine"🎶. 

[kathyk24]

Andrew should have answered both names for the Brownings. I knew LL Cool J and Better off Dead.

[GreekGeek]

59 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

Comments are swarming elsewhere about the FJ clue.

The Epistle to the Hebrews has indeed been traditionally attributed to Paul, but most modern scholars believe it was written by an unconfirmed other person, in imitation of Paul's style.  In fact, questions about the attribution to Paul go back to the third century.  Interestingly, it has been pointed out that the LDS Church, of which Ken is a member, is one group which holds that Paul did write it.  I bring this up because some have asked, "even if the writers missed this, why didn't Ken catch it when he looked over the clues before the game?"

Meanwhile, the Epistle to the Romans, the answer given by Sam and ruled incorrect, is uncontroversially attributed to Paul.  It would also apparently be the correct response to the clue if Hebrews is discounted.

This is what I've gathered from some light research.  Perhaps others here are more knowledgeable.  I'm curious to learn more.  It really would be disappointing if this was the error it seems it might be, especially because it couldn't easily be mitigated, depending on how it might affect the eventual result of the tournament.

Interesting! I did not know that. I guess the writers (and Ken) were not expecting the contestants to be Bible scholars, and figured they would reason that Old Testament = Hebrews. If enough people complain, could Sam's defeat be reversed? Please? I was really hoping there would be one victory each.

[SoMuchTV]

Am I the only one who was a little hazy on the definition of assonance?  They actually explained it in the top clue, which of course was the last in the category to be revealed. I mean, I can remember alliteration and onomatopoeia and homophones and homonyms, but I think I ran out of brain space for assonance. 

[catrice2]

I personally do not like the way Ken "grades" the responses.....very good, good job, etc....like they need his approval? 

I actually am happy to see Andrew being competitive, just as I was glad this was not a  Matt, Amy, Mattea final.  Now the only thing I don't like is this best of 7!!!  Best of 5 at most. 

Edited November 17, 2022 by catrice2

[853fisher]

41 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Am I the only one who was a little hazy on the definition of assonance?  They actually explained it in the top clue, which of course was the last in the category to be revealed. I mean, I can remember alliteration and onomatopoeia and homophones and homonyms, but I think I ran out of brain space for assonance. 

Ditto.  I thought it was like the long "a" in "the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain."  "Early bird," "blowhole," and "leetspeak" today made sense to me.  "Wedding bells" and "jazz hands," the way I pronounce them, don't seem to have quite the same vowel-rhyme.

[SoMuchTV]

8 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

"Wedding bells" and "jazz hands," the way I pronounce them, don't seem to have quite the same vowel-rhyme.

Wait, what? I hope we aren’t going to have a Mary-merry-marry throw down here. Is there a difference in the vowel sound in those two pairs?

[853fisher]

7 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Wait, what? I hope we aren’t going to have a Mary-merry-marry throw down here. Is there a difference in the vowel sound in those two pairs?

I wish I had the vocabulary to describe what I think the difference is.  If it's at all helpful, I will say that I think "wedding bells" is closer to matched than "jazz hands," and I think the relationship between the vowels and consonants may be more different than the vowels themselves.  But just speaking the vowel sounds, I can feel my mouth changing between them.

I don't believe these clues were wrong - I just had a little trouble wrapping my head around them because, to me, the pairs don't all relate to each other like "rain...Spain...stays...mainly...plain" or some of the other famous examples.  Truthfully, although I love words and wordplay, I couldn't have defined assonance before the first clue was revealed.

Edited November 17, 2022 by 853fisher

[ams1001]

5 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Wait, what? I hope we aren’t going to have a Mary-merry-marry throw down here. Is there a difference in the vowel sound in those two pairs?

The A's in jazz and hands are slightly different to me but not enough that I would argue about it. I think the L in bells sort of pulls the e sound down a bit (if that even makes sense) but, again, not enough of a difference in my mouth to argue it.

1 minute ago, 853fisher said:

I wish I had the vocabulary to describe what I think the difference is.  If it's at all helpful, I will say that I think "wedding bells" is closer to matched than "jazz hands," and I think the relationship between the vowels and consonants may be more different than the vowels themselves.  But just speaking the vowel sounds, I can feel my mouth changing between them.

Or, this.

[853fisher]

I see Wiktionary (which I have found more reliable than it sounds) gives the same International Phonetic Alphabet symbol for jazz and hands ("æ") and wedding and bells ("ɛ").  So fair enough.  I am probably driving myself a little wacky, sitting here going jazz hands, jaaaaazzzz haaaaannnnnds, wedddddddding belllllllls, etc.  (I'm sure I would have responded correctly to either of those clues with or without the assonance hint anyway.)

[Bastet]

I think I was every bit as frustrated as Amy when she blew that benchmark DD.  It's how you have to bet on DDs in these finals, but, damn, it sucks when you can't come up with it.  I'm going to be so nervous tomorrow that Andrew will win his third game!

I'm ridiculously bummed Better Off Dead was a TS; I love that stupid movie.

The wedding bells TS surprised me, after Amy got them halfway there by forgetting the category.  I was also a bit surprised no one went ahead and guessed sleepwalking for "an often nocturnal affliction".

I, once again, did not run a single category the entire game; this ToC is kicking my ass.  In the first round, I got all but one in assonance and missed all but one in books, and missed two in everything else.  Flipping my usual script, I did better in DJ.  I got all but one in spelementary (that was a fun category!), compound words, and weddings/funerals, missed two in globe, and missed three each in the rest.

I, of course, had no guess for FJ.  (But had somehow instantly guessed Samuel in the Saul clue asking for a prophet, and then asked myself where that came from [I don't know, but I'll take any success I can find with how I'm performing in many of these ToC games].)