What is criminology?

     Triple-stumper from Friday, 1-28: In I Owe You an '-ology':  "This -ology, part of sociology, uses the theory of differential association (i.e., hanging around with a bad crowd)."
     I had to rely on the Internet for this one, because I didn't find anything in any of my books about this theory.  But I wanted to know more about it and how someone could up with the correct response from this clue.  I texted this clue to a friend who has a degree in criminology, and she didn't know the answer.  However, she did not know the category.  I gave that to her, but she simply asked me what the answer was.  I don't think she knew I was still hoping she'd answer.  If anyone reading this has a criminology degree, I'd love to hear from you, too.  I also asked about this on the Jeopardy! message boards and on Twitter.  I didn't hear from anyone on Twitter, but these were two responses on the boards:

• "I feel the 'hanging around with a bad crowd' part of the clue was facile and misleading. It doesn't help at all, and in fact muddies the water. I also don't see criminology as a branch of sociology, any more than so many other -ologies are, although I suppose technically it might be."
• "I don't know about 'unreasonably hard,' but it wasn't very clear IMO. My first thought was "criminology" but I immediately dismissed that because that was an awfully poor definition of criminology. In retrospect I think it wasn't supposed to be a definition, but more along the lines of 'what -ology involves this theory?' At any rate I clammed, then slapped myself."

     The theory in this clue was proposed by Edwin Sutherland, a sociologist who I was very surprised and pleased to discover was born in small-town central Nebraska, in 1883.  I also discovered it was he who coined the term "white-collar criminal," in 1939.  The theory is pretty much summed up in the clue: a person develops a habit of committing crime as a result of interacting with those who commit crime, as opposed to those who do not.

What is a lighthouse?

     Triple-stumper from Friday, 1-28:  In Engineering: "John Smeaton is known for the all-masonry one of these he built on Eddystone Reef near Plymouth, England."  No one rang in on this one.  I was wondering what is meant by "all-masonry," as opposed to any other way that lighthouses are made.  When I look up "masonry" in my dictionary (Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged), it says, "something that is built by a mason : something constructed of the materials (as stone, brick, concrete block, tiles) used by masons."  When I saw that, I wanted to find an image of the lighthouse referred to in the clue:

     Lighthouses, it turns out, were usually made of wood.

     Smeaton was a civil engineer who lived from 1724-1792.  This lighthouse, made of hydraulic lime (concrete that will set under water), was in use from 1759 to 1877.  By then, erosion was causing the lighthouse to shake from side to side.  The original, then, is no longer there except for the foundation.  A memorial lighthouse was built nearby.

What is the Trans-Canada Highway?

     This is the first of hopefully many entries about triple-stumpers from the show (that is, explanations of some of those clues). I'm going to try to use books as much as I can as opposed to the Internet.
     Triple-stumper from Friday, 1-28:  In Engineering:  "Built at a cost of more than $200 million, it stretches from Victoria, B.C. to St. John's, Newfoundland."
     Lisa gave an incorrect response of "Trans-Canadian Railroad."  I did not actually find something called the Trans-Canadian Railroad, but I did see "Trans-Canada Railroad," "Trans-Canada Railway," and "Canadian Pacific Railway," all of which refer to the same thing.  To Lisa's credit, the Trans-Canada Railroad has its Western terminus in Vancouver, British Columbia.  However, the Eastern terminus is in Montreal, Quebec.  According to one site I came across, the Railway now serves Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City.
     Doug's incorrect response was "St. Lawrence Seaway."  It is nowhere near British Columbia: Like the Trans-Canada Railroad, it has a terminus in Montreal, and the other terminus is Lake Ontario.

A hard Nutt to crack

     Today's contestants: 

Eureka Nutt




Doug Payne



Lisa Dvorak


    









      Was it just me, or did this group of contestants seem rather bland?  Eureka told a story of a project she did for a psychology paper in college.  It was nearly identical to a science fair project I did in 7th or 8th grade: trying to get fish to respond a cue of tapping on the glass of the aquarium.  It would never occur to me to mention it on Jeopardy! as something interesting about me.

     I figure now is a good time to start making entries about triple-stumpers that stumped me, too.  The Australian Open is not quite over, but this final could not thrill me less, I don't think, unless you're talking about any womens' match.  (Prove me wrong?)  There were plenty of triple-stumpers to choose from today, enough to cover me over the next few days.  I was in disbelief that this one was a triple-stumper in So Sayeth the Talk Show Host.  It was the easiest clue on the board, I'd bet!: "This 'Late Show' guy: 'Fall is my favorite season in L.A., watching the birds change color and fall from the trees.'"*  Not only did everyone miss it, but someone actually guessed wrong. ???

     Doug found the first Daily Double in Start Spreading the Booze.  He had 1600, Lisa had 1400, and Eureka had 2600.  Doug wagered everything on this clue: "Barbayanni and Aphrodite are varieties of this anise-flavored, colorless liqueur."*  Doug got it right.  I was sorry to have missed it because it is a common word in crossword puzzles.  (I do LOTS of puzzles while I'm watching tennis and other TV.)  I want more from the puzzles to stick in my head!
     There were two clues left at the end of the round.  Lisa had 3800, Doug had 3600, and Eureka had 5200.  This was a tough round for me.  My Coryat score for the round was 4000.  I didn't get any of the 2000s right (although two were left hidden), and only one of the 800s. 
     Was that a new commercial about the upcoming "Watson" shows today?  I took notice because the narrator mentioned that Watson was practicing with former champs.  The only one I definitely recognized was a stressed-looking Justin Bernbach.  Did you guys notice any others?
     Doug found the next Daily Double, in Island Nicknames.  Just the name of this category gives me a nightmare.  Doug had 7200, Lisa had 7400, and Eureka quietly led with 15200.  Doug wagered 4000 on this clue: "The Island of Mutineers."*  I should've known this, but I missed it, and Doug did, too.
     Eureka found the last Daily Double, in "Stan" in the Place Where You Live, after Mr. Trebek said there was less than a minute left in the round.  She had 16000,  Doug had 2000, and Lisa still had 7400.  How do you suppose you'd have wagered, considering the "less than a minute" warning?  She wagered 1000 on this clue: "If you don't count the two 'y's, the 'a' in this 'stan' is the only vowel in its 10-letter name."*  I think my answer would've been counted right, although I didn't pronounce it quite like she did.  She got it right. 
     At the end of the round, again with two clues left, Lisa had 9400, Doug still had 2000, and Eureka still had 17000.  That means it was not a runaway.  The Final Jeopardy category was Disney Movies, which I felt good about.  This was the clue: "With special sound equipment needed in the auditorium, this 1940 film was initially released in only 14 theaters."*  I thought this was pretty easy, and all three contestants got it right.  Doug wagered everything but a dollar.  Lisa led Eureka by a dollar until Eureka's correct response was revealed.  She added 1801 to her score and is the new champion.  Is she strong enough to win more than once?  My Coryat score was low, for me: 14800.  Lisa's was 9400, Doug's was 5400, and Eureka's was 17600.

     Here are my scores from earlier this week:

1-26 Coryats: Ryan Nelson 7200     Tom Jennings 19000     Gitta Neufeld 11400     Me 22600

1-27 Coryats: Kara French 15000     Lisa Dvorak 16600     Tom Jennings 10200     Me 18000

*David Letterman, ouzo, Pitcairn, Kyrgyzstan, "Fantasia"

We have a winner...

     Thank you to those of you who posted your Coryats so far this year.  I assigned each person's score a number, and had my friend (who knew nothing about the contest) choose one of those numbers.  The winner is...Shubha (a former Jeopardy! contestant)!  Congratulations.  Shubha, let me know which of the three prizes you want.
     Today's contestants:


Gitta Neufeld



Amanda Sonmor



Abie Hadjitarkhani


     Amanda, a two-time champion going into today's show, was off to a fast start today, with 6000 at the first break.  I was on a roll myself.  I think I missed only one or two to that point.  I asked on the Jeopardy! boards if I should count this one in Games, and a discussion ensued but no consensus: "In other words, this summer camp game could be called 'Seize your enemy's banner.'"  I said "flag football," while the answer they were going for was "capture-the-flag."  I'm curious what you guys think - acceptable?  Abie had 1600 and Gitta had 800 at the first break.
     Amanda found the Daily Double in the round, in War.  She still loomed large with 7200 while Abie still had 1600 and Gitta had 1000.  Amanda wagered 1800 on this clue: "'Operation Rolling Thunder' was the 1965 U.S. bombing campaign designed in part to stop men and supplies coming south on this road."*  Amanda and I both missed it.
     I swept Biopic-nic and Middle "C" in the Jeopardy round, and was sweeping Parts of the Whole when Amanda found the first Daily Double in the round, just a few clues in.  She had 5600, Abie had 4800, and Gitta had 400.  Amanda wagered 1600 on this clue: "eyepiece, declination setting scale, azimuth fine adjustment."*  Amanda missed it, and I'd say she mangled the pronunciation of "binoculars" at the same time.  Have you ever heard anyone else say "bi-noculars," like with a long "i" sound?
     Abie found the other Daily Double just a few clues later, in Death by....  He had 5600, Amanda had 4000, and Gitta had 2400.  He wagered 2000 on this clue: "...air crash of his Mig fighter plane while on a training mission near Moscow, March 17, 1968."*  I missed this one, and so did Abie.
     At the end of the round, Amanda had 11200, Abie had 6800, and Gitta had 9200.  The Final Jeopardy category was The Old Testament, which seemed to suit Gitta, as she was described as a "Judaic teacher trainer" when she was introduced.  This was the clue: "In the book of Job, his name means 'accuser,' and that was his role in God's court."*  I thought this one was a toughie.  Abie and, naturally, Gitta got it right.  Abie wagered 2400, which tied him with Gitta until she added 9100 to her score.  Even though it wouldn't have mattered in the end, I would've wagered more than just to tie Gitta, since you could pretty much assume that she'd get it right.  Anyway, Amanda missed this one.  Gitta, then, who didn't seem to shine in this episode, is the new champion.  Today's Coryats:  Mine was 22400, Gitta's was 9200, Abie's was 8800, and Amanda's was 14600.  (If you still want to post yours even though the contest is over, please do!)
*Ho Chi Minh Trail, telescope, Gagarin, Satan

Four lets

     This is your final reminder to post your Coryat scores so far this year by Monday afternoon.  The possible prizes (your choice): Jeopardy! for the Wii, a copy of Final Jeopardy: Man vs. Machine and the Quest to Know Everything (signed by the author), or a Jeopardy Challenger.
     Speaking of man vs. machine, I learned that the PBS show Nova will be airing an episode about the upcoming Watson match on February 9 at 9 p.m. Central.  I've also been told that those Watson commercials are being shown during programs other than Jeopardy!  I have not seen that myself; have you guys?
     Since I'm watching the Australian Open as I'm writing this, I thought I'd let some tennis lingo into the title of this entry.  There were four clues on the show today that someone else answered (or should have) after someone else missed it.  First, the contestants:


Amanda Sonmor



Scott Harris



 



Sandy Holliman



     So how come no one got this one in This is N-P-R right after Sandy virtually said the answer after giving an incorrect answer? (The letters N, P, and R are found in the correct responses, in that order): "It's the filtering and excretory unit of the kidney."*  Then there's this one no one got after Scott virtually handed them the answer, in All Things Considered: "One birthstone of the last month of the year is this 6-letter gem that starts with the last letter of the alphabet."*  There's no excuse since you know how many letters and what letter it begins with.

     There were two more, however, that someone did get after someone else messed it up.  Sandy got this one right in World Literature after Scott said the correct response after an incorrect one: "This series of tales by Ovid was written in hexameters in 15 books."*  And Amanda got this one right in Also on the Monopoly Board after Sandy added a possessive to one of the words: "Flower patches named for Mr. Hagler."*

     Surprisingly, Sandy's hairdo was not the biggest of her problems today.  At the first break, she was already in the hole 1000, while Scott had 4400 and Amanda had 1600.  Sandy found the Daily Double of the round with one clue remaining afterward, in Pluto: Never Forget.  (Anyone know the significance of the category title?)  She still had -200 and wagered 1000 on this clue: "Pluto is in a stable 3-2 resonance with this planet, completing 2 orbits of the sun in the time the other completes 3."*  She got it wrong.  At the end of the round, then, she had -1200, Scott had 5000, and Amanda had 3600.

     By the time Scott found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, I was struggling in the round and hadn't answered anything right.  Scott had 6600, Sandy had -1600, and Amanda had 5600.  The category was Also on the Monopoly Board, and he wagered 2000 on this clue: "Alliterative slang for crying."*  Scott missed it, but I got it right.

     Sandy found the next Daily Double in World Literature immediately after getting the clue right about Ovid mentioned above.  She had 0 when she found it, while Scott had 3800 and Amanda had 7200.  Sandy wagered 2000 on this clue, prompting another "Good for you" from Mr. Trebek: "This South American's 'The General in His Labyrinth' is a fictional biography of Simon Bolivar."*  She missed it. :-(  Sandy tried but ran out of town, with four clues left on the board (and no good reason).  She wound up with -3600, while Scott had 9000 and Amanda had 7600.  How would you wager in the final in a situation like this?

     The Final Jeopardy category was Movie Sequels, and this was the clue:  "Golf carts used by the crew in production of this 2009 movie bore signs reading 'Galileo' and 'Bernini.'"*  I knew the correct original movie but couldn't come up with the sequel's name in time.  Amanda got it right and added 4700 to her score.  Scott almost got it right but left the plural off one of the words!  I almost thought Mr. Trebek was going to accept it and I was about to scream, but he noticed it.  Scott lost 6201, which would've been enough.  Tough break.  So we'll see Amanda next week.  My Coryat score was 15400.   Scott's was 11000, Sandy's was -600, and Amanda's was 7600. 

     In a comment on my last post, I talked about having gotten an autograph from Rafael Nadal at the Sony Ericcson Open last year. Shortly afterward, Rafa had a video on his website greeting his fans, and I was front and center at the very beginning of the clip! I tracked the video down. That's me in the red bucket hat, on cloud nine.

*nephron, zircon, "Metamorphoses," Marvin Gardens, Neptune, Waterworks, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "Angels and Demons"

     You have through the weekend to post your Coryat scores from these last three weeks in a comment here for a chance to win an awesome prize!  Here are mine and the contestants' from Tuesday and Wednesday this week:
Carrie Oken 1600     Ali Binazir 13600     Anthony Fox 15000     Me 14800
Jeff Gorham 13200     Margaret Metcalf 12600     Anthony Fox 11000     Me 18200
     Here are today's contestants:



Jeff Gorham



Scott Harris









     



Julie Wolfson

     In my last post, I threw out the idea of explaining triple-stumpers I too missed rather than tell you which ones I got right.  The more I think about it the more I want to do it, but it's gonna wait until after the Australian Open.  I'd have had plenty to work with today, though.  There were triple-stumpers left and right, and it was evident before the first Daily Double was found by Scott.  He had 2400 at the time, while one-day champ Jeff had -200 and Julie had 800.  The category was Colleges and Universities.  Scott wagered 800 on this clue: "Opened in 1865, this N.E. college was started by a scientist for an increasingly industrialized America."*  Scott and I both didn't know it.      At the end of the round, Scott had 2200, Jeff had 2400, and Julie had 4800.  A whopping four clues were left on the board, and I don't have an explanation for it!  The board seemed less likely to clear in the Double Jeopardy round, because it featured a category about penguins that was read by the Clue Crew and some other peeps.
     I swept Siblings of Song and Where It Ails You in the Double Jeopardy round.  Scott found the first Daily Double in the latter.  He had 11800, Julie had 8000, and Jeff had 6000.  Scott wagered 1500 on this clue: "Acromioclavicular joint separation - the joint."*  He got it right.
     Scott found the next Daily Double, too, in the aforementioned Penguins.  It sounded like he started to ask for the 1600 clue in the category, then changed his mind and went with 1200, where the Daily Double was found.  Julie still had 8000, Jeff had 8000 too, and Scott had 11800.  Scott took seemingly forever to make his wager, a baffling 1500.  There were two clues remaining after this one.  I would've wagered more, but not so much that I'd be behind those two if I'd gotten it wrong.  Anyway, here is the clue: "This 7-letter term for a breeding place for penguins comes from the name of a colony of another black bird."*  I thought this one was tough, and Scott missed it, too.
     At the end of the round, then, Scott had 13600, Jeff still had 8000, and Julie had 9600.  The Final Jeopardy category was World Leaders.  This was the clue: "At his 1994 inaugural, he called for 'a rainbow nation at peace in itself and the world.'"*  I'm sorry to say I missed this one, considering all the contestants got it right.  Jeff gained 1601 to lead Julie by a dollar until she added 6500 to her score.  Scott wagered 5601, enough to become the champion.  My Coryat score today was 16600.  Jeff's Coryat score was 8000.  Julie's was 9600, and Scott's was 15000. 
*M.I.T., shoulder, rookery, Mandela

Time for the online test!

     Hi, guys.  A lot to cover again today!  First, the Jeopardy! online test is upon us, a little later than usual this year!  Adults, teens, and college students may sign up.  The adult test will take place on February 8-10.  (You sign up according to the time zone where you'll be.)  Go here to register.  And if you're looking to practice, there are practice tests available on the Jeopardy! message boards, created by members of the board.  I plan on doing two a day until the real thing.
     First, a reader asked me in a comment on the previous entry whether I had watched Terry Linwood's first episode in a rerun Saturday.  I hadn't, but I did today!  My mom came to see me and I asked her to bring the tape.  We watched it together, and I kept track of my score, which was maybe my personal best at 29800.  (Terry's Coryat score was 12800, Noam Osband's was 15000, and Genevieve Sheehan's was 11000.)  At the end of Terry's show my mom commented that he was smart, not knowing about what was in store for him!  I was happy to tell her!
     Today's contestants:

Anthony Fox (I love how he looks in this picture!  And BTW, he is buying a banjo with his winnings!)

Claudia Kasvin (pronounced "Cloudy-a" sometimes by Mr. Trebek)



Gerard Coletta (He's a librarian assistant!  And he talked about his prom in his interview!)

     The first round featured a Children's Literature theme, and that category was the first on the board.  I thought the whole thing was fun.  The very first clue was a triple-stumper, in Where the Wild Things Are: "The split-jawed type of this constricting snake is native to the islands of Mauritius."*

     Speaking of triple-stumpers, I had an idea:  What if instead of entering the triple-stumpers I knew, I put the ones I didn't, and followed them with further information about the clue and response?  I could publish them on days that I am not able to blog about the show.  What do you think?  I think I (and you?) would learn more.  Tell me what you think.

     By the first break, I hadn't answered any clues incorrectly, and had only passed on two.  Anthony had 3400, Claudia had 3000, and Gerard had 800.  After the break, I didn't know the next two clues, then the Daily Double appeared, found by Claudia.  The category was Curious.  She had 3800, Anthony had 4000, and Gerard still had 800.  Claudia wagered 1500 on this clue: "A Latin word for 'to ask' gave us this adjective meaning curious for knowledge."*  She missed it.  She ended the round with 4900, while Anthony had 6000 and Gerard had 600. 

     Three clues were left uncovered in the Jeopardy round, all in George.  In the Double Jeopardy round, the question was not whether there'd be any clues remaining, but how many, as Oprah Winfrey read another category (Oprah Gets Historical).  Incidentally, I do like her hair these days.  This time there was only one clue left.  Not bad.

     I swept A Woman's Place is in the House, about women in Congress and Senate.  I was sweeping Food Words and Phrases when Anthony found a Daily Double there.  He had 13200, Claudia had 3700, and Gerard had quietly attained 9800.  Anthony wagered 3000 on this clue: "California car buyers are protected by the Tanner Consumer Act, known by this alliterative name."*  We both got it right.

     Claudia found the next Daily Double, in The Next Bible Book, Alphabetically.  (Self-explanatory!)  This wound up being the last clue of the game.  She had 8100, Anthony had 16600, and Gerard still had 9800.  Claudia said she was not confident and wagered only 500.  This was the clue: "John 3."*  I shouted two responses before she answered, and both were wrong.  She was wrong, too.  In fact I don't think she gave a response.

     The Final Jeopardy category was Authors.  This was the clue: "This author, whose first name is also an English word meaning a saying or motto, was the first president of the Soviet writers' union."*  I couldn't come up with it, and none of the contestants did, either.  Claudia lost 3002.  Gerard lost all but a dollar.  Anthony wagered 3001, which was enough to remain champion for a third day.  My Coryat score was 16200.  Anthony's was 15200, Claudia's was 9600, and Gerard's was 9800.

    

*boa, inquisitive, Lemon Law, Jonah, Maxim Gorky

Crazy like a Fox

     Phew, I feel like I have so much to say, but it's a GOOD thing.
     First, I've made a slight change to my contest: I'm extending it through next week, ONLY because I realized I said on the Jeopardy! message boards that one can enter their Coryats through the 21st.  I know of at least one guy from the boards who was going to enter the contest, so to be fair I'm extending the deadline.  But just think: If you've been keeping track of yours, and you post them here in a comment, you will have 15 chances to win an awesome prize!
     Now for my own Coryat scores this week.  Incidentally, I didn't keep track of my score Thursday because something went wrong with the my reception of the show, and I missed the clues before the first break:
Tuesday, 1-11: 18200 (Contestant Coryats: Dan Jensen 12400, Justin Braganza 13200, Sally O'Rourke 17400)
Wednesday, 1-12: 25600 (Contestant Coryats: Sally O'Rourke 20000, Tom Toal 14600, Elizabeth Karlin 9600)
Friday, 1-14: 18800 (Contestant Coryats appear at the end of this post.)
     Next, I'm just pumped to tell you that Ken Jennings has finally joined Twitter!  I guess that's enough said about that!
     Today's episode featured these three:


Matt McQueary



        

Anthony Fox




John McLean



      Anthony is the returning champ, with one day under his belt.  He found the first Daily Double today before the first break, in Drop Dead Diva.  He already had 2200, while John had 800 and Matt had nothing.  Anthony wagered 1400 on this clue: "This jazzy diva who sang 'Strange Fruit' was just 44 and under arrest in her hospital bed when she passed away in 1959."*  I couldn't help but feel like Anthony threw away this clue.  He answered something rather bizarre, and quite quickly.  I came up with the correct response but I don't know anything about this person.  (I am intrigued, though!  I plan to look up more, unless one you knows more about these circumstances...?)

     At any rate, Anthony had 1200, John had 3600, and Matt had 200 at the first break.  There were three clues left uncovered in the Jeopardy round, unfortunately, and they were all in Drop Dead Diva.  I liked that category the most, along with They're on Cable TV, which was the second-to-last category completed.  I think Anthony may be to blame.  He, like many recent contestants, was slow to select, although it wasn't as bad in the Jeopardy round.  Anthony ended the round with 3000, while John had 5200 and Matt had 1200.

     Shakespeare appeared in the Double Jeopardy round (Shakespeare's Tragic Endings), which I don't believe we have seen in a while.  I only got two of those right, and Wine, White Wine kicked my butt.  I only got this one, and it didn't really have much to do with win, but it was at the bottom of the category!: "A pale greenish-yellow color indicates that a young white wine is still exhibiting small amounts of this plant pigment."*

     I was amazed when no one answered this one in Spouse in Common to...: "Peter Horton, David E. Kelley."*

     John found the first Daily Double of the round, in It's an Honor.  He had 7600, Anthony had 5000, and Matt had 5600.  John wagered 1900 on this clue: "A communications building at Sam Houston State University in Texas is named for this alumnus and former CBS news anchor."*  John got it right.  I just barely came up with the name in time, but I'm counting it!

     What's in an Old Testament Name? was the last category chosen today.  Matt found the Daily Double there.  The game could barely have been tighter: Matt had 11200, Anthony had 11000, and John had 11500.  Matt wagered 1200 on this clue: "The first of the Hebrew patriarchs, his name means 'father of many.'"*  The obvious answer is correct.  I answered slowly because I couldn't have been that easy!  Matt got it right, too.

     The final scores going into Final Jeopardy were: Anthony 11000, John 11500, Matt 14000.  The category was The Presidency.  Here is the clue, which stumped all of us: "From the same state, they're the two presidents whose occupations are listed by World Book as 'planter.'"*  Anthony lost only 1000.  John lost 2501, and Matt lost a whopping 9001.  Anthony is your champion again, although today I feel like he kind of stole it from two stronger players!  I love Anthony's celebratory fist-pump, though!  We'll see him next week.  His Coryat score was 12400, John's was 11200, and Matt's was 13600.

*Billie Holiday, chlorophyll, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dan Rather, Abraham, Jefferson and Washington

Let it snow no more

     The word of the day is SNOW.  This is as much as I've seen in a long time, and that's saying something:

      Did you keep track of your Coryat score today?  Still no one has entered my contest, which makes your chances excellent if you would post your score(s).  If you have any, post them as a comment below.  I of course kept track of mine today.  I kind of miss hearing my Jeopardy Challenger's theme music play while that of the real show is.  Today's contestants:


Margaret Murphy




Michael Rose





Dan Jensen

     Incidentally, there was an article on pale blue ties in today's paper.
     I was embarrassed to miss this first clue of the day, in Italian Art and Artists.  I think I felt like I had to ring in because it was worth only 200.  Not a good start for me: "Begun in 1503, it's been called 'the most famous portrait in art history.'"*  Dan got it right.  I kicked myself, too, for not officially answering this triple-stumper in the same category.  I had it right in my head, but it was a wild guess and I didn't pull the trigger: "Caravaggio's Gypsy woman isn't just holding the man's hand, she's reading his palm, giving the painting this title."*

     Dan found the Daily Double of the round before the first break, in "Car" Pool.  He led with 4200, while Michael had 2000 and Margaret had 0.  Dan wisely wagered everything on this clue: "The Panteon Nacional in this city is the final resting place of Simon Bolivar."*  Like Dan, I answered quickly and confidently (though not the same thing), and we were both wrong.
     Did you guys notice during Margaret's contestant interview that she said something like, "...for four years, from age 4 to 10"?  She was referring to years she spent in Malta.  She said six years later in the interview, but I don't think she ever realized her mistake.
     Did you guys get this triple-stumper in Holidays and Observances?: "Quebec's Fete Nationale is June 24, the feast day of this herald of Jesus."*  What about this one, in Laundry Detergent?: "3-letter adjective for the Beatles."*
     After the Jeopardy round, Dan had 4000, Michael had 4600, and Margaret had 2200.  Dan found the first Daily Double in the Double Jeopardy round, in Those Animals Frighten Me!  He'd made a nice comeback with 9200.  Michael had 8200, and Margaret still had 2200.  Dan wagered 2000 on this clue: "Hippophobia (Don't say hippos)."*  Dan and I got it right. 
     Why was 6-Syllable Words the last category to be chosen?  It appealed to me the most.  The last clue of the round was the other Daily Double, and Michael found it.  He had 13000, Dan had 16800, and Margaret had 4200.  Michael made a most excellent wager of 4000:  If right, he'd have the lead.  If wrong, he'd still have more than twice the third-place person.  Here was the clue: "Meaning 'before the flood,' this word refers to something or someone very old."*  I slam-dunked this one, but Michael missed it.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Symbols.  This was the clue: "One tale of its origin says that the blind seer Tiresias separated 2 snakes with his staff."*  All three contestants got it right, and so did I.  Michael made another savvy wager.  (Is this guy a student of the game?): He apparently expected Dan to wager enough to beat him by a dollar if he doubled.  Michael, then, wagered to win if Dan wagered that way and missed.  Clever.  Dan did, in fact, wager that way.  So Dan wins again, and he looked as happy as ever.  We'll see him tomorrow!  My Coryat score today, by the way, is 22800.  Dan's was 20200, Michael's was 13000, and Margaret's was 4200.
*the Mona Lisa, the Fortune-Teller, Caracas, John the Baptist, Fab, horses, antediluvian, caduceus

Basque-ing in languages two consecutive days

     My Coryat score-keeping was thwarted today because (stay with me here) I used the onscreen guide while recording Jeopardy! on a VCR.  (Someone had alerted me on Twitter that the weekend rerun was going to be pre-empted where he lived, and he thought mine might be as well.)  This particular onscreen guide is so slow and just bad that it occasionally blacks out whatever is on TV while it is trying to think.  So I missed four clues, but I'll still give you my score for what I did see: 16200.  (See below for the Coryat scores of the contestants.)  No one else has posted their scores here yet.  This is bad news for me but GOOD for you, because your chances are better!  You still have a week to post any of both this week's and next week's.  These are GREAT prizes, people!  Please post your scores!
     Even though I missed four clues, it was a good day for me because I got FIVE triple-stumpers!  Did you guys know these?:
In Spirit of St. Louis: "In 1953, Sportsmans Park was renamed this, becoming the first of three ballparks to bear the name."*
In Poets of Song: "His song told of 'people talking without speaking...people writing songs that voices never share.'"*
In Smart Alex: "He won a Nobel Prize for his 1928 discovery of an early antibiotic."*
In Born to Run: "This president's son and grandson were Ohio senators; a great-grandson, Ohio's governor."*
In Numbers 4 Letters (A clue is given and then a series of numbers that coordinate with their place in the alphabet.  For example, today's returning champion is 4-1-14.): "It's ready for war: 1-18-13-25."*
     Today's contestants:


Dan Jensen (The restaurant he manages is sports-themed.)





Dana Gresko (Had anyone else heard of Montpelier, Virginia?  I thought Mr. Trebek misspoke.)

 



Gabe Perez-Giz (Looks exactly like Chilean tennis player Fernando Gonzalez)

     Gabe found the first Daily Double before the first break in Ends in "H".  He had a huge lead with 4000, compared to Dan's 400 and Dana's 200.  He wagered 2500 on this clue:  "The only state capital ending in 'h,' it was named for an English soldier and courier."*  Neither he nor I could come up with it in time.  I dare say it might even have been better suited to Final Jeopardy, considering the amount of time it would take.  Did you guys get it in time?      The Daily Doubles in the Double Jeopardy round, however, took longer to find.  Dan found the first one in Neckwear.  He had 6800, Dana had 3200, and Gabe had 2100.  Dan wagered 2000 on this clue: "For formal wear, there are 2 types of these ties: the bat wing and the thistle."*  Dan knew it, and I didn't.
     The next Daily Double was the second-to-last clue.  Gabe found it in "Song" of Poets.  He had 10100, Dan had 11600, and Dana had 7600.  At first I didn't like Gabe's wager of 1500 (thinking it not very gutsy), then I realized it was not that bad: He still retained second place going into Final Jeopardy even if he missed.  However, he could have wagered up to 499 more and would have had the lead over Dan if right and second place still if wrong.  Here was his clue: "William Blake published this collection in 1789; "Experience" would come a few years later."*   He did miss it.  I thought it was tough, too.  Then Dana got this last clue right in the same category, which seemed to thwart Gabe's plan of being in second place (if that in fact was his plan): "An insignificant battle between Charlemagne and the Basques at Roncevalles is the basis for this French epic poem."*  The scores going into Final Jeopardy, then, were 11600 for Dan, 9600 for Dana, and 8100 for Gabe.
     The Final Jeopardy category was World Languages.  This was the clue: "Of all the countries with Spanish as an official language, this one is last alphabetically."*
*Busch Stadium, Paul Simon, Alexander Fleming, Taft, army, Raleigh, bowties, Songs of Innocence, Song of Roland, Venezuela
Coryats: Dan 10800, Dana 9600, Gabe 12600

     So what have your Coryat scores been so far this week?  Don't forget to post them for a chance to win either Jeopardy! for Wii, a signed copy of Stephen Baker's Final Jeopardy: Man vs. Machine and the Quest to Know Everything, or a Jeopardy Challenger.  (Your choice.)
     Yesterday I couldn't really keep track of my score.  First, the show was "joined in progress" a few minutes in, which I suspect, but can't confirm, had something to do with a school shooting that took place in Omaha yesterday.  I started to keep track of my score then, but then there were little unexplained gaps in the show, so I didn't see everything.
     Here are today's contestants:

Steve Gratz (Plans to use his winnings to travel!)

Maureen Abell

Dan Jensen (Watched TV for 50 hours for charity!  And looks just like a kid I went to grade school with!)

    

     Is it just me or has Steve been ssssllllooooowwww to select clues every day he's been on?  It seems to be a trend among older contestants.

     At the first break, Steve had 1200, Dan had 3600, and Maureen had 2600.  The Daily Double was found by Dan after the first break in France France Revolution.  He had 7200, Steve had 2600, and Maureen had 3800.  Dan wagered 1500 on this clue: "Robespierre's committee of public safety controlled this period of the revolution that saw 30,000 executions."*  I slam-dunked this one, and so did Dan.

     After the Jeopardy round, Steve had 2200, Dan had 9300, and Maureen had 4800.

     In Double Jeopardy, Steve started on a roll after getting this one right that the other two missed, in Language of Origin: "Jai Alai."*  Incidentally, I missed ALL of the clues in that category.  Then Steve got the next two clues right, THEN found the Daily Double, all in Physics.  Even though he'd gotten those first two in the category right, he mentioned that he did not take physics.  (I didn't either.)  He then wagered 2000 of his 13000.  Dan had 8100 and Maureen had 2200.  This was Steve's clue: "Fluid dynamics can be divided into hydrodynamics, the study of fluids in motion, and this study of gases in motion."*  Steve did miss this one, but I believe it was the only one he missed in the category.  I got it right.  Later in the round, though, Steve suffered by missing at least three in a row.

     Maureen found the next Daily Double, in Seasonal Quotes.  She had 3600 while Dan had 9700 and Steve still had 11000.  She wagered 2500 on this clue: "T.S. Eliot wrote that it was the 'cruellest month...stirring dull roots with spring rain.'"*  This one's been on Jeopardy! many times, and that's the only reason you need to know it, I think.  Maureen got it right, too.

     Did you guys know this triple-stumper in Nicknames?: "This writer was known affectionately as 'The Concord Rebel' and 'The Poet Naturalist.'"*

     At the end of the round, the game couldn't have been much closer.  Mr. Trebek described it "extremely close."  Steve had 10200, Dan had 11300, and Maureen had 10500.  The Final Jeopardy category was Worldwide Media.  This was the clue: "The name for this news agency means 'peninsula,' referring to the Arabian peninsula."*  All three contestants got it right.  I left the "a" off the end - I want to know what you think: Acceptable? Wrong?  Let me know.  I asked on the Jeopardy! message boards, and only person has responded so far.  He said, "Wrong."  I'm dying to know if it would've been accepted on the show.

     Anyway, wagers were obviously going to be critical with the scores as close as they were and with everyone getting it right.  Steve wagered only 1101, which put him ahead of Dan by a dollar at the moment.  Maureen wagered 10000, putting her in the lead.  But Dan wagered 9701, which was enough to win even if Maureen doubled.  Dan looked pleased with his win, which is one reason I like him.  I want to see what he can do tomorrow.

     My Coryat score today was 17800.  Steve's was 12200, Dan's was 10600, and Maureen's was 9600.  My Coryat score from Tuesday was 18800.  Genaro Lopez' was 8600.  Alex Marchyshyn's was -1600.  Steve Gratz' was 13200.  (I got this info from j-archive.com, to whom I am always grateful!)

*Reign of Terror, Basque, aerodynamics, April, Thoreau, Al Jazeera

     Did you keep track of your Coryat score today?  Post it in a comment here for a chance to win one of these three prizes: 1) Jeopardy! for the Wii, 2) a *signed* copy of Stephen Baker's Final Jeopardy: Man vs. Machine and the Quest to Know Everything, 3) a Jeopardy Challenger.  You can post your Coryats up to ten times to increase your chances (every day this week and next).  Special thanks to Stephen Baker for offering to sign a copy of his book.
     Speaking of "Watson" and its match against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter (the subject matter of Baker's book), a commercial aired on today's episode between the two rounds.  What do you guys think?  The match aside, I was glad the commercial was in the usual place of an "Inside Edition" commercial.  I can hardly stand to watch those.
     I kept track of my score with the Coryat method today.  Here's a reminder what the scoresheet looks like(or at least what mine looks like).  Below is my Jeopardy round from today.  I use a checkmark to indicate I got the question right, a horizontal line to indicate I did not respond, and an 'x' to indicate I got the question wrong.  By the way, j-archive.com keeps track of the Coryat scores of the contestants on the show.  I will post them here as they appear so that you can compare yourself to the real contestants.

     Here are today's contestants:

1-day champion Lyn Thomas



Annemarie Brentrup (She's a pizza restaurant manager!)





Genaro Lopez

     Annemarie swept Sky High almost immediately.  (A skyscraper was provided in the clue, and the contestants were to name the city where it is located.)  By the first break, had 4000 while Genaro had 3600 and Lyn had 800.  (Lyn's first response was to the clue immediately preceding the first break.)

     I got two triple-stumpers in today's episode.  The first was in Novel Ideas.  How many of you knew this one: "'Cleanliness is next to Fordliness' is a line from this 1932 novel."*  And who else had to read this one in high school?

     This is the other triple-stumper I got, in Dude-er-onomy: "This actor played a Lebowski, not The Big Lebowski, but the dude abides."*  The only way I knew this is because this actor is in a much-hyped movie out right now.  (Not that the hype isn't well-placed.  I saw the movie over the weekend but was asleep during part of it.  What I saw was good.)

     Lyn found the Daily Double in the Jeopardy round, in Novel Ideas.  It was a close game; she had 4200, Genaro had 3600, and Annemarie had 3800.  Lyn wagered 1300 on this clue: "In a 1948 novel, he wrote, 'Pearls were accidents, and the finding of one was luck, a little pat on the back by God."*  I was wrong but Lyn got it right.  At the end of the round, she had 6700, Genaro had 4000, and Annemarie had 4200.

     Annemarie found the first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round.  The category was Job.  (The Double Jeopardy round featured a Bible-based theme.)  Annemarie had 8600, while Lyn had 7100 and Genaro had 9600.  Annemarie wagered 1500 on this clue: "This 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner in 75 years old and has spent 70 years in his current job."*  I couldn't come up with it in time, and I'm not sure that I would have, but Annemarie did.

     The next Daily Double was found by Lyn in Numbers.  She had 11100, Genaro had quietly grown his score to 16000, and Annemarie had 11700.  Lyn wagered 4000 on this clue: "In restaurant slang, this number means 'all gone.'"*  I thought this was a toughie.  Lyn didn't know it either and was not going to respond (like I would've done), but Mr. Trebek said something like, "You don't want to guess a number?" at which point she guessed something wrong.  Poor Lyn!

     At the end of the round, Lyn had 9100, Genaro had 16400, and Annemarie had 14500.  The final category was Pop Stars, which I was happy about!  This was the clue: "He was backed by London's Royal Philharmonic concert orchestra on his 2010 tour, which he called 'Symphonicity."*  I guessed something wrong at first, then got it right in time.  All three contestants got it right, too.  Did you?  I wonder if this clue was a little easier than I thought it was before seeing all three contestants got it right.  Lyn wagered 7400, Annemarie doubled except for a dollar, and Genaro wagered enough to win if she had doubled.  So he is your new champion!

     I almost forgot to reveal my Coryat score: 23400.  Lyn's Coryat score was 12800, Genaro's was 16400, and Annemarie's was 13800. 

*"Brave New World," Jeff Bridges, Steinbeck, the Dalai Lama, 86, Sting

Promises, promises

     I can't imagine why, but Jeopardy! was pre-empted by some weird cartoon on some weird network called "qubo."  I watched the whole half-hour just in case (by myself in the basement, banished by my family), and I waited until the next half-hour to make sure it wouldn't start then.  The onscreen guide said that Jeopardy! was going to be on, so I can't explain it.  The only thing I could do is tweet my displeasure to the channel that was supposed to air it.  If I hear back from them, I'll let you know.
     But a promise is a promise.  My exciting news is...I'm ringing in the new year with a new contest.  This one will be like the last one: I'm asking you to post your Coryat scores in comments here.  Here is a copy of the scoresheet, created by Josh Horstman from Indianapolis, Indiana.  The more you play, the more chances you have to win.  This time I will give you two weeks, so that is 10 chances!  What is the prize, you ask?  I'm giving you a choice of three things:
1) Jeopardy! for the Wii
2) A copy of Stephen Baker's Final Jeopardy: Man vs. Machine and the Quest to Know Everything (that is, once it comes out in February!)
3) A Jeopardy Challenger (the device I use to keep track of my score at home)
     Like last time, you can post your scores all at once, one day at a time, or anything in between.  Start Monday, January 3.  Also like last time, I'll join you in using the Coryat method to keep track of my score.  Any questions?  This will be fun!  Help me spread the word!