Jeopardy! Season 36 (2019-2020)

[biakbiak]

I just don’t understand how you get to a place in life where you find telling people that you have had a soda once in your life is an important fact about yourself! 

[Prevailing Wind]

6 hours ago, Mystery Author said:

Even standing pat (whatever that means)

I remember when Pat Paulsen was running for President (the first time) and one of his slogans was "We Can't Stand Pat."  Well, I guess that's what you get from the Straight Talking American Government Party (STAG Party)  Jeez, I miss political satire on TV.

[Bliss]

19 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

... Jeez, I miss political satire on TV.

My first response: Do you not like SNL?

Or... what about the Late Shows with Trevor Noah or Stephen Colbert? They can be quite brilliant at times.

I have to make sure I don't have a mouthful of anything (water, of course) while watching in case SC is intent on "doing" his imitation of Don Jr or Giuliani. OMG. The teeth undo me every single time.

My second response: What about the daily news? 😉 Isn't that the best political satire of all? LOL (In a sad sort of way. Apologies for my Canadian content.)

[ABay]

I would say that Pat Paulsen was in a different category than the current late night show hosts. He was more like "Stephen Colbert" on TDS because Pat was a recurring character within The Smothers Brothers show.

[Clanstarling]

 

12 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Not a bad night for me. I got all the DD’s. I had to laugh when Billy Bob Thornton came up for a TS. I’ve been trying to get a friend to watch season 1 and 3 (IMO season 2 wasn’t so good) so now that he came up on Jeopardy, he may watch lol. I also got whale. 

I watched an episode go Goliath, and though it was good, Billy Bob kind of grates on me - despite the fact he's a great actor. I got whale because of Sneaky Pete. Thank you Prime Video. 🙂

9 hours ago, Sharpie66 said:

I got Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem, and eventually got Birmingham but only after first guessing Manchester, and then I did get Linneaus, although I appreciated that the guy’s guess of Lamarck was at least time- and profession-appropriate, if ultimately wrong. 

I was wondering why I got Linneaus. I thought I had some vague memory of a connection between him and Darwin. But no, I just realized (after looking Lamarck up) that I mistook Linneaus for Lamarck. So I got FJ by mistake!

7 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I just don’t understand how you get to a place in life where you find telling people that you have had a soda once in your life is an important fact about yourself! 

It's kind of a brag, imo.

39 minutes ago, Bliss said:

My first response: Do you not like SNL?

Or... what about the Late Shows with Trevor Noah or Stephen Colbert? They can be quite brilliant at times.

I have to make sure I don't have a mouthful of anything (water, of course) while watching in case SC is intent on "doing" his imitation of Don Jr or Giuliani. OMG. The teeth undo me every single time.

My second response: What about the daily news? 😉 Isn't that the best political satire of all? LOL (In a sad sort of way. Apologies for my Canadian content.)

Not to split hairs, but I think it's Eric he's doing with the teeth. Stephen has a remarkably pliable face (though it's not the teeth thing I'm thinking of, I just can't adequately describe the other thing that's both funny and horrifying)

[Bliss]

8 hours ago, Mystery Author said:

...

I think Karen looks like a young Valerie Bertinelli.

I keep waiting for her to break out into song... she reminds me of (a prettier) Adele.

[annzeepark914]

11 minutes ago, Bliss said:

I keep waiting for her to break out into song... she reminds me of (a prettier) Adele.

I'm not sure who she reminds me of...but it's somebody from back in the day (esp with that long-haired flip ☺). I'm enjoying her success and envision her competing with Ken, James, & the other guys. 

[saber5055]

11 hours ago, Mystery Author said:

I think Karen looks like a young Valerie Bertinelli.

Shout out to @opus.

[saber5055]

3 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

11 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I just don’t understand how you get to a place in life where you find telling people that you have had a soda once in your life is an important fact about yourself! 

It's kind of a brag, imo.

While it’s a topic that has never come up, ever, in my social circle, I doubt I know anyone who has had only one soda/soft drink in his/her life. The most interesting part, and one I would have asked more about, is why the only one was a cream soda. I wanted to know the back story on that.

If anyone found that less than interesting, blame Trebek since he is the one who chooses the topic from several provided by each player.

[biakbiak]

3 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

If anyone found that less than interesting, blame Trebek since he is the one who chooses the topic from several provided by each player.

She had to supply it for him to choose it so I am fine where I placed the blame.

I also don’t find never having had a soda that unusual among people I know.

Edited January 3, 2020 by biakbiak

[Bliss]

The one-soda woman should meet the guy who memorized pi to 500 decimal places. They'd have so much to talk about!

[saber5055]

2 minutes ago, Bliss said:

They'd have so much to talk about!

Or not!

[Prevailing Wind]

11 hours ago, Bliss said:

My first response: Do you not like SNL?

I'm old. I can't stay up late anymore. SmoBro were on at 9PM.

[Browncoat]

I really should brush up on the Constitutional amendments.  It took me far too long to figure out today's FJ!  I think I would have had time to write it down, so I'm giving myself credit.

Glad Karen won again.

[annzeepark914]

FJ...they dropped some unsubtle hints, IMO (but I was glad they did!) The only TS that I got was Grand Rapids. Too bad Mr P914 wasn't in the room as he's a Michigander. I didn't do so well in that category either. Funny their using a hand to represent the mitten state (as some folks up there call it). I liked all 3 contestants but Karen amazes me. Does she look a bit like Meredith Viera?

[ClareWalks]

I may be the only one but I don't like Karen. She seems to be benefiting from mediocre opponents because she makes lots of small errors in spelling/pronunciation. She pronounced it "Puerto Rica" today, for example. It's just annoying.

[saber5055]

Mexican jumping beans being an answer sent me on a trip in the Wayback Machine. We had them all the time when I was a kid, but I haven’t seen them for years. I checked and they are available, but has anyone seen any lately?

GFY has been replaced by “That’s great.” Alex Jacob’s GFY vid did the trick I guess.

That was pretty snarky of AT to tell players, “That was the last Daily Double so you don’t have to keep fishing for them.” He never said that to James when he was board jumping. That would have been interesting if he had.

[Grundoon59]

I am now starting to believe that I have offended the gods of Jeopardy.  First we end the year with the Dearborn TS and now the whole category of Michigan as TS except for the one clue they left on the board.  And don't even get me started on the guess of Green Bay.  

If I believed in signs, I would be skipping the on line test at the end of the month.  🤣 Good thing I am foolish and stubborn.

[saber5055]

39 minutes ago, Grundoon59 said:

I am now starting to believe that I have offended the gods of Jeopardy.  First we end the year with the Dearborn TS and now the whole category of Michigan as TS except for the one clue they left on the board.  And don't even get me started on the guess of Green Bay.  

@Grundoon59, I thought of you with the Michigan category. Don't take the TS fails too personally. My best friends live in Kalamazoo, I’ve been there more times than I can count, I’ve shown dogs all over Michigan and have been everywhere and to every city, but every time they showed that freakish hand with a dot on it, I was all WTH is that, and couldn’t answer any of the clues either.

The guy who answered Green Bay did get a real DUH look on his face after he realized what he had said. I think it was the only “Bay” word he could come up with. “Michael Bay” would have been funny too.

[zoey1996]

8 hours ago, biakbiak said:

She had to supply it for him to choose it so I am fine where I placed the blame.

I also don’t find never having had a soda that unusual among people I know.

I don't know of anyone who has never had soda/pop/soft drink, though I do have one friend who no longer drinks it.

Growing up it was a rare treat.

[Brookside]

9 hours ago, saber5055 said:

While it’s a topic that has never come up, ever, in my social circle, I doubt I know anyone who has had only one soda/soft drink in his/her life. The most interesting part, and one I would have asked more about, is why the only one was a cream soda. I wanted to know the back story on that.

As a foreigner I can tell you that my first American soft drink being cream soda has put me off for life.

[saber5055]

48 minutes ago, zoey1996 said:

I don't know of anyone who has never had soda/pop/soft drink, though I do have one friend who no longer drinks it.

Growing up it was a rare treat.

That's me, I no longer drink pop. That's midwestern for soda. When I was a kid, it was a very rare and quite special treat to have popcorn and split a Pepsi with my sister.

29 minutes ago, Brookside said:

As a foreigner I can tell you that my first American soft drink being cream soda has put me off for life.

Yes, but what would you say to a nice Irn Bru?

[peeayebee]

3 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I really should brush up on the Constitutional amendments.  It took me far too long to figure out today's FJ!  I think I would have had time to write it down, so I'm giving myself credit.

Good for you!

I only got spy and Grand Rapids.

I thought the income tax came later, so I said sales tax.

Karen really does amaze me. I'm happy to see her continue to win.

[Brookside]

8 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

Yes, but what would you say to a nice Irn Bru?

I would tell the Irn Bru "you're a revolting, overly sweet drink that only those north of the border and deprived of Cadbury's (the real thing, not North American) can appreciate".  🙂

[chessiegal]

There is no sales tax at the federal level, therefore there can be no income from it to the federal government. Sales taxes are regulated by states and lower jurisdictions.

[Phebemarie]

17 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

That's me, I no longer drink pop. That's midwestern for soda. When I was a kid, it was a very rare and quite special treat to have popcorn and split a Pepsi with my sister.

Yes, but what would you say to a nice Irn Bru?

Pop is also used in my part of Oregon.  About 15 years ago, I took a few students on a fast-paced NYC tour.   One of the places we visited was Shea Stadium.  One of the middle school students asked for a pop from the young woman at concessions.  We quickly explained he wanted a Coca-Cola.  I still remember the confused expression on her face.  

[SHD]

I’ll jump in on the “Karen looks like...” thing and say a baby-faced Amy Adams.

I nearly cried when no one got the Roxy Music question.

[DrScottie]

I've got "Karen looks like..." Megan Boone who plays Elizabeth Keen on the Blacklist. I thought it was her when I first saw her. She even sounds quite a bit like her character on the show. 

 

 

 

[HavartiHead42]

2 hours ago, DrScottie said:

I've got "Karen looks like..." Megan Boone who plays Elizabeth Keen on the Blacklist. I thought it was her when I first saw her. She even sounds quite a bit like her character on the show. 

 

1000x YES! I would have liked your comment infinity times if I could have. I'm not even bitter you were first because now I'm not alone. (In seeing the resemblance) I don't know what I would have thought of Karen if I hadn't seen The Blacklist first. (Husband loves Spader, I sometimes hate watch.) But seeing her channel the least life-like actress on network television while continuing to rack up repeated runaway victories is stupidly rage inducing for me. Each day I think there's hope, only to end up slumped in defeat 23 minutes later

[biakbiak]

6 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

I don't know of anyone who has never had soda/pop/soft drink, though I do have one friend who no longer drinks it.

Growing up it was a rare treat.

Valid but if that is something that was one of the top five things about you? Legit it took four or five episodes until a women revealed that she was a member of The Runaways!

[Katy M]

4 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Valid but if that is something that was one of the top five things about you? Legit it took four or five episodes until a women revealed that she was a member of The Runaways!

I have the most boring life ever and I honestly do NOT know how I would fill  a card with 5 "interesting" facts for Alex to ask me about.   The more interesting stuff is stuff I'm embarrassed about.

[Clanstarling]

13 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I'm old. I can't stay up late anymore. SmoBro were on at 9PM.

I'm old too - and have always been a morning person. I catch some SNL on YouTube or Hulu, when I want to see that particular week's cold open.

12 hours ago, saber5055 said:

That was pretty snarky of AT to tell players, “That was the last Daily Double so you don’t have to keep fishing for them.” He never said that to James when he was board jumping. That would have been interesting if he had.

I thought it was pretty funny. He didn't say it to James, but I do think in James' early run he showed some irritation. Of course, these day I just like seeing him show some snark and energy.

10 hours ago, Brookside said:

As a foreigner I can tell you that my first American soft drink being cream soda has put me off for life.

After growing up mostly in Germany, I got excited when I saw Fanta in the US. Until I tasted it. The vile orange sweetness was nothing like the Fanta I'd grown up with (which was more like Orangina, if you've ever had it).

10 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

Pop is also used in my part of Oregon.  About 15 years ago, I took a few students on a fast-paced NYC tour.   One of the places we visited was Shea Stadium.  One of the middle school students asked for a pop from the young woman at concessions.  We quickly explained he wanted a Coca-Cola.  I still remember the confused expression on her face.  

Having grown up all over as a military brat, I'm never really sure what I call it - some regional version will pop <snicker> out of my mouth and surprise me. It's that way with a number of things. It depends on where my brain's fuzzy logic search ends up.

4 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Valid but if that is something that was one of the top five things about you? Legit it took four or five episodes until a women revealed that she was a member of The Runaways!

I guess you pick the things you are most proud of, or find most amusing. In my fantasy stash of Jeopardy anecdotes, I have more funny than proud stories (plus a Jeopardy one). I wasn't sure whether she was proud or found it amusing.

[Katy M]

10 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

Pop is also used in my part of Oregon.

The first time I heard it called pop was when I went to college.  I had just met my new roommate and she was complaining about her father.  Without taking a breath she asked, I wonder how much a pop is downstairs.  I stared at her in confusion for a second thinking she wanted to buy a new father, but then figured out she meant a soda.

Edited January 4, 2020 by Katy M

[peeayebee]

8 hours ago, DrScottie said:

I've got "Karen looks like..." Megan Boone who plays Elizabeth Keen on the Blacklist.

Excellent! I was thinking Caroline Havernas from Wonderfalls, but I think Megan Boone is closer.

 

[biakbiak]

46 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I have the most boring life ever and I honestly do NOT know how I would fill  a card with 5 "interesting" facts for Alex to ask me about.   The more interesting stuff is stuff I'm embarrassed about.

Well than I suggest if you are ever on Jeopardy you make up a few interesting stories that are better than you drank a soda once.

 

[annzeepark914]

12 hours ago, saber5055 said:

@Grundoon59, I thought of you with the Michigan category. Don't take the TS fails too personally. My best friends live in Kalamazoo, I’ve been there more times than I can count, I’ve shown dogs all over Michigan and have been everywhere and to every city, but every time they showed that freakish hand with a dot on it, I was all WTH is that, and couldn’t answer any of the clues either.

The guy who answered Green Bay did get a real DUH look on his face after he realized what he had said. I think it was the only “Bay” word he could come up with. “Michael Bay” would have been funny too.

While in Michigan, did you notice that people use their hand to show you where, in the state, they live? or have a vacation home, etc.,?  (that's probably why they used a human-like hand as a map).  I told Mr. P914 about Michigan being a category and he was shocked that none of the contestants got any of the clues right (except me with Grand Rapids :>)  Re: "pop", there's supposedly a dividing line in upstate NY where people west of it say pop. No idea where that line is.  I remember hearing kids say soda pop occasionally when I was a kid and I'm originally from downstate NY. 

[Ailianna]

I grew up in the west saying pop, moved to Indiana where I learned to say soda pop, and now live in NY where I usually say soda but sometimes say pop.  It's definitely regional, but I'm not sure where all the regions are!

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

While in Michigan, did you notice that people use their hand to show you where, in the state, they live? or have a vacation home, etc.,?

Never. And I know plenty of people from Michigan. And none have ever said, "I live on the second knuckle of the little finger" either. Those fingers were REALLY distracting in those Michigan clues. All the Michigan people I know are able to say, "I live 20 miles northwest of Dearborn (@Grundoon59 shout out) without feeling the need to show me their palm.

4 minutes ago, Ailianna said:

It's definitely regional, but I'm not sure where all the regions are!

There used to be definite regions, but people move so much these days, lines are blurred, on everything. Example, I can buy Blue Ribbon cane syrup in Illinois now, as well as red beans and rice. And grits!

[biakbiak]

My boyfriend was born and raised in Ann Arbor and he and ever person who he met from Michigan used the hand. They even encouraged me to use the Washington hand which was never a thing growing up so it might be generational or regional or more likely a thing that people who moved away use. He did really bad in that category so it doesn’t mean anything!

Edited January 4, 2020 by biakbiak

[GrannySmith]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

While in Michigan, did you notice that people use their hand to show you where, in the state, they live? or have a vacation home, etc.,?  (that's probably why they used a human-like hand as a map).  I told Mr. P914 about Michigan being a category and he was shocked that none of the contestants got any of the clues right (except me with Grand Rapids :>)  Re: "pop", there's supposedly a dividing line in upstate NY where people west of it say pop. No idea where that line is.  I remember hearing kids say soda pop occasionally when I was a kid and I'm originally from downstate NY. 

I grew up in the Rochester/Finger Lakes area of New York, and I say pop. Mr. Granny grew up in Syracuse, about 60 miles east, and he says soda. 

[ABay]

Wegman's says pop, therefore it is pop. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bag of sponge candy to devour.

[Gimmick Genius]

I think Karen looks like a young Gayle Hunnicutt. I'm old.

[Clanstarling]

2 hours ago, ABay said:

Wegman's says pop, therefore it is pop. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bag of sponge candy to devour.

Forgive my ignorance, I've never heard of sponge candy, and it looks like it's key to the joke. Marshmallows? (for $200, please Alex)

[annzeepark914]

What is sponge candy? I never heard of salt potatoes until I went to a party in NC with lots of Syracuse folks. I guess this topic has strayed a bit so it needs to mosey on over to chit chat, if desired.

[saber5055]

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I guess this topic has strayed a bit so it needs to mosey on over to chit chat, if desired.

Anyone looking for sponge candy, it can be found in Small Talk.

[DrSpaceman73]

My former college roommate is from MI and did the hand thing for it all the time, so I was familiar with the concept.  In fact we tried to come up with hand signs for other states, not many you can do. 

Still didn't get many answers in that category though

ANd I agree that soda comment as the most interesting thing about you is pretty bad, but then I think most of the stuff the candidates bring up is pretty dull. 

[Sharpie66]

On 1/4/2020 at 12:03 AM, SHD said:

I nearly cried when no one got the Roxy Music question.

I know! One of my favorite bands, and nobody got it.

The company I work for was created in the wake of that constitutional amendment in 1913, so I got FJ right away (our flagship product is the federal tax reporter). Interesting trivia—that amendment was heavily lobbied for by the prohibition organizations so that the federal government had another source of revenue other than liquor sales. 

[peeayebee]

20 hours ago, Gimmick Genius said:

I think Karen looks like a young Gayle Hunnicutt. I'm old.

Wow, blast from the past. And yes, I'm old too.

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

22 hours ago, Gimmick Genius said:

I think Karen looks like a young Gayle Hunnicutt. I'm old.

Wow, blast from the past. And yes, I'm old too.

The only Hunnicutt I know is B.J., so I looked up Gayle. I still don't know who she is. She obviously was Before My Time!

[Clanstarling]

24 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

The only Hunnicutt I know is B.J., so I looked up Gayle. I still don't know who she is. She obviously was Before My Time!

I'm not sure she was Before My Time, but she was definitely Not On My Shows. I don't think I watched anything in her credits - except for Beverly Hillbillies, and I was a wee one at that time.

Edited January 5, 2020 by Clanstarling