# The Jeopardy thread \[was James Holzhauer\]\[contains spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [April 17, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696 "2019-04-17T21:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 163
**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:** [October 29, 2021, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3247 "2021-10-29T05:12:00Z")
Well, “carapace” is not a perfect synonym of “exoskeleton”, but for the clue as written, I think “carapace” still works. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3248 "2021-10-29T05:18:48Z")
I thought of Santiago immediately, and couldn’t think of an alternate response. Got exoskeleton too; didn’t even think of carapace. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3249 "2021-10-29T07:27:54Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > And I also somehow pictured Sydney on the _west_ coast of Australia. So I’m stupid, and I would have written Canberra and shown my stupidity to the world. “Canberra” would have been better than “Queensland.” At least it’s a _city_. I thought of Wellington, but was pretty sure it’s not 7,000 miles from Sydney. I’m curious: How many of you would have gotten “Alfred the Great” and “Garnet”? ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3250 "2021-10-29T08:04:38Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’m curious: How many of you would have gotten “Alfred the Great” and “Garnet”? I got garnet because it’s my favorite gemstone and it is the color of pomegranate seeds. I didn’t know that’s where the name came from, though, so I learned something new. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3251 "2021-10-29T11:13:07Z")
Right. It’s my birthstone, but I would have gotten it just from the etymology even if it weren’t. I guess you’d have to know something about English history to get “Alfred the Great,” though its really shouldn’t have been a triple stumper. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3252 "2021-10-29T11:29:20Z")
When did Mayim say “I can’t believe none of you knew that!”? I love it when she says stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3253 "2021-10-29T11:45:51Z")
“This brand of rum is named for a navy man who became a famous tattoo artist.” _Sailor Jerry_ Worth $1000! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3254 "2021-10-29T11:52:12Z")
Oddly enough, the category was “Potent Etymology.” ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3255 "2021-10-29T12:46:12Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I guess you’d have to know something about English history to get “Alfred the Great,” though its really shouldn’t have been a triple stumper. There aren’t a lot of English kings with epithets like “the Great.” Cnut was really the only other possibility. When you combine “Great” with “defeated the Vikings,” Alfred is your boy. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3256 "2021-10-29T14:11:58Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Sailor Jerry Never herd of it. I hadn’t even heard of half the drinks. I guess I don’t potable enough. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3257 "2021-10-29T14:49:27Z")
I got the Santiago from the Pacific reference, and garnets from pomegranates. I find that I often say the right answer a split second before the players do (or is that a split second after?) ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3258 "2021-10-29T15:24:35Z")
Yeah, the only Great English king that came to mind was Alfred, so I got that one. On the other hand: I figured it had to be the capital of Chile…which I thought was Montevideo. Sooooo close. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3259 "2021-10-29T16:17:20Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Don’t gloat too much. Those three missed lots of no-brainers. I AM INVINCIBLE!! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3260 "2021-10-29T16:21:31Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’m curious: How many of you would have gotten “Alfred the Great” and “Garnet”? I got Alfred the Great but not Garnet. Never mind that I knew when Alfred ruled, he’s actually the only English king called “the Great.” I also got Santiago. My first knee-jerk reaction was Wellington, but then I realized _seven_ thousand miles and slightly to the north. Then I figured it had to be Santiago but that someone was sure to say Wellington, and I was right. But Queensland? Grasping at straws is one thing, but really. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3261 "2021-10-29T19:33:38Z")
Never heard of Alfred the Great nor Sailor Jerry. I’m lucky I wasn’t on the show to embarrass myself by guessing Captain Morgan. I have to admit, in Final Jeopardy, while I knew 7000 miles was way too close for it to be New Zealand, beyond that, I had no idea what was 7000 miles east of Australia. In addition to South America, my mind went to South Africa, which I of course forgot is not near the Pacific Ocean. Also had no idea on the garnet clue. The exact clue was “this gemstone got its name from its resemblance to the red seat of a pomegranate.” I see now, in retrospect, that what you were supposed to think was “what gemstone’s name sound similar to part of the word _pomegranate_?” But with only a split second to think, the direction my mind went was “wow, there’s a specific word for a pomegranate seed? And there’s a gemstone named after them? I have no idea what that could be.” And even after the correct response was revealed, I thought “wow, the seeds of a pomegranate are called garnets? And the gemstone was named after them because it looks like them? Who knew?” It wasn’t until I read this thread that I realized that line of thought was totally off base. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3262 "2021-10-29T23:42:23Z")
Friday’s FJ category was: “Songs & US History”. The answer was “Victory in 1805’s Battle of Derna on the coast of North Africa inspired a lyric in this song made official in 1929”. As a Canadian - even I knew the question as "What is the Marines’ Hymn? Two missed it. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3263 "2021-10-30T00:00:06Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > Friday’s FJ category was: “Songs & US History”. > > The answer was “Victory in 1805’s Battle of Derna on the coast of North Africa inspired a lyric in this song made official in 1929”. > > As a Canadian - even I knew the question as "What is the Marines’ Hymn? Two missed it. … I immediately thought “shores of Tripoli” (right song) but blanked on the name of the song–I thought it might be called “From the Halls of Montezuma.” eta: Looking online, I see the name I guessed IS shown as being a correct name of the song. Maybe it would have been accepted, after all. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3264 "2021-10-30T00:27:59Z")
I knew the correct response as soon as I saw “1805” and “North Africa.” Talk about a no-brainer. It’s easy to remember who was President during the War of 1812, since it was Dolly Madison who saved the portrait of George Washington from being burned along with the White House. Washington was burned, BTW, in retaliation for the Americans burning York (now Toronto). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3265 "2021-10-30T01:27:46Z")
“1929” also made me immediately think of **this** : [Song of the Marines 1937 - 2929 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAm-bzk63OI) Notice they hadn’t added “in the air” yet in 1937. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2021, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/3266 "2021-10-30T02:06:51Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > It’s easy to remember who was President during the War of 1812, since it was Dolly Madison who saved the portrait of George Washington from being burned along with the White House. The clue didn’t mention the War of 1812, though. It only mentioned the burning of the White House, which was not something I knew happened during the War of 1812. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=162) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=164)