Jeopardy! Season 34 (2017-2018)

[teebax]

I really enjoyed today's game. We have had a run of reasonable contestants since the champ I won't mention. It's been lovely. 

My gets were Marakesh, Sox (not slaves, which was hilariously bad even though I considered it too), and Say Say Say. 

Anything Oscars puts me in Cliff Clavin territory so I'd have bet the farm. I think FJ was really easy, but boardies who aren't into the Oscars will have to confirm. 

I learned what pH stands for today. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know that before. 

Edited March 6, 2018 by teebax

[illdoc]

32 minutes ago, teebax said:

I think FJ was really easy, but boardies who aren't into the Oscars will have to confirm. 

Must admit didn't think of Orson Welles---I went with Huston (Kit...just kidding! John), thinking of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", even though I didn't believe he acted in it (it was his dad, Walter). Probably didn't write it either, but it was all I could come up with. Obvious (Welles, that is) once the answer was revealed.

[opus]

We thought the guy on the right reminded us of Bill Nye, and then the first category revealed was science.

It was hilarious. (Okay, maybe you had to be here....)

[Mindthinkr]

I was surprised that I ran Man for 2 Seasons as I’m usually lacking in the sports categories. I got bakers rack, and bones in the human body. Question...do you think that they would have accepted the answer oriental instead of Persian for the rug? I was just tickled that the board was cleared. 

FJ was an easy get for me. 

Edited March 6, 2018 by Mindthinkr

[GenerationX]

I ran the Two Seasons and Triple Song categories.

I am not familiar with the term Ditloids.  I first saw them in GAMES magazine, probably 20-30 years ago (I have been a GAMES subscriber since 1979, and yes I am at the high end of the GenX age range).  The customary way for them to be shown was to reveal the prepositions and articles.  In other words, a puzzle would say 26 L of the A.  In a fast game like Jeopardy, they should have shown the clues in the "classic" way.  Letters of the Alphabet, by the way.

[DrScottie]

For FJ I was tipped off by nominations for the same film. "Citizen Kane" didn't win for any Academy Awards other than original screenplay despite being nominated for several. 

I remember Bo Jackson on the Raiders. Most notably, the game Tecmo Bowl effectively made it a cheat code to play as him as he was faster than everyone else. Bo Knows that too. 

[Browncoat]

@opus, I thought he looked like Bill Nye, too!  And not only was the category science, he actually knew the science!  However, I was a little confused by the half-life clue, because that isn’t really how half-life works.  Your substance doesn’t lose mass, but the amount of radiation it emits decreases by half over the given time period.

Matt seemed awfully itchy tonight.  Maybe the bed bugs clue had enough power of suggestion?

I got Kenya and Say, Say, Say.  And now I have that song (as well as the video) running through my head.

@GenerationX, I had a subscription to GAMES for a long time — I’m on the younger end of Baby Boomers.

FJ should have been an instaget, but wasn’t, I am sad to say.  In my defense, I have never seen the movie!

[Mindthinkr]

2 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Matt seemed awfully itchy tonight.  Maybe the bed bugs clue had enough power of suggestion?

I was thinking more like head lice as his target place to scratch was behind his right ear. He could have picked up the pesky parasites at his hotel (not that they wouldn’t use a decent place for the contestants to stay in). 

Ditto on the Say Say Say ear worm. 

[Brookside]

7 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

@opus, I thought he looked like Bill Nye, too!  And not only was the category science, he actually knew the science!  However, I was a little confused by the half-life clue, because that isn’t really how half-life works.  Your substance doesn’t lose mass, but the amount of radiation it emits decreases by half over the given time period.

 

Thank you for this!

Did Shari (sp) really interrupt Alex during his question reading?  Whoo 'hoo!

Got One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich., Marrakesh, Kenya.

[AuntiePam]

2 hours ago, opus said:

We thought the guy on the right reminded us of Bill Nye, and then the first category revealed was science.

It was hilarious. (Okay, maybe you had to be here....)

I get it.  He was so nerdy-looking, with the hair and the bow tie -- I was rooting for him. 

Today I got Nat Turner and the original ditloid, but only because I read the book, years ago.   I didn't know ditloids were a puzzle!

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, illdoc said:

Must admit didn't think of Orson Welles---I went with Huston (Kit...just kidding! John), thinking of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", even though I didn't believe he acted in it (it was his dad, Walter). Probably didn't write it either, but it was all I could come up with. Obvious (Welles, that is) once the answer was revealed.

This sounds like me. I first thought of John Huston but couldn't think of him acting in a film he directed, at least that early in his career. Then I went with Charlie Chaplin, thinking that perhaps The Great Dictator was in the 1940s and he got those three noms. I kicked myself for not thinking of Welles.

I got baker's rack, Nat Turner, and Say Say Say. Also, I said connubial instead of conjugal. 

[Bastet]

FJ was an instaget for me; films are generally a good category for me, and narrowing it down to the Oscars means I'd bet big.

I loved the “Man of Two seasons” category – right up my alley.  And the song titles category.  And the category looking for C words (speaking of -- conjugal bliss?  I know it fits, but whose mind goes there instead of “connubial” for “bliss?  Visit, on the other hand …).

I also ran the science category, and am beside myself at how ridiculously easy the half-life clue was as a DD.  It was stupidly worded in what it talked about reducing, but all it asked of the contestant was to divide 200 by 4.  That's worth potentially big bucks?  No.

Baker’s rack was a surprising TS; I’d have thought a good chunk of people simply know what those things are called, plus there was the pie/appropriately named part of the clue as a hint if it didn’t immediately come to mind.  “Say, Say, Say” was rather surprising, too.  I also knew Nat Turner, Marrakesh, Kenya, the bones in the human body ditloid, and something else I'm forgetting, but those were the two TS that surprised me.

I, too, guessed Uber – I use a taxi if I need a ride, so the others are all the same to me.  I'd have looked like a dunce on that one.

Unless the tandem bike contestant (who is not tall)’s husband is quite short, why is he in front on their rides – she stares at his back the whole time?  Maybe she really is just reading a book back there.  (I haven't ridden a tandem bike in eons; maybe the front position must be occupied by someone stronger than her for the kinds of trips they do.)

[Bazinga]

Matt's response of "speeding bullet" for Bob Hayes' nickname is wrong.  His nickname is "Bullet Bob" not "Speeding Bullet."  Alex correcting the response to the right one, "yes, Bullet," is just plain wrong.  Just not fair, IMO.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Bazinga

[Clanstarling]

3 hours ago, illdoc said:

Must admit didn't think of Orson Welles---I went with Huston (Kit...just kidding! John), thinking of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", even though I didn't believe he acted in it (it was his dad, Walter). Probably didn't write it either, but it was all I could come up with. Obvious (Welles, that is) once the answer was revealed.

I did too. As it happens (just checked it out on IMDB), Huston did an uncredited turn in Treasure - probably not much more than a cameo. But he is credited with the screenplay, and was the director.

3 hours ago, opus said:

We thought the guy on the right reminded us of Bill Nye, and then the first category revealed was science.

It was hilarious. (Okay, maybe you had to be here....)

We thought so too.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Clanstarling

[Toothbrush]

I like Matt while he's playing the game, but the intro moves need to stop. Liked all 3 contestants today, but was rooting for Jesse. 

TS I got were baker's rack, 206 bones in the human body, Nat Turner, Kenya, & Say, Say, Say. FJ was an instaget. 

4 hours ago, opus said:

We thought the guy on the right reminded us of Bill Nye, and then the first category revealed was science.

It was hilarious. (Okay, maybe you had to be here....)

We were there in spirit, because we thought the same thing!

 

1 hour ago, Brookside said:

Did Shari (sp) really interrupt Alex during his question reading?  Whoo 'hoo!

She steamrolled over him expounding on the correct response she had just given. Go Shari! 

[Brookside]

39 minutes ago, Toothbrush said:

She steamrolled over him expounding on the correct response she had just given. Go Shari! 

My mind is spinning.  Saint Alex allowed that to be aired?

[CarpeDiem54]

Congrats to Matt again.  All three contestants were pleasant, though.  I was partial to Shari because she's from my city and steamrolled over Alex's inane comments to select the next clue.

I got baker's rack, Nat Turner, Marrakech (DD), and Say, Say, Say.  To combat that ear worm, I started singing Marrakech Express.  Ha!

FJ was an instaget as soon as I wiped John Huston out of my mind.

[Ailianna]

7 hours ago, Bastet said:

I also ran the science category, and am beside myself at how ridiculously easy the half-life clue was as a DD.  It was stupidly worded in what it talked about reducing, but all it asked of the contestant was to divide 200 by 4.  That's worth potentially big bucks?  No.

I thought they were hoping to confuse someone about what half-life means, so that someone would say it loses 100 in 10 years, so in 20 years it would have lost all 200.  It was more about proving you have a basic understanding of half-life rather than of math, I thought.

[Browncoat]

We have students who get confused about the math regarding the doubling time of bacterial cells (as in, if you start with five, and they double every half hour, how many do you have after three hours — we’ll get lots of answers of 30), so I agree, the half-life question was meant to be tricksy with math.  It still doesn’t mean your starting substance evaporates.  My knee-jerk response to that question was 200 grams.  And had I answered that on the show, I would have protested loudly if they’d ruled me wrong.

[Kathira]

Good game. I was also rooting for nerdy Jesse, but Matt doesn't bother me. So far, at least, he's been keeping the antics to the  intro and then settling down. For FJ, I could see Orson Welles in my mind, but I had to concentrate for a second to clear my mind of every thing else about him - Rosebud, Mercury Theater, War of the Worlds, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Chimes at Midnight - to allow his name to float up. My brain was trying to be helpful, but sometimes it just needs to shut up!

Edited March 6, 2018 by Kathira

[Lois Sandborne]

9 hours ago, peeayebee said:

This sounds like me. I first thought of John Huston but couldn't think of him acting in a film he directed, at least that early in his career. Then I went with Charlie Chaplin, thinking that perhaps The Great Dictator was in the 1940s and he got those three noms. I kicked myself for not thinking of Welles.

I got baker's rack, Nat Turner, and Say Say Say. Also, I said connubial instead of conjugal. 

Chaplin never came to mind, but that's a really good guess.  Welles was an instaget for me though.

I've never heard the term "conjugal bliss" and think they were going for connubial, but conjugal certainly fits the clue, so what do I know.  I'm sure they would've accepted either.

I yelled "1921?!" in indignant disbelief at the tv after Matt answered freed slaves for freed sox, but then I laughed.

I got baker's rack, Kenya, Nat Turner, the bones, and "Say, Say, Say."  I thought Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills" would make it into the song category. Sorry, Beyonce.  I also thought cooling rack might've been acceptable for baker's rack.  Never knew Morocco was named for Marrakesh, but duh.  Makes sense now. Learning's fun!

Edited March 6, 2018 by Lois Sandborne
double post

[Sharpie66]

I only got Nat Turner and Marrakesh for TS, but did get FJ after thinking for a few seconds. I was surprised when Henry VIII was a $1000 clue, especially when they gave you Catherine Howard’s name and the fact she was executed. 

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, Lois Sandborne said:

I've never heard the term "conjugal bliss" and think they were going for connubial, but conjugal certainly fits the clue, so what do I know.  I'm sure they would've accepted either.

I yelled "1921?!" in indignant disbelief at the tv after Matt answered freed slaves for freed sox, but then I laughed.

I know the term "conjugal bliss" but connubial is what popped up in my rusty mind, so that's what I went with.

I think the clue was written to elicit "slaves" for those who are making rapid connections, but yeah, those would be some aged players (in their 60's at the youngest, I'd think).

1 hour ago, Sharpie66 said:

I only got Nat Turner and Marrakesh for TS, but did get FJ after thinking for a few seconds. I was surprised when Henry VIII was a $1000 clue, especially when they gave you Catherine Howard’s name and the fact she was executed. 

I think they might think someone would get her mixed up with Lady Jane Grey (whose family name I now forget). But it did seem easy for a $1000 clue.

[Prevailing Wind]

I never thought of Chaplin, but did think Huston. Then I remembered how freakin' easy the clues/answers have been lately, and firmly decided on Welles. I thought Welles was pretty much a gimme, so I stopped overthinking.

I don't even remember the contestants from yesterday except for that stupid salute/wave the champ did at the beginning. Oh, fer Pete's sake. You're not on Wheel. Act like an adult.  Next thing you know, contestants will be squealing and jumping up & down when they get a correct response.

[GalvDuck]

4 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I don't even remember the contestants from yesterday except for that stupid salute/wave the champ did at the beginning. Oh, fer Pete's sake. You're not on Wheel. Act like an adult.  Next thing you know, contestants will be squealing and jumping up & down when they get a correct response.

Their competition will be heard off camera yelling, "Good answer!  Good answer!"

[peeayebee]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

“Say, Say, Say” was rather surprising, too.

I got Say Say Say, but actually Ebony & Ivory first came to mind, though that was Stevie Wonder, not Michael Jackson. I wonder if anyone else thought of that song initially.  Just me?

 

9 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

I like Matt while he's playing the game, but the intro moves need to stop.

Yes please! Ugh.

 

5 hours ago, tvaddict44 said:

I googled that oscar FJ question yesterday just as it was written because nothing came to mind, and it clearly came up Chaplin as the answer.  I understand that Final Jeopardy website says he didn't get one of those nominations, but google disagrees.  Possible something faulty in the cluing?

Interesting. I just checked IMDB, and it indeed was The Great Dictator that he was nominated for (acting and screenplay), so I remembered that right. I don't remember the wording of the clue.

 

11 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I never thought of Chaplin, but did think Huston. Then I remembered how freakin' easy the clues/answers have been lately, and firmly decided on Welles. I thought Welles was pretty much a gimme, so I stopped overthinking.

I often go thru the same process, and did so in this case too. I didn't think Huston had acted in one of his early films, but I also figured he was too obscure for a Jeopardy FJ. I think it's interesting that so many of us considered him.

I just checked IMDB for him, too. He actually won Oscars for directing and writing The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. We be smart! BTW, he was also nominated for writing Dr Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, which I've seen and recommend. It stars Edward G Robinson as the doctor who searches for a cure for syphillis. 

[tallykat]

The only note I wrote down for Monday's show was: The Glasses!! At the end of the show I wondered if there even were any TS, but it's only because I didn't know any of them--except baker's rack, but I didn't note it. For 206 BITHB, I said: 206 Books in the Holy Bible??? and then did a head slap when the answer was bones. Tarsus threw me off--you know, Paul of Tarsus made me think of the bible and then it seemed to fit except it seemed to be way too many books (and it was). So I can be forgiving of someone guessing "slaves" instead of "Sox."

FJ was not an instaget for me--not the name anyway. I had to stop the recording because I knew I knew who it was: War of the Worlds, Citizen Kane, guest appearance on Moonlighting. I had to use one of my memory tricks--sing the alphabet. Usually, when I hit a letter from the first or last name, it triggers something. The first time through I actually hit W and paused, but had to go back through the alphabet and the second time I hit O, it came to me. Totally would not have come in under the 30 seconds time frame. I guess I'd've had to write: Who is that guy from Citizen Kane?

[Kathira]

4 hours ago, Lois Sandborne said:

I also thought cooling rack might've been acceptable for baker's rack. 

Cooling was part of the question. It was an "item used to cool" or something like that.

[CarpeDiem54]

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

14 hours ago, Bastet said:

“Say, Say, Say” was rather surprising, too.

I got Say Say Say, but actually Ebony & Ivory first came to mind, though that was Stevie Wonder, not Michael Jackson. I wonder if anyone else thought of that song initially.  Just me?

No, not just you.  ?

[Writing Wrongs]

14 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I got baker's rack

"Baker's rack" makes me giggle.

[LZ1982]

19 hours ago, opus said:

We thought the guy on the right reminded us of Bill Nye, and then the first category revealed was science.

It was hilarious. (Okay, maybe you had to be here....)

I weirdly thought of "Matthew McConaughey starring in a Bill Nye biopic."

[proserpina65]

16 hours ago, Bastet said:

And the category looking for C words (speaking of -- conjugal bliss?  I know it fits, but whose mind goes there instead of “connubial” for “bliss?  Visit, on the other hand …).

Mine did.  I don't think I've ever heard the word 'connubial' before.

[Browncoat]

Conjugal was the first thing I thought of as well.

[Brookside]

6 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

"Baker's rack" makes me giggle.

My mind went to Mary Berry (Great British Bake Off).

[mojoween]

Jack is a hard fucking no.  Speed. Up.

I said Animal Farm for FJ even though I said aloud I have no idea if Kurt Vonnegut is British. My 20 year old kid said he didn’t even understand the question.

[PaulaO]

I couldn't finish the game.  Jack made me crazy.

[GreekGeek]

I'm not going to write off Jack right away, but he did tend to shout his answers,

Nice that Rob managed to pull himself within striking distance after losing it all.

I knew Clement Clark Moore, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (surprised no one came up with her after Rob said Robert Browning), Northeastern, Horseman pass by, and Jasper Johns. The last one was a total guess, though the flag was a big clue.

I was pretty sure about FJ, though I wondered what Alex meant by "several possibilities come to mind."

[secnarf]

17 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Jack is a hard fucking no.  Speed. Up.

I said Animal Farm for FJ even though I said aloud I have no idea if Kurt Vonnegut is British. My 20 year old kid said he didn’t even understand the question.

Well now I am confused - what does Kurt Vonnegut have to do with Animal Farm? He is American, anyways.

I didn't get FJ, but it seemed obvious in retrospect. I made the leap from hee haw to animal, just didnt quite get far enough!

[Mindthinkr]

I got Groom and Bloom, E.B. Browning, Dark Horse and the DD’s. I thought it was impressive that Rob climbed the 14 major peaks in Colorado and he really started coming on strong towards the end. 

@mojoween I thought that Vonnegut was from Schenectady N.Y. 

George Orwell wrote 1984 on the Isle of Jura (off the south west coast of Scotland) when he was living there with his sister. It was pretty isolated and he had to take a horse cart for 3 miles down a county road off the one main drag on that island. No services such as electricity or heat other than wood or peat. It is beautiful and abundant with wildlife. 

Edited March 7, 2018 by Mindthinkr
Hit the button before I was finished by accident.

[Sharpie66]

I thought Vonnegut was from Indiana? (ETA—just looked it up, born and raised in Indianapolis. FYI, neat KV fact—his grandfather invented [ETA2: double-checked that, to find that Grandpa Vonnegut manufactured the first panic bar, not invented it] the emergency door latch after the Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago.)

I got screw/sinew, Northeastern University, Clement Moore, 1788, and FJ.

Edited March 7, 2018 by Sharpie66

[Mindthinkr]

3 minutes ago, Sharpie66 said:

I thought Vonnegut was from Indiana?

I got screw/sinew, Northeastern University, Clement Moore, 1788, and FJ.

I googled. Vonnegut was born in Indiana, did his military service and then went to work as a publicist for GE in NY. It’s worth taking a look at his Wikipedia page. Interesting. 

[mojoween]

Welp.  I can’t even lie because I was sure Vonnegut wrote Animal Farm, so now I have no idea what book he would have written that led me down the path to the right book title, but way wrong author.

Also, it’s nice to know that I wasn’t completely crazy about his heritage.

Edited March 7, 2018 by mojoween

[teebax]

Did I miss something? Why are we discussing Vonnegut? 

Jack's teeth are a color I can't identify, and I can't look at bad teeth, so I had to watch without "watching." 

I had bloom and groom, northeastern, and 1788. I had FJ fairly quickly as well. 

I'm glad Rob didn't win. He was clicking like crazy, took too long to select, and was jumping around the board. I really liked Matt and will miss him. 

ETA I understand now, Mojoween. I was quite confused for a minute there! 

Edited March 7, 2018 by teebax

[YoureSoUrban]

FJ was an instaget but then I spent the rest of the music debating whether Orwell was British or American and how badly I should feel about not knowing... Anyway with Welles yesterday I'm on an FJ instaget roll of 2 whole days!

Northeastern is the only TS I recall.

Please let Jack be a one and done. 

[CarpeDiem54]

Hell to the no on Shouting Jack!  Gah!  It must have been late in the day and Matt was tired.  That's all I can come up with for his flame out.  I was initially going to root for Rob because Denver.  But nope, nope, nope when he started in the middle of categories.

I was so annoyed by Jack, I only got groom/bloom.

FJ was an instaget.

[Jesse]

13 hours ago, Kathira said:

I was also rooting for nerdy Jesse, 

Aw! ...oh.

 

 

For whatever reason, Jack just made me laugh.

[Sharpie66]

I rather like Jack. Oh, well.

I got stuck on thinking curry instead of groom for the horse 2-letter clue, so missed that one.

[ClareWalks]

The Elizabeth Barrett Browning served me well tonight when I took the online Jeopardy test because she ended up being one of the answers! I would have totally forgotten she existed if I hadn't watched today's ep.

I hate players who always pause after they guess a question right, like they forgot they're on a game show and need to be prompted by Alex to pick another fuckin' clue already. So the champ annoys me.

FJ was an instaget for me for some reason even though I have never read Animal Farm. Random.

[Kathira]

My son is in 7th grade and they're studying the Constitution and Bill of Rights, so 1788 was an easy get. FJ was a true instaget - I knew it at a glance.  I knew you guys wouldn't like Jack with his weird pausing and hipster hair. 

[mojoween]

A glance at Kurt Vonnegut’s wiki page shows that I have lost my ever-loving mind because there is nothing there that is even CLOSE to Animal Farm so all I can think is that I've been wrong about the author of that work my entire life.  I’ll shut up about it now, heh.