# Jeopardy: What if the question is a question? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646 "2009-03-24T21:16:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/1 "2009-03-24T21:16:19Z")
Responses must be in the form of a question. But what if the right response is already a question? For example: Pete Townsend’s group did this song about an identity crisis. What is _Who are you_? Do you need the “What is”? Would you get credit for simply saying, “Who are you?”😕 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/2 "2009-03-24T21:20:02Z")
As far as I know (only as a regular Jeopardy! viewer), it’s fine to simply give the answer, without needing to say “What is”. I think it’s also cooler, although few contestants actually do this. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/3 "2009-03-24T21:49:29Z")
I always thought it would be fun to go on Jeopardy and use an incorrect form of the question. Like, if the clue was: This is our nation’s capital, I would say: Who is Washington D.C.? Or would they count that as wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/4 "2009-03-24T21:51:34Z")
I remember a contestant a long time ago responded “is it such-and-such?” rather than “what is such-and-such?” It was an acceptable response. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/5 "2009-03-24T21:58:40Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > As far as I know (only as a regular Jeopardy! viewer), it’s fine to simply give the answer, without needing to say “What is”. I think it’s also cooler, although few contestants actually do this. No, It’s not a valid response. They let you get away with it once, in the first round, and if you continue doing it, you get it wrong. I’ve seen a guy in the Tournament of Champions lose something like $8000 on a Daily Double for not answering in the form of a question. It absolutely is a rule and that’s why they all do it. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/6 "2009-03-24T22:10:15Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > No, It’s not a valid response. They let you get away with it once, in the first round, and if you continue doing it, you get it wrong. > > I’ve seen a guy in the Tournament of Champions lose something like $8000 on a Daily Double for not answering in the form of a question. It absolutely is a rule and that’s why they all do it. I think **Dewey** was talking about responses that are themselves in the form of a question, such as “Who Are You?” as mentioned in the OP. So “Who Are You?” would be valid because it’s already a question. (Has this particular situation come up more than once in a show, where someone answered with the question-that’s-already-a-question more than once and got dinged for it the second time? Seems unlikely.) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/7 "2009-03-24T22:17:38Z")
They tend not to be too picky about the format of a question/response. As long as the response is a question of some kind, they tend not to care if the “question” really makes sense in tandem with the answer. Years ago, when Gene Shalit was a celebrity guest, he put all his question/reponses in silly formats. If the desired response was George Washington, rather than say “Who is George Washington,” he’d say, “Has anybody seen George Washington?” Such replies were always accepted, if correct. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/8 "2009-03-24T23:13:07Z")
Well, I wondered. In all the years I’ve been watching, they’ve always couched the question inside another question. What is “Have you any wool?” What is “Who’s on first?” What is “Quo vadis?” What is “What, me worry?” What is “Do you know the way to San Jose?” etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/9 "2009-03-25T00:04:00Z")
If I was a _Jeopardy!_ judge, I would not accept “Who are you?” as a response for something answered by "What is _Who Are You?"_ The answer to “Who are you?” would be “gotpasswords” or “A _Jeopardy!_ judge.” The answer to “What is _Who Are You_?” would be “A song by The Who” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/10 "2009-03-25T00:48:48Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I remember a contestant a long time ago responded “is it such-and-such?” rather than “what is such-and-such?” It was an acceptable response. I remember that guy, though it wasn’t more than 15 years ago at most. I always thought it was cool that he did that. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/11 "2009-03-25T05:18:34Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Well, I wondered. In all the years I’ve been watching, they’ve always couched the question inside another question. What is “Have you any wool?” What is “Who’s on first?” What is “Quo vadis?” What is “What, me worry?” What is “Do you know the way to San Jose?” etc., etc. Though it doesn’t necessarily say anything about the rules; just that contestants are really careful to make sure there’s nothing they could get dinged on. But my GUESS is that you have to put it in the “double question” format. The basis of my theory is a memory of a long-ago category in which all of the correct responses were movie titles in the form of questions. Such a category is less entertaining if you didn’t have to make it a double question. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/12 "2009-03-25T09:26:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > As far as I know (only as a regular Jeopardy! viewer), it’s fine to simply give the answer, without needing to say “What is”. I think it’s also cooler, although few contestants actually do this. When watching at home with my dad, he would always admonish me for blurting out the answer without putting it in the form of a question, even in our own living room! Mainly because he kept to the rules, and it would take him longer to say the same answer (if we both knew it). ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/13 "2009-03-25T11:18:50Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I remember a contestant a long time ago responded “is it such-and-such?” rather than “what is such-and-such?” It was an acceptable response. Possibly the same guy I remember (tall, black man…perhaps five or six years ago) who answered everything with things like “So-and-so? Who’s that?” ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/14 "2009-03-25T17:11:02Z")
ISTR a category entilted “How To” or something similar. Alex would give clues like: 1. Step one: Pour two shots of gin. Step 2: Pour one shot of Vermouth. Step 3: Shake it, don’t stir it, and the contestant would respond “What is How do you make a martini?” instead of just “How do you make a martini?” ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/15 "2009-03-25T17:29:08Z")
I remember at least one instance of a contestant replying with a plain question and not a question within a question and getting credited with a correct response. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/16 "2009-03-25T17:29:26Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > As far as I know (only as a regular Jeopardy! viewer), it’s fine to simply give the answer, without needing to say “What is”. I think it’s also cooler, although few contestants actually do this. This is so, though in reference to another post, I would not rely on celebrity contestant behavior as an example for a regular game. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/17 "2009-03-25T17:37:53Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > ISTR a category entilted “How To” or something similar. Alex would give clues like: 1. Step one: Pour two shots of gin. Step 2: Pour one shot of Vermouth. Step 3: Shake it, don’t stir it, and the contestant would respond “What is How do you make a martini?” instead of just “How do you make a martini?” I suspect they did this purely out of habit. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/18 "2009-03-25T20:23:09Z")
I remember in college we had a professor who loved Jeopardy. He gave pop quizes in Jeopardy form, and you had to answer in a question, which I always forgot to do. So I would always end up answering something like “James Buchannon… is Who?” He didn’t really like it, but gave me credit reluctantly. I have no idea if Alex would take it however. ---
**Author:** ![imfloating](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bc79bd/32.png) [@imfloating](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imfloating)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/19 "2009-03-25T20:54:53Z")
My favorite was when a guy hit the daily double he said “I’ve always wanted to say this, Alex…there was a pause and he says " I’d like to solve the puzzle.” ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646/20 "2009-03-25T21:16:01Z")
They told us in the in-person auditions that “Who is the Mississippi River?” is perfectly acceptable - it can be the wrong “kind” of question. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-what-if-the-question-is-a-question/490646.md?page=2)