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Today's episode featured Shubha Ghosh of WI, Antoinette Aubert of CA, and 2-day champ Buddy Wright of TX. Despite the lopsided scores at the end of the Jeopardy round, they seemed evenly matched at first. Or at least they were all actively responding. Shubha had 3000 at end of the round, while Antoinette had 4600 and Buddy had 8000. Shubha and Buddy seesawed back and forth in Double Jeopardy, while Antoinette was largely silent. First, Shubha nearly swept Presidential Succession 2010. Then he picked up 3000 when he answered the first Daily Double, in Greek Letters: "This 9th letter of the Greek alphabet also means a jot or whit."* (The answer is at the end of this post, but I encourage you to read the whole post before you scroll down, or you will see all the answers.) I hope my dad was watching today, by the way. He knows his Greek letters.
Buddy responded by sweeping Disco! Duck! (Do you suppose he's proud, or embarrassed? I'm leaning toward 'proud.' Why not?) Shubha then lost 2800 on this tough Daily Double, in Time is On Your Side: "Shakespeare coined this 'culinary' term for a time of youthful exuberance."
At the end of Double Jeopardy, Shubha had 8800, Antoinette had 3800, and Buddy had 16800. All three got this clue right, in Toys: "Original sets of this toy that was first sold in 1918 included plans for building Uncle Tom's Cabin." Shubha wagered everything, but Buddy wagered enough to win as long as he responded correctly. He is now a 3-day champ, with a three-week vacation: Next week is the final week of the Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational, followed by two weeks of the Tournament of Champions. Bring it on!
Did you know the answers to these clues that none of the contestants got right? I can't believe no one got this one for 200 in Scene and Herd: "Billy Crystal goes on a cattle drive (and causes a stampede with his coffee grinder) in this 1991 comedy." How about this one for 1600 in Not Great Work: "This plural of an ordinal number also refers to flawed goods from the factory." (I had never heard of this, but I made a lucky guess.)
Here are my scores for a couple of games this week: (For those of you new to this blog: First, welcome! Secondly, I sometimes play along with the contestants using a Jeopardy Challenger, a device for that purpose that was sold in the 1980s.)
Alexandra Helprin NY 26400 Buddy Wright TX 27201 Randall Johnson VA 3600 Me 8798
Robin Poche TN 23800 Linda Smith AR 7900 Buddy Wright TX 24001 Me 8398
*iota, salad days, Lincoln Logs, City Slickers, seconds
I am today's Blog of Note! Thank you! And I am relieved - Someone is going to win my contest after all. I had been worried. You still have until May 3rd to enter. Just become a follower of this blog.
More to come tonight....
On a personal level, today's episode was a lot like yesterday's, in that I answered a few triple-stumpers, one of them was a Daily Double, and one of them I only kind of count because I didn't answer it out loud. (Am I ready to be on the show yet? Please?) Here they are:
For 1200 in Musical by Song and Singer: "Oh What a Circus" by Che and Company.* (I listened to this terrific soundtrack a lot as a teenager.)
For 1200 in Fun with Words: "Found in a Dostoyevsky title, it's one of the few English words that both start and end with with 'und.'"
A Daily Double in Fun with Words: "It's the New World country that takes its name from a Latin word for a metal."
For 1200 in A Little Bit of Everything: "Although first cultivated in China, this flower's name is from the Greek for 'gold flower.'" (This is the one I didn't answer out loud.)
And for 1600 in Bird 'R's: "I was run out of town on this marsh bird whose short-billed species are sometimes called crakes."
How did you guys do today?
One-day champ Randall Johnson of VA was off to a fast start today, sweeping the first category of the game, Lesser-Known Composers. He gained more because he hit a Daily Double in that category, too. Randall kept rolling while Brett Garner of UT seemed to keep faltering. Brett did end the Jeopardy round with 2600 though, while Megan Kardine of PA had 2000. Randall had earned 7600. Randall threatened to run away with the game, until he lost 3000 on a Daily Double in Double Jeopardy, giving him 7000 while Megan had 4800. By the end of Double Jeopardy, the game was no runaway, except for poor Brett, who was in the hole at -2200. (I think this is the first time that has happened since this blog began!) Randall had 9800 and Megan had 6400.
The Final Jeopardy category was Canadian History, and here is the clue (ding!): "A river is named for this man born in Scotland in 1764, the first European known to have crossed Canada." I had never heard of this man or his river, but Randall and Megan had. (Did you guys know it?) They both got it right. Megan nearly doubled her total, but Randall wagered enough to win even if Megan had wagered it all (assuming he got it right, too, of course). He becomes a 2-day champ.
*Evita, underground, Argentina, chrysanthemum, McKenzie
Was anyone else thrown when today's first contestant (Randall Johnson of WA) was described as an "enologist?" (That's how my closed captioning spelled it.) I was glad Mr. Trebek clarified later that he "works with the wine industry." I did look up "enologist" just now, and it can in fact be spelled that way. I'd only known the prefix "-oen." Who knew?
Speaking of "who knew," did anyone else get these "triple stumpers" right? For 400 in Great Danes: "This Texan of Danish heritage, Dukakis' running mate, also served as treasury secretary under Clinton." And this one (which wasn't technically a triple stumper, because it was a Daily Double and only one person had a shot at it): In the category Husky: "From the Latin for 'oaken' and 'strong,' this word is used to describe a rich, strong cup of coffee." For1200 in the category Labrador: "In 1965, the Hamilton River, Labrador's longest, was renamed this after a late British prime minister." And I kinda got this one right, although I didn't say it out loud, which is my usual requirement: For 1200 in the category Chow: "Chicken is popularly prepared this way, Italian for 'hunter's style,' with mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes."
Randall got off to a slow start today. You could see him trying to ring in, but he wasn't first until after the first break. He was still in third place at the end of the Jeopardy round, behind Gabe Hernandez of CA with 9000, and 1-day champ Kathy Kenny of NJ with 7200. He hit his stride, though, and at the end of Double Jeopardy he was in the lead with 10800. Gabe had 7400, and Kathy had 8000.
I was stumped on today's Final Jeopardy, and so were all the contestants. Did you guys know it? The category was U.S. Presidents: "He's the only president sworn in on a Catholic missal; it wasn't his." (Hint: It's not JFK, as everyone guessed.) Randall lost 5801, but he was left with enough to become the new champion.
At the top of today's how, Mr. Trebek said after this week there will be two tournaments: first the Million Dollar Celebrity tournament, and then the Tournament of Champions! (It's always nice when we're warned that regular episodes aren't going to be on, isn't it?)
You have just over a week to get in on my contest. Become a follower of this blog to be eligible.
*Lloyd Bentsen, robust, Churchill, cacciatore, LBJ
It seems to be the week for teachers on Jeopardy! Today we had 2-day champ Phil Bucska of MI, who we recall is a history teacher, and Kathy Kenny of NJ, a math teacher. (What do you think: If I told them I was a tutor for a few months several years ago, would that improve my chances of finally getting on the show?) Rounding out the three was Carl Saras of MA.
Phil led throughout the game, as he did yesterday. At the end of the Jeopardy round, he had 6600 to Kathy's 1200 and Carl's 2800. It helped that Phil nearly swept the final category The Grammies 2010, and may have done it if they had time for the last clue to be revealed. (I wish they hadn't gotten to that category last! I was sweeping the category, too, and I would've rather seen that last clue than any about the Knesset.)
I got this clue right and no one else did in the category "-Tion" Me, for 800: "A short pause before acting."* (Hint: It's not "audition," though Mr. Trebek seemed to be considering it when Kathy gave that response.) Also this one for 1200 in Geography "B": "An airport in Missouri is named for Springfield and this city, home to more than 50 live theaters." No one rang in, but Mr. Trebek wondered by Carl didn't, saying he appeared to have figured it out in time. The next such clue requires a bit of explanation. I'll just use Mr. Trebek's exact words to explain the category Daffy-nitions: "Each clue will have two parts. I'll give you an example: If I said 'melon' and 'the inability to run away and get married,' the correct response would be 'what is cantaloupe.'" I haven't seen this category before, and I wouldn't mind never seeing it again. But here is the clue, which was a Daily Double that Phil found, and the last clue of the Double Jeopardy round: "A roster of cows and bulls, or something that triggers a reaction." Phil lost 2000, giving him 11400, Kathy 9600, and Carl 9100. The Final Jeopardy category was Words from the French, The clue: "The first known use of this word in the U.S. was in an obituary for wealthy banker Pierre Lorilland in 1843." I thought this was a toughie. Carl got it wrong and lost 501. Kathy got it right and added 8601. Phil got it wrong and wagered 7801, making Kathy the new champion!
*hesitation, Branson, catalyst/cattle list, millionaire
First, here is the latest correspondence from the Game Show Network: "We've forwarded your comments for the programming department to view. GSN values your feedback and we appreciate the time you’ve taken to write us." By the way, I have to hand it to them for responding so promptly both times. And I feel like they actually read what I wrote. I want to urge you again to contact GSN yourselves. The more people who write, the likelier we are to get what we want.
Today's Jeopardy! episode featured not one but two history professors, and a librarian: Chris Staaf of GA, 1-day champ Phil Bucska of MI, and Hilary Caws-Elwitt of PA, respectively. Mr. Trebek mentioned that this has been a week of one-win wonders. Today's match was no runaway, like yesterday's had been. When Hilary found the first Daily Double of the Jeopardy round, she had 3600, Chris had 6000, and Phil had 9200. Hilary wisely (it turned out) wagered it all (hey, she is a librarian), and answered this clue correctly in Literary Characters: "Ironically, Henry Fleming gets this title reward in an 1895 novel after being struck by a comrade during a retreat."*
By the time Phil found the second Daily Double, he had 10000, Hilary had 7200, and Chris had 8400. This clue had a video with it, but I don't think you'll need it to answer this one correctly. The category is Country Add-a-Letter: "Add a letter to the country in red, and you get this word for a female." Phil wagered 2000 and got the correct response with no trouble. At Final Jeopardy, Phil led with 16000, Hilary had 12000, and Chris had 10000, respectable totals, all. For the second day in a row, no one got Final Jeopardy right. I didn't either, this time. Here's the clue in Telecommunications Terminology (which, by the way, includes the longest word ever in a Final Jeopardy category, according to Mr. Trebek): "In 1992, New York got the first one: 917." I don't like this clue, I must say. Of course, the answer that springs to mind is "area code," until you note the year. Both Chris and Hilary responded with that, though! I personally think it's better to answer nothing than to answer something you know is wrong. Chris lost 9999, Hilary lost 8001, and Phil lost 3999 with his response of "fax code," bringing to an end the "one-win wonder" streak.
Now, since I can't help myself, here's a clue I knew that no one else did (but Mr. Trebek did think Chris knew it and didn't ring in). TV, for 2000: "A red beverage introduced for public sale bore the same name as this HBO show, in which the drink is seen."
*The Red Badge of Courage, woman (Oman), overlay area code, True Blood
This is what I wrote to GSN via their website: "Hello! I was wondering why Jeopardy! is no longer on GSN. I am very disappointed. Jeopardy! is my favorite show. It's the only reason I got a bunch of extra channels (because they included GSN and thus, more Jeopardy!). Also, I write a blog about Jeopardy! (thejeopardyfan.com) and frequently refer to GSN episodes of it. Are there any plans to bring Jeopardy! back to GSN? I'm sure I'm not the only one who misses it. Thank you so much for your time. I look forward to a response."
And this was the response, which came within a few hours: "Periodically we change our schedule based on program ratings and need to refresh the line-up. Since we have such a limited number of Jeopardy episodes, we're resting it from the schedule for awhile so we don't 'wear out' the repeats."
This was my response to them: "Thank you for your response. I guess you don't have access to old episodes of Jeopardy!, like from the 80s and 90s, or even from the Art Fleming days? I would love to see that, and I was hoping for that when I first got GSN. Thank you again."
I will keep you posted, readers! And I still encourage you to let GSN know how you feel!
I just noticed that GSN is on Twitter. I just tweeted my displeasure about dropping Jeopardy! Do it, too! Send an e-mail to them, too, like I did. Thank you!
First things first: Don't forget to enter my contest! Just become a follower of this blog by May 3rd for a chance to win a prize. (See the April 3 entry to see the prize.)
Second: Below are some of my recent scores. Sometimes I feel like these scores need commentary all their own! (In case you are new to this blog, I play along at home with my Jeopardy Challenger, and I post my scores.)
Charlotte Hotchkiss, WA 300
Ian Silverman, CA 16000
Arthur Christy, VA 6608
Me 18398
Elizabeth Richards, NJ 799
Ken Starnes, AR 21800
Ian Silverman, CA 1800
Me 11198
Rick Reed, VA 10002
Amy Wilson, OR 19999
Ken Starnes, AR 16100
Me 20002
Yesterday's episode featured Patsy Chrysson of NC, Phil Bucska of MI, and 1-day returning champ Amy Wilson of OR. If you saw Amy's first episode, you know she had a come-from-behind win that day. It seems that such champions prove to be rather weak, and indeed, she was behind throughout the game. At the end of the Jeopardy round, she was in the hole at -800. Phil had 6400 and Patsy had 1800. Though Amy was able to accrue 10000 by Final Jeopardy, Phil continued to lead, thanks in part to getting the two Daily Doubles correct and adding 2000 each time. He also nearly swept a category about the Ottoman Empire that was way over my head. Phil had an insurmountable 21200 before Final Jeopardy, and Patsy had 4600.
The Final Jeopardy category was Sainthood. Before finding out people's responses, Mr. Trebek said he thought it was a "slam-dunk," like it had been for me. But I thought it was a toughie for anyone who was not Catholic, and indeed, no one on the show got it right! Not even the history teacher, Phil Bucska. I'm curious to know how many of YOU knew the answer: "In 2009, this man who died on Molokai became Hawaii's first saint."* Phil lost 800, while Amy lost 500 and Patsy lost 4000.
Do you recall any clues that you got right that no one else did? I had two, not counting Final Jeopardy. For 1000 in Space Missions: "The Messenger craft is the first mission to explore this planet since Mariner 10 in the 1970s." And for $1200 in Edible Instant Replay: "This rich 5-letter cake with eggs, ground nuts and little to no flour, is down by contact with my stomach."
One more thing - Did you notice that Game Show Network is not showing Jeopardy! at all anymore?! I am outraged, enough so to write a letter to both GSN and to my cable company. (I only get a bunch of extra channels for Jeopardy! on GSN.) Showing Jeopardy! just once a day was bad enough. Now not at all? Please join me in contacting GSN and your cable company. And let me know about your efforts!
*Father Damien, Mercury, torte
Before I get into today's Jeopardy!, I wanted to let you know there is a Jeopardy! Challenger available on eBay again. Join me in posting your scores! Here are my recent ones:
Conor Collins, RI 8000
Karla Ruksys, NJ 30000
Brandon Hathaway, GA 10400
Me 31202
Morgan Saxby, VA 32401
Marv Pena, CA 3500
Karla Ruksys, NJ 24500
Me 0
Jack Aponte, NY 338
Sarah Simadi, IL 4799
Morgan Saxby, VA 8000
Me 26800
Morgan Saxby of VA was off to an unusually slow start today. He was in the hole right away. At the end of the Jeopardy round, he had just $1000. Andrew Sidden of FL had 3000, and Arthur Christy of VA led with 5800. Morgan added 2000 to his score on the second clue of the Double Jeopardy round, a Daily Double. In the category Pulitzer Prize Winners: "1978: This late language lover for his New York Times commentary."*
Here's a clue from today's episode that I got right and no one else did. (I love it every time!) For $800 in the category The Truck Stops Here: "There's an Iron Skillet Coffee Shop at the Petro Truck Stop in this Texas town, made famous in a Marty Robbins song."
I was thinking so hard about the Final Jeopardy clue I almost forgot to write it down. In Brand Logos: "Its original logo, designed in 1976, showed Isaac Newton sitting under a tree." All three contestants got it right, but it stumped me. Andrew added 6002 to his 9400 while Morgan added 8201 to his 10600. But it was not enough. Arthur had 15400 going into Final Jeopardy, and added 5801 with his correct response.
So today's Jeopardy! didn't end well for me. Nothing against Arthur, but I liked both Morgan and Andrew. With 3 wins and an average of more than $22000 a win, I thought Morgan had the makings of a 5-game winner and thus a Tournament of Champions contestant. As for Andrew, I don't know why I liked him. What else can I say? Besides this: Don't forget about my contest. Just become a follower of this blog before May 3rd and you are eligible to win. Easy.
*William Safire, El Paso, Apple
I watched Jeopardy! tonight in especially good spirits. I think it's because I have my taxes done. Phew!
I was busy writing down the contestant's names when I heard David Hoskins of Mississippi identified as a "guybrarian." I was so alarmed that I looked up at the screen, and indeed, that's how closed captioning had spelled it. I was sure Mr. Trebek would ask him about it! When he didn't, I sort of hoped David would win so maybe Mr. Trebek would ask him tomorrow. I would look it up, but I want to hear from you, readers, if you have ever heard of this and what it means.
I also hoped David would win (or heck, anybody else!) because I found his opponent Emily Bryk of New York so irritating. At first she just copped an obvious attitude, but as the game progressed, especially in Double Jeopardy, it seemed like she felt like she could show off, and she was trying to. She got cockier every minute, even feigning shock and asking Mr. Trebek after being read a Daily Double clue, "You think I should know this?" Here was the clue, in Fashion Designers: "Giorgio Armani puts on fashion shows at his pallazzo on Via Borgonuovo in this northern Italian city."* Then of course, she acted like she was picking a random city and said, "Really?" when told she was right. Judging by his flat response I don't think Mr. Trebek was amused either, but only he knows.
Rounding out the contestant panel (if I may call it that) was 1-day champ Brandon Hathaway from Augusta, Georgia. I wonder if he'll be watching himself on Jeopardy! this week or, like many other Americans (not me), The Masters.
Speaking of sports, I was very surprised when no one came up with a correct response (or an incorrect one) on this $1000 clue in Fun at the Ballpark (I must have made a face like Emily's at the aforementioned Daily Double): "In a 1983 game, the presence of this substance on George Brett's bat caused controversy at Yankee Stadium." Now in my mind, the image of Brett storming out of the dugout and having to be restrained is one of the most famous and memorable scenes in the history of baseball. And NO, I would not have been old enough to remember it when it happened. Do you guys know this one without peeking at the correct response? Somebody say yes!
Emily got her comeuppance in Final Jeopardy. She was in the lead with $17000. Brandon had $13600, and David had $7400. No one (including me) came up with a correct response to this clue in The Animal Kingdom: "The coelacanth and the ivory-billed woodpecker are sometimes referred to as this Biblican man 'species.'" A toughie, it turned out. David lost everything on that clue. Brandon lost $6000, but it was still enough to beat drama queen Emily, who lost $10201.
P.S. Sorry, gotta keep mentioning my contest. Become a follower of this blog and you'll be eligible!
*Milan, pine tar, Lazarus
First, let me remind you of the contest I am holding! To be eligible, all you have to do is become a follower of this blog.
I was pulling for 1-day champ Laura Hughes of Maryland today. Her husband appeared on Jeopardy! back when Alex had a mustache and clues started at $100 rather than $200. He was a 2-day champ. Her opponents today were Nancy West of Nevada and Brandon Hathaway of Georgia.
I got to watch Jeopardy! with my parents again tonight. My mom actually had watched it already, while my dad and I watched a tape. My mom said she did get some answers right when she watched it by herself, though. ;-) My dad did well tonight! I was impressed again, but he didn't think he did any better than usual. How do you compare to my dad? The ones he nailed are below.
$400 in Beethoven's: "...hometown, it was West Germany's capital from 1949 to 1990."*
$1000 in "Ode" to Joy: "A battery has two of these: a positive anode and a negative cathode." (Hint: I guess diode and felt pretty sure about it, but my dad reiterated what he originally said with an air of well-placed confidence.)
$1000 in Ninth: "The ninth pope to bear this devout name had the longest reign of any pope, 1846-1878."
A Daily Double in 4-Letter Words: "This measurement comes from the Latin for 'twelfth part.'" (Brandon got it wrong.)
$1600 in "G" Male: "South Carolina's 2 Republican Senators in the 111th Congress are Jim DeMint and him."
For my part, I swept the Costly Breakups category. I'm particularly proud of this clue that no one else got right: (for $1600) "His first wife, actress Amy, received $100 million dollars when they parted ways."
Brandon couldn't be caught going into Final Jeopardy. He had $17800, and Nancy was his nearest opponent with $8000. Both Brandon and Nancy wagered nothing on this clue in Fashion History (I got this one right, too. I remember seeing it in People magazine once.): "It was unveiled July 5, 1946 at Paris' Piscine Molitor and it created a scandal." Brandon and Laura got it right, and Laura got it wrong.
*Bonn, electrodes, Pius, Lindsey Graham, Steven Spielberg, the bikini
Just wanted to alert everyone that there is another Jeopardy! Challenger up for auction on eBay! Pick it up and join me in posting your scores here!
That's right, dear readers, The Jeopardy! Fan is holding its first contest! Up for grabs: the beautiful Jeopardy! bag pictured below. (A close-up of the logo is on the right.)
The bag measures 21 1/2 x 16 x 7. It has never been used. It is worth $19.95.
All you have to do for a chance to win is become a follower of this blog! Everyone who becomes a follower from now until May 3rd is eligible. Leave a comment if you have any questions. Sincere thanks for checking this out.
I am so sorry I was absent for so long while I was indulging another passion at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Tennis, anyone else?) I am going to make up for it very shortly. I had more than a week's worth of Jeopardy!s to catch up on! I sure enjoyed it and in fact I wish I had more to watch. Rather than comment on all those, I played along and am posting my scores. I did pretty well for myself. I wish I would've had that mojo when I made my March Madness brackets and my tennis brackets. (I hope posting my scores doesn't bore anyone to tears. I doubt it would if you'd join me! Hint!)
Hey, did anyone notice that the Game Show Network is not showing any more episodes until April 15th?! Why?! I was scared at first that they were getting rid of it altogether.
Lisa Horowitz, CA 4200
Jonathan Sanchez, SC 7400
Kristian Zoerhoff, IL 13200
Me 21998
Colin McClain, MO 15700
Regina Robbins, NY 38500
Kristian Zoerhoff, IL 38399
Me 8798
Derek Honore, CA 11900
Tatiana Walton, FL 7100
Regina Robbins, NY 19401
Me 5998
Sean Burns, PA 399
Susan Malmo, AZ 20600
Regina Robbins, NY 21200
Me 21202
Huat Lim, WA 1500
Kerry Smith, MI 10000
Regina Robbins, NY 11599
Me 22798
Melissa Kowalski, PA 8999
Manny Maldonado III, TX 12500
Regina Robbins, NY 0
Me 14802
Emily Cloyd, MI 50
Stacy Braverman, D.C. 14984
Manny Maldonado III, TX 801
Me 26400
Matt Drury, NY 18799
Pat Garahan, CA 8000
Stacy Braverman, D.C. 9402
Me 28002
Jessica Trudeau, IL 34401
Ken Burke, CA 1
Matt Drury, NY 200
Me 19200
Gary Gambino, OH 9199
Laura Hughes, MD 27500
Jessica Trudeau, IL 10600
Me 14398
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