Jeopardy! Season 34 (2017-2018)

[Sprockets]

9 minutes ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

What was that weird hand flailing sign language crap Alan was doing before wagering $5 on his DD?  

I believe he was doing the math in regard to the wager, as if on a screen in front of him.  I found it fascinating.  

[Mondrianyone]

I feel I understand Austin's over-the-top reaction to losing in his regular season even better now.  When Alex was trying to congratulate Alan tonight, Austin had to force himself into that interaction, too.  It always has to be about him, even when it's not.

[Ailianna]

31 minutes ago, DrScottie said:

Bigfoot is only 7 letters, not 9. 

I think it just wasn't coming to him, since I'm pretty sure David didn't think "Bigfoot" was from a Native American word.

[DrSpaceman73]

2 hours ago, illdoc said:

Austin was such a "non-factor" today, I honestly thought he wouldn't even make it to the semi-finals next week (and with $16K, he still might not)!!!!

I think he is in a pretty good position to make it.  I think he has the second highest total right now of the 6 non-winners.  Three of the last 4 nonwinners I think would have to be above $16K for him to miss out. 

He was just dominated today though by Alan.  Based on things so far I would bet on Alan to win. 

But Alan is tough to watch, he seems to nervous and jumpy. 

[catrice2]

40 minutes ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I think he is in a pretty good position to make it.  I think he has the second highest total right now of the 6 non-winners.  Three of the last 4 nonwinners I think would have to be above $16K for him to miss out. 

He was just dominated today though by Alan.  Based on things so far I would bet on Alan to win. 

But Alan is tough to watch, he seems to nervous and jumpy. 

I think that Austin's plan is to have the big "come back" win so he is a big story. He feels like he is so miles ahead of the competition that he wanted to get a score high enough to get in the semis and then figures he will smoke everyone from then out. That or an "agent" has told him that being the winner of the Jeopardy championship may set back his aspirations. 

[YoureSoUrban]

I liked Austin, Alan and David when they became champs, so I would have been happy with any of them winning. 

I got the Sasquatch DD and I think the 3 TS I got could have been easy with an educated guess: Speak, Land, and Alibi.

Whether dabbing or bolting, my loathing of Buzzy is unchanged.

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, Roaster said:

FJ was easy to guess, I thought, and I am not someone who generally knows about 19th Century poets.

I got Byron pretty quickly, but I started second-guessing myself and considered Coleridge, though I can't remember when he lived (and died). 

 

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

Was there laughing gas piped into the studio today?  Alex was acting really goofy and Austin dialed the obnoxiousness up to eleven million.

Except for the bit about Where's my money? I thought he wasn't so obnoxious. I actually laughed when he said, "Oh, I get it now!" about the Emmy, Tony, etc. category, esp since I just got it at the same time. I also giggled when he was picking a category, saying, "Russian Involvement or whatever."

Anyway, I was pretty shocked at how much Alan steamrolled over Austin. 

The TSs I got were Speaking, Landing, Hammerstein, and hackers.

[mojoween]

4 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

3 hours ago, Roaster said:

 

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

Was there laughing gas piped into the studio today?  Alex was acting really goofy and Austin dialed the obnoxiousness up to eleven million.

Except for the bit about Where's my money? I thought he wasn't so obnoxious. I actually laughed when he said, "Oh, I get it now!" about the Emmy, Tony, etc. category, esp since I just got it at the same time. I also giggled when he was picking a category, saying, "Russian Involvement or whatever."

 

See all of those things made my teeth hurt.  To me he comes off like a big ol’ attention whore and it drives me bonkers.

That’s why this is so fun!  It would be super boring if we all agreed about everything.

(Sorry I can’t get that odd quote box out of there)

[Conotocarious]

I was a little surprised at how sedate Austin was tonight. Was he just getting beaten to the buzzer by Twitchy McAnxious or did he truly not know the answers because I knew a fair number and I’m no Jeopardy expert. It didn’t look like he was even ringing in.

FJ was an instaguess for me.

Edited November 9, 2017 by Conotocarious

[SyracuseMug]

9 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

The TSs I got were Speaking, Landing, Hammerstein, and hackers.

As a history and assassination buff, I was shouting "Mary Surratt" at the screen, but it didn't prevent that particular TS.

[biakbiak]

I am sorry but a clip of freaking Patti LuPone singing should not be a $2000 Tony Category question at anytime much less during the TOC. That entire category was ridiculously easy and I don' even follow Broadway that closely.

[secnarf]

2 hours ago, Sprockets said:

I believe he was doing the math in regard to the wager, as if on a screen in front of him.  I found it fascinating.  

I agree - I thought he was trying to do math to see if he could still have a runaway even if Austin got the remaining clues correct, and trying to figure out how much he could afford to lose without blowing a runaway.

1 hour ago, Ailianna said:

I think it just wasn't coming to him, since I'm pretty sure David didn't think "Bigfoot" was from a Native American word.

Bigfoot was all that would come to me, also. I knew it was only 7 letters (and therefore wrong), but missed the part of the clue saying it had to be from a Native American word. I couldn't think of anything else, though.

[Miss Chevious]

I got TS Mississippi, hackers, Mary Surratt plus dugout and Sasquatch (DD). Knew FJ right away as Byron is one of my faves.

Austin seemed a little more subdued tonight, probably because Alan was outdoing him. His 16k runner up score may still be good enough to get him into next week, so maybe we haven't seen the last of him.

[biakbiak]

15 minutes ago, Miss Chevious said:

Austin seemed a little more subdued tonight, probably because Alan was outdoing him.

He was also probably in a weird headspace because didn't this start filming just a few days after he completed his run?

[Kerri Okie]

On 11/7/2017 at 6:19 PM, Ailianna said:

I said Lesotho but was trying to figure out why I was wrong (since I usually don't do well on geography clues in general and especially FJ geography).  I"m kind of fascinated by Lesotho because it's entirely surrounded by South Africa (yes that's the actual reason), so I was especially delighted to get that one right.  Total guess, but I was at least unable to figure out why it was wrong...

I liked Lilly more this time around too, though board jumping is never a good look on anyone.

Me too.  The second they announced the category and went to commercial, I said "Lesotho!"  I didn't know if I was right until they came back and showed the actual question, but I was.  It's one of those random odd things I remember for no reason whatsoever. 

[Toothbrush]

Alan was a beast tonight! Poor David, and I felt bad for Austin. I agree that he is an attention ho, but I find him mildly entertaining when he is not over the top. But I do find his "whatevers" & shoulder shrugs to be obnoxious. I know the hipster thing is to act soooo unimpressed by everything, but it's not a good look. I think is $16,000.00 will be enough to qualify him for the semi-finals.

TS I got were Speaking, Landing, Mississippi River, alibi, Sarrat, good for nothing.

 

5 hours ago, mojoween said:

I don’t want to be spoiled but I am curious about one contestant - did the hot teacher from downstate New York make the tourney?  I’m blanking on his name.

Justin of the unfortunate haircut? Yes. He plays Friday.

5 hours ago, Browncoat said:

 Oh, and Austin, Alex didn't ask you about your money, you jerk.

No Alex didn't, but it still made me laugh.

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Except for the bit about Where's my money? I thought he wasn't so obnoxious. I actually laughed when he said, "Oh, I get it now!" about the Emmy, Tony, etc. category, esp since I just got it at the same time.

I got it a clue before & also laughed. 

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I am sorry but a clip of freaking Patti LuPone singing should not be a $2000 Tony Category question at anytime much less during the TOC. That entire category was ridiculously easy and I don' even follow Broadway that closely.

And Willie Wonka! Most 7 year olds would have been able to answer correctly. 

[ChicagoCita]

2 hours ago, SyracuseMug said:

As a history and assassination buff, I was shouting "Mary Surratt" at the screen,

And I was going berserk, because while I was fairly sure Mary Cassatt had not been put to death by the US, that's the only name that was coming to mind.

[Ailianna]

7 hours ago, secnarf said:

I agree - I thought he was trying to do math to see if he could still have a runaway even if Austin got the remaining clues correct, and trying to figure out how much he could afford to lose without blowing a runaway.

Bigfoot was all that would come to me, also. I knew it was only 7 letters (and therefore wrong), but missed the part of the clue saying it had to be from a Native American word. I couldn't think of anything else, though.

The category was words from Native American languages.

[Browncoat]

5 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

And Willie Wonka! Most 7 year olds would have been able to answer correctly. 

If they had only had audio and hadn't shown the clip, I wouldn't have gotten it -- Willy Wonka doesn't sing that song in the movie.  The candy store guy does.  I don't even know if that guy has a name.

[Conotocarious]

I loved the Willie Wonka clue because my daughter so rarely gets clues about things she actually knows. They had a charlottes web clue the other day as well and she loved that too.

[Trey]

11 hours ago, DrScottie said:

As for that last clue about the father and son, I'm not sure whether the intent of the answer "good for nothing"

I thought that was an old joke.

I was glad to see Austin again. Fingers crossed he gets into the semi-finals but his score is looking good for it.

I don't remember Alan being such a steamroller; the Saturday reruns showed his original episodes a month or so ago and, even though he kept winning, I didn't think he was all that impressive.

[Kerri Okie]

2 hours ago, Browncoat said:

If they had only had audio and hadn't shown the clip, I wouldn't have gotten it -- Willy Wonka doesn't sing that song in the movie.  The candy store guy does.  I don't even know if that guy has a name.

LOL, my first thought at the clip was, "Why is Christian Borle playing the candy store guy, and why is the candy store guy wearing Willy Wonka's hat?"  

[PaulaO]

I cannot keep Byron and Shelley straight.  I answered Shelley because I thought he led a rather bohemian lifestyle.  But Byron is the Norway of poets on Jeopardy!

[calpurnia99]

I'm glad my guess of Botswana was not totally off the wall. It's right above South Africa and land locked. It was better than Myanmar in any case.

[proserpina65]

I didn't watch last night.  I did watch Tuesday, and am pleased that Jason won.  The clues for that game seemed harder than Monday's.  And, to my great shame, I must confess to not running The Dreaded Opera Category as I fully expected to; I didn't recognize the overture from Cosi Fan Tutte because I don't like Mozart, and although verismo is my favorite style of opera, I couldn't drag the word out of my brain fast enough.  That overlap category was hard as hell, but it was rather clever.

[proserpina65]

On ‎11‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 8:02 PM, Browncoat said:

Tim, Tim, Tim.  Myanmar is not only not in the southern hemisphere, it is far from landlocked.  Bhutan is so very wrong as well, but at least it is landlocked.  Perhaps they got their Tropics confused?  That said, I knew it had to be somewhere in Africa, but couldn't come up with anything.  Much tougher FJ than last night!

I did get a couple of TS, though -- sugar maple, purple, and Mozart.  Sugar maple as a TS surprised me, too.

I was iffy on where the Tropic of Capricorn is, but I figured, based on the clue, it had to be in the southern hemisphere so I guessed Lesotho.  I didn't expect that to be right, though.  I was surprised by purple and sugar maple being stumpers.  Mozart, no so much, for obvious reasons.  I said Rossini because he's known for his overtures.

[teebax]

46 minutes ago, PaulaO said:

I cannot keep Byron and Shelley straight.  I answered Shelley because I thought he led a rather bohemian lifestyle.  But Byron is the Norway of poets on Jeopardy!

For me, the only time I get them right is when someone has already guessed the other one incorrectly. I guessed Byron this time around, but I have the same problem. Anyone have a tip for telling them apart?

I haven't had time to post this week, but I've found the questions to be easier than TOC's I remember from the past. The board-hopping is to be expected because the contestants are really playing to win and up against strong competitors.

I have had all three FJs correct this week, and that has never happened to me before during a TOC. I guess it's more fun to play along when you know more of the answers, but I like looking up stuff that's new to me, and I haven't seen a lot of that in this tournament so far.

Regarding the contestants, I have been fine with all of them this week, which is surprising to me. I guess I'm pulling for Alan because he ran away with that game yesterday and showed an impressive breadth of knowledge, but I'd be fine with any of the contestants we've seen so far winning the whole thing. I even like Buzzy, who I know is unpopular. I liked him during his initial run, too.

6 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Mozart, no so much, for obvious reasons.  I said Rossini because he's known for his overtures.

I have been watching old episodes of The Chase and am surprised how often something comes up there that I then see on Jeopardy. I got Mozart because I'd just seen a similar question on The Chase.

[proserpina65]

On ‎11‎/‎08‎/‎2017 at 1:53 AM, dcalley said:

If you have to explain it, you're not cool.

15 hours ago, Roaster said:

Alan!  Playing like a monster!  Most impresssive showing so far this week.

I was surprised none of them got hackers or Tyco Brahe.

FJ was easy to guess, I thought, and I am not someone who generally knows about 19th Century poets.

I didn't see it for obvious reasons, but looking at the clue, I'm gonna say Lord Byron.

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, illdoc said:

Austin was such a "non-factor" today, I honestly thought he wouldn't even make it to the semi-finals next week (and with $16K, he still might not)!!!!

Well, damn, shoulda taped last night's show after all.

13 hours ago, DrScottie said:

I was thinking Longfellow for a bit as his bust in Westminster Abbey was fairly recently in the news, but then realized he wouldn't have been buried there anyway. Besides, "questionable morality"  speaks to Lord Byron. 

Yes, whenever the clue calls for a poet with questionable morals, go with Byron; it's either him or Coleridge, and usually with Coleridge, the clue refers to either Rime of the Ancient Mariner or Kubla Khan.

[DoubleUTeeEff]

I was sad that "hackers" was a TS since I read "Ghost in the Wires" by Kevin Mitnick. I recommend it. You don't have to be a techie to enjoy it either, there is quite a bit of social engineering that he employed as a hacker which I found fascinating. His childhood and experiences in prison were interesting to read about too.

At the end of the game, I said, Alan better have bet $5 for FJ! And he did! That made me like him. He had an impressive game too.

[Mystery Author]

Quote

  I think is $16,000.00 will be enough to qualify him for the semi-finals.

I'm crossing fingers and toes and all other body parts that Austin makes the finals...but I do think he looked tired. I LOL'd mightily at his "haven't gotten paid yet" response because it's something I might have said.

I'm not an Alan fan, but then I don't hate on that many players...unless they start at the freaking 2000 clue!!!

[Mystery Author]

Quote

I must be in the minority.  I'm looking forward to Austin.

If you're in the minority, several others are too.

Quote

He was super pissed to be steamrolled.  Awesome.

Quote

When Alex was trying to congratulate Alan tonight, Austin had to force himself into that interaction, too.  It always has to be about him, even when it's not.

We must have been watching a different show. He smiled and turned to Alan and shook his hand. If Austin had ignored Alan, y'all would have called him a snob or a sore loser. Sheesh!

[peeayebee]

55 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I didn't recognize the overture from Cosi Fan Tutte because I don't like Mozart,

I'm not very knowledgeable about opera, and I'm probably average about classical music, but I got Mozart because the bit they played sounded like him. So, I'm getting better!

 

28 minutes ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

I was sad that "hackers" was a TS since I read "Ghost in the Wires" by Kevin Mitnick.

I got hackers because the clue mentioned Kaspersky. I've heard of that anti-virus s/w, plus it's been in the news lately.

 

9 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

But I do find his "whatevers" & shoulder shrugs to be obnoxious. I know the hipster thing is to act soooo unimpressed by everything, but it's not a good look.

I agree. Although I was amused by a couple of things he said in last night's show, I can't stand when he, or anyone, dismisses the revealed correct answer of a DD. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I'd say he's probably embarrassed when he misses it, but it would be better to just nod and get on with it.

[DXD526]

Quote

I think that Austin's plan is to have the big "come back" win so he is a big story. He feels like he is so miles ahead of the competition that he wanted to get a score high enough to get in the semis and then figures he will smoke everyone from then out.

Like Casey at the Bat, he wants to pick his moment? He should keep in mind the mighty Casey struck out.

He no longer resembles Chewy, but Austin is still smug and irritating as hell. With any luck, that 16 grand won't hold up and he won't be back. I feel bad rooting against someone like that, but he's so annoying...

[Sharpie66]

FYI, Shelley was a political and religious radical (his atheism got him kicked out of Oxford as well as lost him custody of his children from his first marriage), and Byron was a notorious womanizer and overall bad boy (“mad, bad, and dangerous to know”).

[Pallida]

I think the first week of ToC feels like “easier” clues because they have to clear the board every night in order to make it fair for wild card slots. 

[PaulaO]

Is Byron the one who died at sea while in Greece?  That crops up often on the show.

[Trey]

40 minutes ago, PaulaO said:

Is Byron the one who died at sea while in Greece?  That crops up often on the show.

No, that was Shelley.

[Spunkygal]

2 hours ago, Sharpie66 said:

FYI, Shelley was a political and religious radical (his atheism got him kicked out of Oxford as well as lost him custody of his children from his first marriage), and Byron was a notorious womanizer and overall bad boy (“mad, bad, and dangerous to know”).

And according to a TV movie starring Jonny Lee Miller as Byron, he had an affair with his half sister and may have fathered one of her children. Notorious indeed!

[proserpina65]

35 minutes ago, Trey said:

No, that was Shelley.

Shelley drowned in Italy.

Just now, Spunkygal said:

And according to a TV movie starring Jonny Lee Miller as Byron, he had an affair with his half sister and may have fathered one of her children. Notorious indeed!

He had affairs with a lot of people, including the wife of the future Prime Minister, William Lamb.  Caroline Lamb was the one who dubbed him "mad, bad, and dangerous to know".

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, Sharpie66 said:

FYI, Shelley was a political and religious radical (his atheism got him kicked out of Oxford as well as lost him custody of his children from his first marriage), and Byron was a notorious womanizer and overall bad boy (“mad, bad, and dangerous to know”).

Shelley also ran off with future 2nd wife, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, while still married to his first wife.  They were all rather bohemian.

[illdoc]

13 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

while still married to his first wife

Wasn't the first wife crazy/institutionalized?

[proserpina65]

6 minutes ago, illdoc said:

Wasn't the first wife crazy/institutionalized?

No, she had moved back in with her family, taken a lover, and apparently was pregnant by him when she committed suicide.

[surreysmum]

4 hours ago, teebax said:

I guessed Byron this time around, but I have the same problem. Anyone have a tip for telling them apart?

Byron was naughty, witty, sexual, rumoured to like Greek boys and have had an incestuous affair with his sister. He liked to play, in life and in poetry, with the notion that he was a doomed hero with a Dreadful Secret (which probably, given the time, wasn't that far off). Hence the Byronic Hero - spiritual father to Jane Eyre's Rochester and all sorts of European offspring in literature and music. Lady Caroline Lamb wrote a tell-all about their affair, thinly disguised as a novel, to which Byron is rumoured to have responded, "The only thing worse than kiss and tell is f*ck and publish" (suspect he didn't bother with the asterisk).

 Shelley was rather floaty and idealistic, terribly self-absorbed, and married to the author of Frankenstein. Like his wife and his parents-in-law, the Godwins, he had a rather stronger political streak than Byron did (universal rights of man and all that).  

Can you tell which one I prefer? :)

The two of them hung out together for a time in Europe, along with Mary S., Clair Clairmont (attached to Lord B), John Polidori - the first vampyre writer in English, and a few others. Shelley drowned while boating in Italy; Byron died a few years later while freedom-fighting with the Greeks. Both were predeceased by John Keats (who died very young and ill), and were substantially outlived by Coleridge and (especially) Wordsworth who refused to die young like a good Romantic Poet, but kept rewriting and rewriting his magnum opus over and over again until he succumbed in (I believe) 1850. 

All this is from memory, so don't wikipedia-and-snark me, OK?

The short answer I should have given: both good poets, in very different ways, both died too young, but not as young as Keats. Shelley: drowned, ethereal, poetry is full of light and abstractions. Byron: sexy, dark and full of dry wit.

My favourite politically incorrect rhyming couplet of all time (Byron of course)

("But oh, ye lords of ladies intellectual

Inform us truly, have they not henpeck'd you all?")

Edited November 9, 2017 by surreysmum
Because Italy is not Switzerland, though both are delightful and have mountains that the Romantics loved.

[Writing Wrongs]

Something must be wrong with me. I laughed at Austin's antics.

When I hear the song "Candy Man", I immediately think of Sammy Davis, Jr. 

[Sprockets]

These pocket bios remind me of the factoids Rick always comes up with on Pawn Stars.  That's not what anyone is there for, and he is invariably wrong on many levels.  

[Prevailing Wind]

I'm partially stunned that no contestant has yet realized "Danish Astronomer = Tycho Brahe."

I can tell which Tropic is where because they're in alphabetical order, top to bottom. Cancer, then Capricorn. Likewise the capitals of North & South Dakota: Bismarck, then Pierre.

I didn't notice Austin being pissed at losing - I saw him reach over & smile & shake Alan's hand.  (I actually can't stand Alan more than I can't stand Austin.)

[Sprockets]

Just now, Prevailing Wind said:

I'm partially stunned that no contestant has yet realized "Danish Astronomer = Tycho Brahe."

Apparently that only seemed like a no-brainer.  

[Trey]

1 hour ago, proserpina65 said:

Shelley drowned in Italy.

Correct.  I didn't notice the "in Greece" part.  But Shelley did drown. And Byron did die in Greece.

@surreysmum, that's a pretty impresssive post, from memory!

[proserpina65]

42 minutes ago, Sprockets said:

These pocket bios remind me of the factoids Rick always comes up with on Pawn Stars.  That's not what anyone is there for, and he is invariably wrong on many levels.  

Someone asked how to tell Byron and Shelley apart for Jeopardy purposes, and we were providing info which might help.