# I can't believe this on Jeopardy... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297 "2009-12-15T02:20:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/41 "2009-12-15T21:10:06Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I would have presumed that most people would have an easier time figuring out that Nigeria has a population of 150 million than that it is both an OPEC and Commonwealth member. Actually the “British Commonwealth” would have steered me away from the answer. I knew the approx. population and the membership in OPEC. But I would have heard Commonwealth and come up with a blank or a list of entirely different countries. Not that straightforward of a question. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/42 "2009-12-15T21:54:09Z")
> [@BrassyPhrase](#): > > I looked it up. > > I guessed Chad and SO said Libya. > > According to this website: [http://www.opec.org/library/FAQs/aboutOPEC/q3.htm](http://www.opec.org/library/FAQs/aboutOPEC/q3.htm) > > There are four–Algeria, Angola, Chad and Nigeria. > > Looks like it was a bad question? EMBARRASSING! I said wrong. The third country IS Libya, not Chad. He works in IT but in the Petro industry, mostly. He knew someone that had worked in Chad and always says “Chad” then slaps her arm like she’s killing a bug, b/c the insect life there was not good to her. That’s why I guessed Chad (plus, it’s the preppiest African country? Right?) But it’s actually Libya that’s a member of OPEC. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/43 "2009-12-15T22:02:41Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I just googled it to, and I would be surprised if it’s a gimme even to people who do follow Broadway but don’t read Playbill. Hell, I’ve even read the book the musical is based on; still none the wiser. No, to anyone who follows Broadway it was incredibly obvious. You don’t need to know anything about Playbill, \*\*Wicked \*\*has consistently been the highest grossing show almost every week since it opened in 2003. But if someone isn’t familiar with Broadway, of course it is not obvious. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/44 "2009-12-15T22:14:19Z")
> [@BrassyPhrase](#): > > EMBARRASSING! I said wrong. The third country IS Libya, not Chad. > > He works in IT but in the Petro industry, mostly. He knew someone that had worked in Chad and always says “Chad” then slaps her arm like she’s killing a bug, b/c the insect life there was not good to her. That’s why I guessed Chad (plus, it’s the preppiest African country? Right?) > > But it’s actually Libya that’s a member of OPEC. Remarkably, I actually thought “Libya” when I read the OP. I am shocked. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/45 "2009-12-15T22:14:21Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > No, to anyone who follows Broadway it was incredibly obvious. You don’t need to know anything about Playbill, \*\*Wicked \*\*has consistently been the highest grossing show almost every week since it opened in 2003. But if someone isn’t familiar with Broadway, of course it is not obvious. But why the connection to green? I guessed Shrek, since it’s the only broadway show my kids seemed interested in seeing when we were in NY (we bailed though), and Shrek is green. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/46 "2009-12-15T22:19:57Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > But why the connection to green? I guessed Shrek, since it’s the only broadway show my kids seemed interested in seeing when we were in NY (we bailed though), and Shrek is green. Because Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and main character, is green. ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/47 "2009-12-15T22:30:41Z")
[This](http://www.indyprideinc.com/circlecityinpride/calendar/images/wicked0606.jpg) is the Wicked poster and logo. It’s absolutely everywhere in cities where Wicked has been playing, and it’s very visible. And green. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/48 "2009-12-15T22:51:40Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > But why the connection to green? I’ve read the book and immediately knew the answer but I think anyone with a passing knowledge of recent Broadway musicals could have gotten that answer. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/49 "2009-12-15T23:26:44Z")
To add to the irony of the question…the person who won the day grew up in Saudi Arabia because her dad worked for an **oil company** there. She was a cutie, not afraid to show off some arm tattoo-age on national TV, she reminded me of Penelope from _Criminal Minds_. But unfortunately she was a one-day-wonder… ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/50 "2009-12-15T23:39:17Z")
Well, to be fair, as of this posting, only [58.82%](http://boards.sonypictures.com/boards/showthread.php?t=43993) of the denizens of the Jeopardy discussion board (about half of which had been on the show) got it right. Myself, I’m a geography (and everything geography related) geek, so [it was an “instaget” for me](http://boards.sonypictures.com/boards/showthread.php?p=806299#post806299). ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/51 "2009-12-16T00:38:39Z")
I did not get the OPEC question. I got the _Wicked_ question. I did not get the giraffe question. So now what? ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/52 "2009-12-16T01:28:48Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > 1. On October 30, 2008 Playbill changed its logo colour to green for a special edition marking this show’s 5th anniversary on Broadway. This sentence makes no sense if you do not (as I did not until I googled it) know what “Playbill” is. I thought tonight’s question telegraphed the answer and told my 7 year old daughter that it was an easy question and expected all 3 correct. All 3 missed it so there you go. > [@](#): > > This bird is known for its size (5 feet tall), its call (carries 2 miles), and its rarity; in 1941 there were only 21 in the world. All 3 said condor. The “call” clue shouted whooping crane to me. And btw I would suck on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/53 "2009-12-16T04:00:00Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > I did not get the OPEC question. I got the _Wicked_ question. I did not get the giraffe question. > > So now what? That depends. What did you wager? ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/54 "2009-12-16T11:29:14Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > I did not get the OPEC question. I got the _Wicked_ question. I did not get the giraffe question. > > So now what? I got the OPEC question. I’ve never even heard of _Wicked_. I got the giraffe question. So, we lead very different lives… ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/55 "2009-12-16T11:42:03Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > I don’t have the faintest idea of the first question (and not the remotest idea of how I could figure it out), and would guess ‘man’ or ‘giraffe’ for the second, depending on whether I thought size of brain relative to body size, or elevation of brain relative to body was the more important factor. In short, I would almost certainly miss both questions, and like most people on the Dope, I have a pretty good assortment of useless knowledge parked in my brain. I managed to get the one about Playbill, but my quick guess on blood pressure was also humans as I was thinking about the size of the brain and probable high need for blood to supply it. Oh, and I missed the OPEC one - other than the large and obvious countries I don’t know which other countries are members of the British Commonwealth/Commonwealth of Nations. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/56 "2009-12-16T14:41:22Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Actually the “British Commonwealth” would have steered me away from the answer. I knew the approx. population and the membership in OPEC. But I would have heard Commonwealth and come up with a blank or a list of entirely different countries. > > Not that straightforward of a question. I think you might have misunderstood me. You’re saying the same thing I did. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/57 "2009-12-16T16:43:57Z")
> [@LateComer](#): > > I thought tonight’s question telegraphed the answer and told my 7 year old daughter that it was an easy question and expected all 3 correct. All 3 missed it so there you go. > Quote: > This bird is known for its size (5 feet tall), its call (carries 2 miles), and its rarity; in 1941 there were only 21 in the world. > > All 3 said condor. The “call” clue shouted whooping crane to me. And btw I would suck on the show. I got that one, but I had to go deep into my memory to find it. I remember some Doonesbury strips from the 70’s, but since then, not much. Here’s one I’ve always thought might be a stumper: > [@](#): > > This city is home to the headquarters of OPEC. Good luck, everyone. _dah DAH dah dah, dah DAH dah…_ ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/58 "2009-12-16T17:26:14Z")
Vienna No, I don’t know why either. ---
**Author:** ![wisernow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@wisernow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wisernow)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/59 "2009-12-16T23:01:41Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Vienna > > No, I don’t know why either. That’s where the ministers of the countries go to attend a meeting and are supposed to be kidnapped. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297/60 "2009-12-17T04:21:17Z")
My first thought upon reading the OP was Libya. I would have never got _Wicked_ in a million years. I knew giraffe. I also know where OPEC headquarters is. I used to watch the TV show _Dallas_ religiously, and JR and Bobby went there towards the end of the series. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-believe-this-on-jeopardy/521297.md?page=4)