# Jeopardy - what's so great about answering in a question form? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148 "2012-02-17T16:41:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/41 "2012-02-18T01:36:08Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Sounds like you shouldn’t watch the show. > > I like it. Watch it every night. Or, I record it every night and eventually watch all the episodes. You often have to take the category’s name along with the clue to make up the answer. If you’re going to nit pick the show for that, then it’s clearly just not your cup of tea. Because, given the rules and the set-up of the game, “Who is George Washington” is the right question and fits the answer perfectly. Lighten up. It doesn’t bother me _that_ much. I just sometimes enjoy pointing out what I see as absurdities. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/42 "2012-02-18T02:25:09Z")
I put together a fair number of Jeopardy!-style quizzes for various gatherings and conferences, and I find the answer-and-question format to be very helpful in calibrating the difficulty of the questions. I’ve put together quizzes both ways, in standard trivia-quiz/College Bowl style and as Jeopardy! style, and find the latter to be much easier. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/43 "2012-02-18T02:36:45Z")
Listen carefully to what Alex says. He stopped referring to what the contestants are supposed to say as “questions” quite some time ago (unless in the context of reminding a contestant to phrase their response in the form of a question). Alex always refers to “responses” not “questions.” For example, when he is reading off the list of categories and he gets to the category “Who ‘R’ you?” he says “Remember, each correct response will contain the letter ‘R’.” He doesn’t say “Remember, each correct question will contain the letter ‘R’.” Similarly, at the end of the Final Jeopardy round he says “Let’s look at the contestants’ responses” (not “questions”). I think that changed a few years back. It used to be that the contestants’ responses were always referred to as “questions” but now it seems as if he has been instructed to avoid using the word “question.” ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/44 "2012-02-18T02:40:09Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Lighten up. It doesn’t bother me _that_ much. I just sometimes enjoy pointing out what I see as absurdities. The categories matter. It’s a shorthand to allow more questions in the limited time. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/45 "2012-02-18T03:44:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Huh what? How is 0 a possible answer? A line isn’t a rectangle, or is it? Well, one could argue that a line is a degenerate special case of a rectangle, but if it bothers you, just interpret what I said as meaning “in the set (0,12.5]”. And **Mr Downtown** , how does the answer-question format make any difference to calibration? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/46 "2012-02-18T04:55:46Z")
I find it sounds more natural to drop in subtle clues when you think the question might be too difficult for the contestants. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/47 "2012-02-19T00:22:47Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Or, always stated as a question, but had to be bleeped? “What the fuck is a parallelogram?” I’m fairly certain that Charles Rocket was never invited onto the celebrity edition of the show. ---
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/48 "2012-02-19T14:34:58Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Has there ever been a smartass who pronounced it as a question, with their voice rising at the end? > > Or, always stated as a question, but had to be bleeped? “What the fuck is a parallelogram?” [A little from column A, a little from column B](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8cMb1YTw-8) (Added bonus: pay attention to how the contestant in control of the board chooses the category/amount) ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/49 "2012-02-19T18:40:47Z")
The fact that Merv was married begs all kinds of questions to be asked! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/50 "2012-02-19T20:35:29Z")
What if the expected response is itself already in the form of a question? For instance, “This album was the last one that Keith Moon’s band released before his death.” Can the contestant just say, “Who Are You?” or would she have to say, “What is ‘Who Are You’?” ---
**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:** [February 19, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/51 "2012-02-19T22:28:10Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > What if the expected response is itself already in the form of a question? For instance, “This album was the last one that Keith Moon’s band released before his death.” Can the contestant just say, “Who Are You?” or would she have to say, “What is ‘Who Are You’?” Both ways would be ruled correct, but the latter would be said more often because it’s a reflex. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/52 "2012-02-20T20:03:47Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > I think that changed a few years back. It used to be that the contestants’ responses were always referred to as “questions” but now it seems as if he has been instructed to avoid using the word “question.” Now that you mention it, you’re right. I haven’t heard “questions” referred to on screen in a long time. THANK GOD. ---
**Author:** ![ronenfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@ronenfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ronenfe)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/53 "2015-12-30T01:29:51Z")
I wouldn’t watch it just because of this stupid form. Why can’t they just answer questions and receive answers? There are endless questions you can ask if you get a question and still be correct. for 5,280 you can ask how much is 5280 multiplied by 1 or how much is 5281 - 1 or how much meters are in 5.281 kms. Even if you keep this format. Just let them give the question without prefix, like : number of feet in mile and not : how many feet are in mile? ---
**Author:** ![ronenfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@ronenfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ronenfe)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/54 "2015-12-30T01:50:52Z")
It also doesn’t sound like real answers and real questions, it’s more like terms and definitions , and phrasing questions doesn’t make sense there. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/55 "2015-12-30T03:39:46Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Having to ask “What is . . .” (or its equivalent) is not merely a gimmick. It’s placing a little obstacle there, something to always keep in mind, a distraction that constantly erodes the contestant’s concentration. In that sense, it’s a wonderful tool for making the game a lot harder than it would otherwise be. I always assumed they did it because it saves space. Those squares where the answer is given don’t have a lot of room. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/56 "2015-12-30T05:52:54Z")
Deleted. Dupe. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/57 "2015-12-30T05:53:58Z")
> [@digs](#): > > What I find funny is that the “answers” would never work with the “questions” in real life. > > If you asked someone “Hey, Doug, what’s a bat?”… > NO ONE would answer “The Jamaican fruit type of this emits high-frequency calls to orient itself in the dark!” > > And from the same day’s show as the “bat” answer: > > “Hey, Doug, I forgot-- what’s a sword?” > “After God expelled Adam & Eve from the Garden of Eden, cherubim & this flaming weapon were put at its entrance.” Also the fact that questions can have the same answer is problematic: A. The answer is 5,280. Q. Wast is 1,320 times 4? Of course, Cliff Clavin (Cheers) had the canonical example of the smart-ass Jeopardy response: Final Jeopardy answer is: “_Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwarz, and Lucille LeSueur."_ Cliff writes, _“Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?”_ ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/58 "2015-12-30T06:25:43Z")
> [@ronenfe](#): > > I wouldn’t watch it just because of this stupid form. Why can’t they just answer questions and receive answers? I think you are just sore because it took you almost four years to ring in. Since it is the number one game show of all time (according to TV Guide) I’m sure they will be questioning their format based on your feedback. ---
**Author:** ![oara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b77776/32.png) [@oara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oara)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/59 "2015-12-30T07:41:39Z")
I also found the gimmick just too irritating after a while. As many have stated, it’s superfluous and it doesn’t work well. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148/60 "2015-12-30T08:44:23Z")
> [@oara](#): > > I also found the gimmick just too irritating after a while. As many have stated, it’s superfluous and it doesn’t work well. Seems to work well enough to earn over $70 million a year in syndication fees. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeopardy-whats-so-great-about-answering-in-a-question-form/613148.md?page=4)