All Episodes Discussion: The Daily Double

[peeayebee]

I heard Matthew say, "What is Ruth" (though he rushed thru the "what is" part), so I thought it was really odd when Alex admonished him. In a later answer, Matthew spoke the exact same way, but Alex said nothing, or it was edited out. Just weird all around.

 

I've always seen it spelled Occam, not Ockham. 

[dcalley]

I think the rule is that in the Jeopardy round, Alex will prompt you to phrase your response as a question, but in Double Jeopardy, he just says nothing until you either fix your mistake or your time runs out.

[YoureSoUrban]

 

I was half right -- got Guam, but then guessed Puerto Rico as the other half of the answer.

I was the opposite, guessing Puerto Rico but didn't even consider Guam. That FJ was a total wipeout for me.

 

I heard Matthew say, "What is Ruth" (though he rushed thru the "what is" part), so I thought it was really odd when Alex admonished him. In a later answer, Matthew spoke the exact same way, but Alex said nothing, or it was edited out. Just weird all around.

I too heard Matthew mumble the "What is" for the Ruth answer. I felt like Alex had it in for him for most of the game, and was almost delighted to see him in last place after the first round.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Finally looked it up on Wikipedia  -- Extreme points of the United States.

 

I think the phrase that was missing from the wording of the clue was 'by direction of travel' --  because that is how the Points Udall (the east one and the west one) are conditionally defined as westernmost and easternmost, and I don't recall seeing that phrase in the clue.

 

Since there are only those two recognized territories with a Point Udall, it makes it all moot -- but it was still a poorly worded clue.

[Tigershark]

I got FJ tonight.  There was an episode of the Bachelor where there was a group date in the US Virgin Islands to watch the sunrise at the easternmost place in the US.  I figured Guam was the other answer.  I'm really embarrassed to admit that's how I got FJ.  

 

I got all of the baseball questions.  When you grow up with a brother who eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball, you learn a thing or two.

 

I like Christi.  Her blog sounds fun. 

[Prevailing Wind]

I got Guam, but guessed Puerto Rico.  I agree about the spelling of Occam.  That was weird.  So was the "in the form of a question" admonishment.  Dumb editing.  But since the dude kept forgetting to do so, I thought he deserved to lose.  What kind of "Jeopardy!" player doesn't know that rule?!??!

[sugarbaker design]

When it comes to not answering in the form of a question, I think there's a protocol, like Alex will remind you once, then after that you're on your own.  The second time the contestant answered the question there was that uncomfortable quiet time, he realized what he left out and quickly re-answered in time.

[Good Queen Jane]

I thought that Matthew just said Ruth and Alex immediately said yes. There was then the edited section where I guess the judges pointed out that the response wasn't in the form of a question, but since Alex had already given away  the right response and that in the first round Alex would have told him to put it as a question, TPTB gave him the points but had Alex admonish him as his warning. But that's only speculation on my part.

[teebax]

I guessed Guam (which I was sure was right) and Puerto Rico (which I was less sure about). I understood what they were asking for, but I wasn't surprised that all three contestants seemed to not understand the clue, although I was surprised that one of them picked two states. It was not worded well at all, although I think it was clear they wanted territories, not states.

 

I love, love, love all things baseball. So that category was my favorite of the night. I did think it was too easy, but that's probably because it's a strong suit of mine. I have a friend who is really into classical music, and she thinks Jeopardy's questions on the subject are always way too easy.

[Tigershark]

 

I love, love, love all things baseball. So that category was my favorite of the night. I did think it was too easy, but that's probably because it's a strong suit of mine. I have a friend who is really into classical music, and she thinks Jeopardy's questions on the subject are always way too easy.

I noticed that with musical theatre related questions.  I felt that the Broadway category when I was a contestant was insultingly easy.  That's the thing with Jeopardy- it never goes too deep or too obscure with a subject area.  Most categories are designed for people with a broad base of general knowledge to get some of the questions, even if that is not their area of expertise.  If there is a subject you know really, really well chances are good, you're going to run the category.  

Edited July 3, 2014 by Tigershark

[peeayebee]

I thought that Matthew just said Ruth and Alex immediately said yes.

 

I'm 99.99% sure he said "What is Ruth?" but just said the 'what is' part very quickly. I think Matthew accepted the reprimand to be courteous rather than argumentative. BTW, I've wondered if contestants are told not to argue with rulings or with what Alex says.

[ChicagoCita]

Thursday's show... trying to be vague but there may be light spoilers....

 

I liked Beverly's voice, a lot.  I particularly enjoyed that she put a little Spanish twist on the pronunciation of some words, which I took as a "look, I can do it too!" message to Alex, aka The Corrector.

 

I knew FJ, but I thought it was unusual in that the clue didn't give any guidance to get you to the answer if you didn't know it off the top of your head.  Usually FJ puts a road map or two in the wording, but this seemed to me, you knew it or you didn't.  

 

Although I'm a huge history buff, I only knew about it because --- nerd alert! --- after I saw The King's Speech, I did some research about some of the locations shown in it, and learned more history in the process.  Without that I wouldn't have had any idea.  So, Yay Nerd! may be the takeaway here.

[Writing Wrongs]

Did anyone else get the beginning of yesterday's show for today? I was so confused and then I fast forwarded and the new show started with the break.

[Trey]

Congrats to Christi on her win - she's very good.  The other two gave her some pretty good competition so it made an interesting game.

 

Instaget FJ for me but, interestingly (to me, anyhow) , my precalls included both the Hope Diamond and the Crown Jewels.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I knew FJ, but I thought it was unusual in that the clue didn't give any guidance to get you to the answer if you didn't know it off the top of your head.  Usually FJ puts a road map or two in the wording, but this seemed to me, you knew it or you didn't.

 

You 'd think they would have at least made a baking reference or something like that.

[Tabasco Cat]

FJ was another instaget for me tonight. I know that 2 years ago I had never heard of the Stone of Scone, but it came up in some context and I remember reading about it afterward. I was rooting against the guy in the middle as soon as he started jumping around the board. That's enough to get me to instantly root against someone regardless of how nice or charming they might otherwise be.

 

So I'm on a roll this week! Don't mind me bragging a bit, it's unusual. Sometimes I'll go 2 weeks without getting a FJ.

[peeayebee]

All the random board-jumping Jeff was doing reminded me of Chu.

 

And speaking of being reminded: Christi looks to me like a cross betw Lindsay Crouse and Merritt Weaver.

 

I was surprised no one got Acapulco (for the cliff divers) or New Mexico (for the cliff dwellings).

 

As for FJ… I didn't get it. I had the feeling it was something Scottish rather than English, and that it was something I just didn't know. When the answer was revealed, it sounded familiar, but I didn't really know it.

[Writing Wrongs]

 

I was surprised no one got Acapulco (for the cliff divers)

Apparently, they've never seen Elvis in Fun In Acapulco.

[Tigershark]

"We've had a lot of one and two day champions in the last couple of weeks."  Really Alex?  Really?  Wasn't there a 3 day champion just last week, or am I remembering this incorrectly?

 

I'm surprised that Jeff was not immediately ruled incorrect on "hungry heart."  I seem to recall that on Friday a contestant made a very similar mistake and was immediately ruled incorrect, allowing another contestant to ring in.  Not that I would have noticed a thing like that.  

 

Okay, bitterness aside, I was really rooting for Beverly.  She was at the taping for last weeks shows, and she and I would probably be really good friends we didn't live on opposite sides of the country.  However, I do like Christi.

 

FJ was an instaget for met tonight.  As soon as I saw it, I said "Stone of Scone."  I went to the Edinburgh castle when I was in college and remembered that the Stone of Scone had a dramatic history, so was pretty sure that was the right answer.

Edited July 4, 2014 by Tigershark

[CarpeDiem54]

Tigarshark - Belated congrats on your run!  I've had a terrible cold and have just now gotten caught up on my taped Jeopardys.

 

I loved the Springsteen themed categories in the Jeopardy clues tonight.

 

I got Stone of Scone instantly because of visiting Westminster Abbey several times.  When a new Monarch is crowned they bring the Stone from Scotland and place it under the throne.  

[ABay]

Did anyone else get the beginning of yesterday's show for today? I was so confused and then I fast forwarded and the new show started with the break.

The intro, reading of the categories, and first 4 questions were pre-empted in my area so the weather jackasses could inform us that it was raining.

[dcalley]

Did anyone else get the beginning of yesterday's show for today? I was so confused and then I fast forwarded and the new show started with the break.

No, but the beginning of the show was missing for me. It was commercials and then suddenly Alex was in the middle of reading the categories.

 

For FJ, my husband and I both said "It's the stone! From that movie we watched!" but we couldn't think of the name.

[rereader2]

I got FJ from an Elizabeth Peters novel I read ages ago (Legend in Green Velvet). But we missed a lot of chunks in the middle so that the local weather could give us storm warnings for the storm that had started half an hour earlier. *sigh*

Edited July 4, 2014 by rereader2

[YoureSoUrban]

I was really impressed Christi was the only one to get FJ. I had no clue about the Stone.

Jeff annoyed me from jump, pulling $1000 questions he couldn't answer. It usually pays to get a little familiarity with the category before jumping to what's usually the toughest question. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

That was a great game  -- unfortunately it was a 2 horse race as Sally couldn't catch a break on the buzzer. 

 

FJ was pretty easy as I'd read Lost Horizon back in high school.

[irisheyes]

I got yesterday's FJ from "The King's Speech" when Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are at Westminster Abbey preparing for the coronation.  Great movie.  And Colin Firth in a naval uniform?  Yum.

 

Today's FJ?  Didn't have a clue.  At all.

[opus]

2 references to the wife carrying championship in the last month.

[Etta Place]

 

BTW, I've wondered if contestants are told not to argue with rulings or with what Alex says.

Contestants are told that if they have any issues with a ruling, ignore it for the moment and keep playing. It'll be ironed out in the commercial break.

[CarpeDiem54]

Great game!  I felt sorry for Sally, though.  Kay was very impressive.  And I actually got FJ.  That's two in a row.  Hahahaha!

[peeayebee]

Contestants are told that if they have any issues with a ruling, ignore it for the moment and keep playing. It'll be ironed out in the commercial break.

Thanks. That makes sense.

 

Good game last night. The few TSs I got were Saul Bellow (surprised myself), Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and rhododendron.

 

I really need to study up on the the wives of Henry VIII.

[Gilmel]

Handy mnemonic for the fates of the wives of Henry VIII: Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.

[peeayebee]

What about a mnemonic for the wives themselves?

[teebax]

I really need to study up on the the wives of Henry VIII.

Me too. I also struggle with monarchs. I have no idea how people keep their kings and queens straight. Other than George III, Elizabeth, Victoria, and Ferdinand and Isabella, I'm lost on who ruled where when. I guess I'd have to do some rote memorization before going on the show.

[Athena]

History is one of my favourites and I like maps too. I found looking at family trees/maps helped. Wikipedia is helpful because you can look up the monarch's biography as you go through the generations. It helps since you can see extended family and European monarchs are always related to each other.

[Gilmel]

What about a mnemonic for the wives themselves?

 

I don't know one for them, but I do remember there are three Catherines, two Annes, and one Jane. That doesn't help with their order, though.

 

However, I've found it easy to remember that the divorced ones were the foreign princesses: Catherine of Aragon (Spanish) and Anne of Cleves (German). Because he wasn't going to be able to get away with killing off foreign royalty, only his own subjects.

 

I also struggle with monarchs. I have no idea how people keep their kings and queens straight. Other than George III, Elizabeth, Victoria, and Ferdinand and Isabella

I admit my knowledge is pretty much limited to British monarchs, but I have an easier time with them than presidents because monarchs are related to their predecessors and successors. Presidents are random with no connection to one another. Monarchs also frequently include a lot of family drama. Like the Tudors, obviously, but also what was going on with Richard III, and even Richard I and Prince John. Edited July 5, 2014 by Gilmel

[Tigershark]

British monarchs is a subject I feel really confident in.  I've always been really interested in the history of the British monarchy and I've read a lot on the subject.  Wives of Henry VIII is one of those categories that if I hit a DD in that category, I would have been tempted to make it a TDD no matter what the scores were.  I easily ran that category.  Could not come up with FJ tonight.  Only one this week I didn't get.  

[Trey]

 

I got FJ from an Elizabeth Peters novel I read ages ago (Legend in Green Velvet).

I read that book years ago too. I may have to read it again soon:)  I was saddened to see that Elizabeth Peters died last year. 

 

Re FJ, as soon as the category was shown I precalled Shangri-la.  

[teebax]

I don't know one for them, but I do remember there are three Catherines, two Annes, and one Jane. That doesn't help with their order, though. However, I've found it easy to remember that the divorced ones were the foreign princesses: Catherine of Aragon (Spanish) and Anne of Cleves (German). Because he wasn't going to be able to get away with killing off foreign royalty, only his own subjects. I admit my knowledge is pretty much limited to British monarchs, but I have an easier time with them than presidents because monarchs are related to their predecessors and successors. Presidents are random with no connection to one another. Monarchs also frequently include a lot of family drama. Like the Tudors, obviously, but also what was going on with Richard III, and even Richard I and Prince John.

The presidents are much easier for me because I memorized them in order many, many years ago. I guess I'll have to do the same with monarchs.

Edited July 8, 2014 by teebax

[dcalley]

I really need to study up on the the wives of Henry VIII.

I was helped by David Starkey's "Six Wives," which aired on PBS a dozen years ago. I know there are criticisms of Starkey and his book, but it's certainly good enough for whatever they might ask on Jeopardy.

 

For presidents, I need help and have been meaning to try to learn through this song.

[Rick Kitchen]

I memorized all of the books of the Bible through a song I learned in Sunday school, years and years ago, so that helps me when books of the Bible come up as a question.

[Bastet]

Similarly, thanks to 50 Nifty United States, I love when a clue or category involves knowing the states in alphabetical order.

[Tabasco Cat]

I just watched Friday's episode off the DVR. Good game by Kay, but we thought she clearly said "Anne Berlin" on one of the Henry VIII's wives clues. Was mildly surprised they came back for FJ and didn't correct her score downward. Not that it would have mattered.

 

Friday's FJ was the only one all week that I missed.

[Bastet]

I was over at my parents' house and watching with my mom; we both heard "Berlin."  It reminded me of Steel Magnolias when Clairee refers to Anne Boleyn and Ouiser asks, "Who's Amber Lynn?"

[Prevailing Wind]

For Presidents, I find this one fun:

 

How can you beat "Harry Truman, weird little human..."  ??

 

It's kind of old, considering it ends with Clinton

[ChicagoCita]

I really need to study up on the the wives of Henry VIII.

 

 

I went to a prep school that made us choose a high school minor and major.  I majored in History, but really only remember the British history.  I did a huge paper on the wives of Henry VIII and remember them well, even now.  (What I don't remember are the intricacies of WHY things happened the way they did.)

 

Anyway, the mnemonic I used back then was (A) (B)ig (S)ecret ©oncerning (H)er (P)ast, or (A)ragon (B)oleyn (S)eymour ©leves (H)oward (P)arr.

 

ETA :  I don't know how to stop the copyright sign from coming up, but that's supposed to be a C in parentheses.

Edited July 6, 2014 by ChicagoCita

[Gilmel]

What the Animaniacs don't point out in their song is the weirdness of Grover Clevelend > Benjamin Harrison > Grover Cleveland again.

[Prevailing Wind]

I used to have a set of Presidential Spoons and Cleveland only had one.  I never knew where to put him when I put them in sequential order - before or after Harrison.  They stopped making the spoons after Ford.  My dad made the racks for them to hang in & one of them wasn't carved out too well - the spoon always hung crookedly.  Guess whose spoon that slot belonged to?  LOL.  "Not a crook" my foot.

[rereader2]

I read Lost Horizon multiple times in high school, so I knew Shangri-La right away. The wives of Henry VIII? Not so much.

[Tabasco Cat]

I was really surprised none of the contestants got FJ tonight. I thought it was generally well-known that the Secret Service is the agency charged with tracking down bogus U.S. currency. Not to mention (hello, is anybody home?) protecting the president. A good competitive game among 3 so-so players. Predicting another 1-day champ here.

[peeayebee]

After the answer was revealed, it was a forehead-slapper. I had put IRS.

 

I've never read any Bond novels. It surprised me that Dr No had changed his name. I just thought he was born with that evil-sounding name, like any super-villain.