Jeopardy! Season 34 (2017-2018)

[peeayebee]

I completely forgot that Edith Wharton was American. That was my answer.

I got the DD of appendicitis, and the TSs Ray of Light and phase/faze. I couldn't come up with rooster. The only double-o animal I could think of was a moo-cow. Yes, I know that's not seven letters.

 

51 minutes ago, GreekGeek said:

Saralee seems so sweet and jolly I was ashamed not to root for her, but I agree her slowness was maddening... I shallowly rooted for Olev because I thought he was gorgeous.

Yes and yes. 

[dcalley]

3 hours ago, SierraMist said:

My cable company just dropped the station that showed Jeopardy (it was the Fox station in this market, can 't believe they did that)  Is there anyplace to watch Jeopardy  online?

You could get an antenna for over the air. Otherwise, nothing legal.

[Sharpie66]

11 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I got Orkney as well.  Totally didn't get the birthstone thing for FJ.

Both of these for me.  I was yelling “Orkney!” at the TV,  but it was my favorite place to see in my trip to Britain a few years ago, so I am biased. 

I got appendicitis and Virginia Woolf for today’s show. She was the only well-regarded Brit woman writer I could think of from around the WWI-1920s era. 

[Toothbrush]

Saralee & Olev are both swayers, but Olev is forgiven for being gorgeous. Saralee is not forgiven because she is too slow picking categories, and her name is making me crave poundcake. Boo hiss.

TS I got were appendicitis (missed DD), brews/bruise, Ray of Light, synagogue. I also said Agatha Christie for FJ, knowing it was incorrect. 

12 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Velvet Elvis is for sure a great band name ... if it's not already.

It's the name of a bar in Houston. 

6 hours ago, teebax said:

I like Sara Lee, but her story sounded like a nightmare to me. 

Good Lord yes.  

Edited January 3, 2018 by Toothbrush

[DrSpaceman73]

Did anyone understand the category Historical Arrested Development, underlined? 

I mean I got the questions and understood what they wanted, but I don't know how they related to the category name, other than them being historic questions

I was expecting it to somehow relate to the TV show, I guess, obviously did not.  Did not seem to relate to anything. 

Alex really needs a writer to come up with better responses to these participant stories.  They know ahead of time obviously.  I would like to volunteer for the job.  Maybe I will listen and come up with some things I would say over the next week or so. 

I guessed Agatha Christie for FJ just because I couldn't think of any other British female authors near that time period. 

[teebax]

11 hours ago, SierraMist said:

My cable company just dropped the station that showed Jeopardy (it was the Fox station in this market, can 't believe they did that)  Is there anyplace to watch Jeopardy  online?

There's a guy on Reddit who posts episodes every day. Just Google reddit Jeopardy and it should come up. 

[Miss Chevious]

Our CBS affiliate inexplicably cut out just as Alex was showing the FJ clue. Grr! 

So Slowpoke Saralee won?! Groan. Not looking forward to another day of her. Watching paint dry seems faster.

Too bad Olev’s smarts didn’t match his cutes. Shallow, I know but it was fun watching him. 

[M. Darcy]

I admit - I didn't get FJ.  I just couldn't think of any "modern" writers....well, more modern than Jane Austen/Bronte sisters.  I guess also I mentally thought Virginia Woolf died earlier. 

[Clanstarling]

10 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

My husband said Virginia Woolf while I was still dithering about 1941 being too early for Agatha Christie.  That should've been my category.  Now I'm going to fill my pockets with stones and walk into the river.  (Which, fortunately, is frozen over.)

The only reason I got the appendicitis DD--because I had pain on the right side, not the center, so that part of the clue threw me off--was I remember the surgeon who did my appendectomy saying they'd given me a McBurney incision.  I think it was experimental at the time--I was around twelve.  You never know what's going to stick with you.

I was waffling between Virginia Woolf and Agatha Christie. I wasn't sure either of them died as early as that. I chose Woolf, and when Alex used the word "afraid" before they started showing their answers, I was pleased I chose the right one. Though I'm not sure why I thought of her in the first place.

I think I got McBurney, and therefor appendicitis because I used to watch Grey's Anatomy. (there's a joke to be had in that, but it's too early to think of it and I have to get to work)

Edited January 3, 2018 by Clanstarling

[Prevailing Wind]

I don't know why I thought of Woolf; I've never read anything by her. Hers was the first and only name that popped into my head...and I was *very* confident about it.

[laffytaffy997]

2 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Did anyone understand the category Historical Arrested Development, underlined? 

I mean I got the questions and understood what they wanted, but I don't know how they related to the category name, other than them being historic questions

I was expecting it to somehow relate to the TV show, I guess, obviously did not.  Did not seem to relate to anything. 

 

I was wondering about that as well. I was so disappointed that it had nothing to do with the TV show.

[alias1]

2 hours ago, teebax said:

There's a guy on Reddit who posts episodes every day. Just Google reddit Jeopardy and it should come up. 

Thank you teebax.  

[lambertman]

It was because of the parenthetical phrases negating part of the clue, the same way Ron Howard's narrator did on the show. 

[ABay]

I knew it wasn't Christie but didn't even think of Woolf.

Whenever I hear or see the name Blagojevich, in my head I hear Jon Stewart saying it with the Jerry Lewis inflection.

[GalvDuck]

On 1/2/2018 at 8:30 AM, M. Darcy said:

He seems to be very popular again.  He even has a Funko Pop figure out.

Aw, no one knew that the Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat. 

Could be due to the popularity of ASMR videos on YouTube.  For some, watching Bob Ross paint had an ASMR effect -- the relaxed, soft tone of his voice along with watching his brush glide along the canvas cause some people to feel that weird, scalp-tingly, "I could totally fall asleep right now" feeling.  

[bad things are bad]

Maybe the contestants would have gotten FJ if the category had been "Woman Novelists" :)

I like to root for the old ladies (i.e., women my age) but good golly Saralee is reaallllyyy slloowww

[PaulaO]

Edith Wharton wasn't British, I wanted to scream. I'm home sick and guess who just came on my PBS station?  Yep, Bob Ross.  His voice is so soothing.  And he just made a happy little tree trunk!

Edited January 3, 2018 by PaulaO

[alias1]

18 hours ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

Dammit, Nick!  Why did you bet so much?  Can't stand Saralee.  She's slower than molasses in January.  I agree with you @teebax.  I personally would have strangled that cello player.  Worse than a screaming baby if you're trying to read, sleep or work on a plane.  Sounds like the flight from hell to me.

The only TS I got was synagogue.

I guessed Agatha Christie for FJ although I knew it was wrong.  I remember when she died and I'm not old enough to remember 1941.  It was before my time.  

I know.  Too bad about Nick.  I thought FJ was hard.  I knew it wasn't Agatha Christie.  She was still alive in 1941, so I was stumped.   Hopefully Saralee will be a one and done.

@CarpeDiem54  thanks to you I was able to watch it! 

[BuckeyeLou]

18 hours ago, mojoween said:

I said Agatha Christie too.  

Alex said it wasn’t Wharton, and I am deficient in many areas of which I should not be, so Alex saying “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” was no help.

Same here....I said Agatha Christie....

[CarpeDiem54]

2 hours ago, SierraMist said:

 

2 hours ago, SierraMist said:

@CarpeDiem54  thanks to you I was able to watch it! 

Great!

[AuntiePam]

2 hours ago, BuckeyeLou said:

Same here....I said Agatha Christie....

That was my guess too.  I didn't even know Virginia Woolf was British.  I've never read her so wouldn't have guessed anyway.  I get her mixed up with Sylvia Plath, for some reason.

I like today's champion, the recreation leader, and will have to ask my son if he knows Shockley -- son works for the Sounders, albeit in a menial capacity.

I think part of the problem with unfinished boards is that some of the clues are way too wordy. 

[saber5055]

I watch the reruns that are one year old, on an hour before the new episode. Because the same subjects come up repeatedly, today a category was song mashups, clue, a combo of Coolio and Meatloaf. The answer was 'Gangsta's Paradise By The Dashboard Light." Yes, GANGSTA! And the contestant got it correctly. If I am ever on this show, I'm watching the last five years of shows and for sure I'll already know the answer for every category on "my" board.

[rubaco]

21 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

To me the ruling on Gangsta's Paradise was valid. He was replacing slang with "correct" pronunciation. The title (and lyrics) is definitely  the slang version.  Besides, Coolio would be pissed <grin - shout out to Weird Al fans>

Coolio weighs in, via the New York Times. 

(He's apparently mellowed out since the Weird Al incident.) 

[Roaster]

Doesn't everybody know rock stars tend to die at age 27?

Surprising TS.

[PaulaO]

Really.  However, the answer used "passed" instead of "died" which makes me crazy but that's a personal thing.  Didn't Jim Morrison die at age 27, making it the Triple Crown of Rock Star Death?

Edited to add yep, he was 27.  Born in December 1943 and died July 1971.  Did I do the math right?

Edited January 4, 2018 by PaulaO

[ABay]

Once again, 1776 gave me an answer: Saltpetre <John>.

[mojoween]

The amount of knowledge I have about opera would fit inside a keyhole and yet I knew Figaro.  Crazy that guy didn’t get it.

I also thought the 27 Club was common knowledge.  Jim Morrison is indeed a member as well as Kurt Cobain.  I think Mama Cass too?

Nope Mama Cass was 32. Amy Winehouse was 27, though.

Edited January 4, 2018 by mojoween

[CarpeDiem54]

Thank God Ms. Poundcake flamed out.  Congrats to Steph!  I liked Michael's Jimmy Carter story.

I got area, vegan, saltpeter, 27 (good grief!), and 15.

My knowledge of opera could fit on the head of a pin so I had another extremely goofy guess of The Barber of Seville. 

[Miss Chevious]

TS I got were area, Libya, vegan and 27. Got 27 because I immediately thought of Jim Morrison too.

Generally opera is not my strong suit, but said Figaro immediately (thanks to watching Mrs Doubtfire a bajillion times). 

Was rooting for the girl in the middle, mainly because of no buzzer flailing and to get rid of Saralee.

[lurk3000]

I knew final Jeopardy thanks to Bugs Bunny!

[DrScottie]

14 minutes ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

Thank God Ms. Poundcake flamed out.  Congrats to Steph!  I liked Michael's Jimmy Carter story.

I got area, vegan, saltpeter, 27 (good grief!), and 15.

My knowledge of opera could fit on the head of a pin so I had another extremely goofy guess of The Barber of Seville. 

Isn't Figaro the Barber of Seville?

I liked Steph too. :) Good for her. 

As for Ms. Poundcake, clearly veggie is a 5 letter word and when two people guess 29, and 28, the obvious next number to guess is 26. 

At least she got Figaro. What opera was Gepetto in or did he just guess a random Italian name? I thought he was Pinocchio's creator/father.

As for FJ, I got it too, but I was annoyed when he just said "LA,, LA, LA, LA, LA,, LAs" that didn't match what it sounds like when sung. It might as well been Deck the Halls. It irks me when lyrics are said out of rhythm. 

Edited January 4, 2018 by DrScottie

[Fex]

1 hour ago, Roaster said:

Doesn't everybody know rock stars tend to die at age 27?

Surprising TS.

Not only surprising, but also a funny series of wrong guesses! I can see one person getting it wrong, but after that it's kind of sad.

I thought vegan was a surprising TS, given the number of letters, and Saralee's wrong guess giving them more time to think.

Exciting game! I like it when someone almost makes it a runaway. Fun!

[YoureSoUrban]

Yay, finally caught up on this week's games! Strange to see both Henry and Nick flame out so quickly. I liked them both.

For today's TS I got Libya, 27, and Wonder Boys (loved that book), FJ was an instaget, and thank goodness Saralee is gone!

[dcalley]

52 minutes ago, DrScottie said:

Isn't Figaro the Barber of Seville?

Yes, and that was my answer!

[Browncoat]

Hooray, no more Ms. Poundcake!  So (heh), did her parents elope because her mom was pregnant with her and they named her after their parents to smooth over the whole premarital sex thing?  That's kind of what her story sounded like to me.

I did like the guy's Jimmy Carter story.

I also said the Barber of Seville for FJ.  Since the clue just asked for the character and not necessarily the character's name, I'm going to pretend our Barber answer would have been acceptable.

TS I got were area, vegan, saltpetre and of course, 27.  In fact, I was shouting 27! at my television until the two challengers missed it, and then I shut up because I didn't want Ms. Poundcake to hear me.

[Fex]

Does anyone remember how the clue for This Is 40 went? Something about the two digit number having the digits in alphabetical order. I knew the answer because I saw the movie, but I feel like the clue was confusing, except I can't really remember it.

[Jesse]

The letters in the word are in alphabetical order -- f-o-r-t-y.

[dcalley]

14 minutes ago, Fex said:

Does anyone remember how the clue for This Is 40 went? Something about the two digit number having the digits in alphabetical order. I knew the answer because I saw the movie, but I feel like the clue was confusing, except I can't really remember it.

I thought it was confusing at the time, but reading it now it is not. The area clue, however, is still awful.

As in the title of a Judd Apatow comedy, "This is" the only 2-digit number whose letters are in alphabetical order

A telephone "code", or in an Onion headline, the local "man" who "nervously asks girlfriend if she'll settle"

[GenerationX]

Just got back from visiting family and caught up on the last week.  The most inexplicable TS from the six shows was MIT.

I was glad to see others here heard will.i.am iambic pentameter, too.  Surprised it was so easily accepted.

I despise all of the clues that Alex doesn't read, as they are invariably endless monologues and lead to clues left on the board.

I applaud the show for trying (and mostly succeeding) to make the clues interesting and unique.  Lately, though, they seem to be willing to sacrifice clarity for creativity.  Can't do that.

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

My knowledge of opera could fit on the head of a pin so I had another extremely goofy guess of The Barber of Seville. 

 

1 hour ago, DrScottie said:

Isn't Figaro the Barber of Seville?

Oh! I forgot about that. I said The Barber of Seville too, so I guess I was right. Sometimes I think of Bugs Bunny, but tonight I thought of The Little Rascals.

I think the only TS I got was 15 (men on a dead man's chest). 

[YoureSoUrban]

33 minutes ago, dcalley said:

I thought it was confusing at the time, but reading it now it is not. The area clue, however, is still awful.

As in the title of a Judd Apatow comedy, "This is" the only 2-digit number whose letters are in alphabetical order

A telephone "code", or in an Onion headline, the local "man" who "nervously asks girlfriend if she'll settle"

That area code clue totally went over my head. The "telephone code" was easy, but even reading the clue now, I still don't get the part about The Onion.

[dcalley]

30 minutes ago, YoureSoUrban said:

That area code clue totally went over my head. The "telephone code" was easy, but even reading the clue now, I still don't get the part about The Onion.

The Onion frequently has "Area Man Does X" headlines. Here's the one in the clue.

eta: whoops! I didn't see the above post before answering!

Edited January 4, 2018 by dcalley

[AuntieL]

Oh so that's what that Onion clue meant. That confused me. And apparently the contestants. Thanks to Jetpunk  I ran the African islands category (was this game it yesterday's? I watched them back to back so they kind of ran together.) I got Figaro on a wild guess. 

[Fex]

2 hours ago, dcalley said:

I thought it was confusing at the time, but reading it now it is not. The area clue, however, is still awful.

As in the title of a Judd Apatow comedy, "This is" the only 2-digit number whose letters are in alphabetical order

A telephone "code", or in an Onion headline, the local "man" who "nervously asks girlfriend if she'll settle"

Thank you! Apparently, I was paying just enough attention to get confused by it, but not to actually hear or read it properly!

[DrSpaceman73]

Ah The Onion.  My favorite is "Local Man knows way too much about age of consent laws"

[Prevailing Wind]

Quote

Whenever I hear or see the name Blagojevich, in my head I hear Jon Stewart saying it with the Jerry Lewis inflection.

I hear Letterman saying "Bobby FLLAAAAAYYY" that way.  Can't see or hear "Bobby Flay" without the Letterman/Lewis inflection in my mind's ear.

[illdoc]

There's also Swiffer commercial that has the "Figaro" song that kept running through my head ("La La (deep) Laa")

[teebax]

14 hours ago, Roaster said:

Doesn't everybody know rock stars tend to die at age 27?

Surprising TS.

Agreed that I was surprised by that one. I just had a conversation with my girlfriend last week about the 27 club, and she'd never heard of it. She happened to be watching Jeopardy with me last night (she doesn't normally) and when the clue came up, she was excited that she knew the answer. I guess that means she does listen to me, which came as a surprise, truth be told.

Coolio is right about the -er versus -a thing, which is more important when it comes to a certain word I do not use at all. We have a problem at the alternative high school where I teach with students using the "N" word a lot, and that's always their argument when they get caught doing it. I tell them, "If the only black teacher here is telling you it's not okay; it's not freaking okay. Stop it." But I digress...

My gets were area (which, I agree, was worded so horribly I almost didn't get it), vegan, and 27. I got FJ but only because of Bugs Bunny. I need to expand my art, ballet, classical music, and opera knowledge bases before I can even dream of competing on Jeopardy some day.

[M. Darcy]

Quote

I also said the Barber of Seville for FJ.  Since the clue just asked for the character and not necessarily the character's name, I'm going to pretend our Barber answer would have been acceptable.

Since I also said the Barber of Seville I think it should have been.  That's the second time recently that we can't figure out what answers would be ok. 

[CarpeDiem54]

I'm glad to see my goofy guess of Barber of Seville wasn't so goofy after all.  ?