I’m not really sure how I do it, but it’s like I take a mental picture of it and read the entire thing at once. Not really from the first word to the last word. I get a lot of strange looks when I’m playing with people I’ve never played with before and I answer the question before they read the first couple of words.
What did you get?
I usually root for the male, we need our intellectual superiority re-affirmed from time to time.
One week’s paid accomodations and airfare, including meal plan and maid’s tip, to the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
It was Mrs. Moto’s honeymoon. Mine too.
Argh. My brother was a second-place finisher a few years back. He was given a trip to Spain, but since he and his wife had just had a baby, they really couldn’t go, and since the trip was only good for a limited time, he wanted to give it to me as a wedding present. The trip was non-transferable, though, and he really was left with nothing but the home game.
He had made a great comeback to take the lead toward the end of Double Jeopardy, but then inadvertantly said “Babylon” instead of “Babylonia” for the Daily Double. Thus, his inspiring comeback, which could have put him in first place going into Final Jeopardy, had him in second. It was an easy final question, and everyone got it right. I have mentioned his appearance to strangers in the course of conversation before, and they’ve remembered that episode. It was quite memorable, apparently, not just for our family.
Not quite the same magnitude, by my high school Academic Challange team lost when they didn’t accept “Mary Antionette” (rather than “Marie”).
As for who I root for, I usually find something in the postcard backgrounds that they give. I’ll usually root for a teacher, for instance, or a professional scientist of some sort, or someone from Ohio or Montana.
And not only do I make sure to phrase my answers in the form of a question, I also slap my knee as though it were a buzzer, first. Gotta make sure I’m in practice, should I ever get on the show.
Another thing that always endears me to a contestant is when a clue comes up that has personal relevance for him (his alma mater, for example), and he answers in a loud, enthusiastic voice, “WHAT IS THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY!” I suppose, though, that it’s just plain dumb luck if his alma mater happens to be an answer.
I generally zero in on someone to root for immediately, before they even answer a question. I sometimes change my allegience, but I often can tell which of the 3 is the least offensive human being.
That said, I almost always find myself rooting for an African American contestant (I’m white), because there just aren’t that many of 'em. I also root for people from Trenton, NJ or San Francisco - the places I’ve lived most of my life.
hrh
Eddie was not given the text of the clues. He was given only the category headings, in braille. He had to hear the clues as read by Alex.
OK, I stand corrected, then. I was told that he had some sort of text available, but maybe that was just for the categories. Go Eddie.