# 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:** 49
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/961 "2020-01-17T19:39:34Z")
Stephanie Hull, who played in the March 12, 2015, game linked above, holds the unfortunate record for lowest Jeopardy score ever, -$6,800. Makes Priscilla’s -$5,400 on Thursday seem not \*quite \*so bad by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/962 "2020-01-17T19:56:05Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Thanks for tracking these down. How did you manage it, BTW? This Google search: site:j-archive.com “single-player final jeopardy” ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/963 "2020-01-17T19:58:12Z")
> [@Gus\_Gusterson](#): > > This Google search: > > site:j-archive.com “single-player final jeopardy” Very good. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/964 "2020-01-17T20:04:29Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Stephanie Hull, who played in the March 12, 2015, game linked above, holds the unfortunate record for lowest Jeopardy score ever, -$6,800. Makes Priscilla’s -$5,400 on Thursday seem not \*quite \*so bad by comparison. Priscilla got down to -$6,600 at one point. I feel bad that I was rooting for her to keep getting them wrong so she would break Stephanie’s record. I’m surprised that someone with that much anxiety would ever try to be on the show in the first place and that she would get through the audition process. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/965 "2020-01-17T20:09:00Z")
> [@Steven\_Maven](#): > > The object in question does not buzz. The sound engineer does not add a buzz. Similarly, I wouldn’t call it a clicker. Some people might call it a button or switch. Personally, I don’t care what they call it. Dudn’t matter. It’s still a “buzzer”. 🙂 > [@](#): > > I like that Trebek varies his responses; it makes him human. My favorite is when it’s a person and he says, “She’s / he’s the one.” Oh, me too. That’s why I brought it up. And then there’s the old “note that the “M” is in quotation marks. _We all know what that means_.” He used to say that pretty much every time, but now only every so often. I’m gonna miss the guy. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/966 "2020-01-17T20:11:26Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > Dudn’t matter. It’s still a “buzzer”. 🙂 > > And then there’s the old “note that the “M” is in quotation marks. _We all know what that means_.” He used to say that pretty much every time, but now only every so often. I’m gonna miss the guy. For Mature Audiences? ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/967 "2020-01-17T20:12:00Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > there’s a light in the corner of their name screens, showing who has control of the board. > [Reddit - Dive into anything](https://www.reddit.com/r/Jeopardy/comments/bb6gpm/til_this_small_white_light_at_the_base_of_each/) Um, it’s _command_ of the board, at least while Trebek is in charge! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/968 "2020-01-17T20:18:34Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > For Mature Audiences? I wasn’t clear at all. No, I mean, say the category is _Amazing "M"ammals_. All questions begin with the letter “M”. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/969 "2020-01-17T20:48:29Z")
> [@Gus\_Gusterson](#): > > Priscilla got down to -$6,600 at one point. I feel bad that I was rooting for her to keep getting them wrong so she would break Stephanie’s record. > > I’m surprised that someone with that much anxiety would ever try to be on the show in the first place and that she would get through the audition process. You never know how you’re going to react until you’re actually there, on that stage in that studio, with all the lights on you, all the audience looking at you, Johnny Gilbert says your name, and you’re thinking “OMG that’s really Alex Trebek and he’s like ten feet away from me!” The audition in a hotel conference room somewhere, and even the practice game you play before taping starts, are only partial preparation. And if you get off to a bad start, it can be tough to get your confidence back. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/970 "2020-01-17T21:59:33Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > And then there’s the old “note that the “M” is in quotation marks. _We all know what that means_.” So why does he have to tell us we already know what we already know? ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2020, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/971 "2020-01-18T02:07:42Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > I wasn’t clear at all. No, I mean, say the category is _Amazing "M"ammals_. All questions begin with the letter “M”. Sorry, I was just joking, since you’d happened to pick “M” for your example. ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2020, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/972 "2020-01-18T02:56:05Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > that poor woman tonight nearly had the worst non-Wolf Blitzer score of all time. Early on my wife said, “Oh, she’s having a panic attack.” At the end of the show, Trebek with his typically Canadian polite understatement said, “You were a little nervous.” ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/973 "2020-01-18T03:13:03Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > And then there’s the old “note that the “M” is in quotation marks. _We all know what that means_.” > [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > So why does he have to tell us we already know what we already know? I think he should explain every time. Sure regular viewers like us know, but newcomers and infrequent viewers might not. Also sometimes the letter is at the beginning, but sometimes it could be anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2020, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/974 "2020-01-18T06:14:57Z")
> [@Steven\_Maven](#): > > I think he should explain every time. Sure regular viewers like us know, but newcomers and infrequent viewers might not. Also sometimes the letter is at the beginning, but sometimes it could be anywhere. But in that case, we “all” obviously _don’t_ “know what that means.” And it seems to me he more often than not doesn’t really follow it with any explanation beyond saying “notice the ‘m’ in quotation marks”, which anyone who can read has already noticed anyway. It’s no big deal, I was just mouthing off. His “We all know…” comment always strikes me funny for being unnecessary and illogical. But that’s just me. And it’s still the best show on television. I’ve watched it since the Art Fleming years. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/975 "2020-01-27T17:28:01Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > Registration for the online test is open now. I suppose as noted above, $1,000 would probably cover a flight and hotel. But it looks like you have to go to an audition first, which I’m sure would not take place here in northern Minnesota. Even going to Minneapolis and staying overnight would not be feasible for me. And then there’s the fact that my wife counts on me to be home and look after our two special needs children while she is at work. The older one could probably be fine with a babysitter, but not the younger one and we have never attempted that—not even with his grandparents as we have done with the three older children. I would definitely think it has to be a lot easier if you just live in Southern California, although come to think of it I don’t feel like they often describe people as being from that area. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/976 "2020-01-27T21:22:37Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > …I would definitely think it has to be a lot easier if you just live in Southern California, although come to think of it I don’t feel like they often describe people as being from that area. The phrase “originally from” has been one of most-heard on the show, though less so since the advent of the online test. Back in the day the vast majority of contestants were indeed from the Los Angeles area. (I tried out twice back then and one count against me was that I not only lived in LA, I was originally from there, too. Of course my failure to immediately master the clicker was probably _more_ disqualifying.) But, yes. The expense of auditioning can be considerable. They rotate the cities in which auditions are held, but for many people, it will cost a bundle to take off work and travel to the tryout. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2020, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/977 "2020-01-27T22:02:06Z")
I have a problem with one of today’s questions: [spoiler]The category was “Wrap it up.” The clue was something like, “Subway’s signature wraps are wrapped with this.” One contestant said, “what is paper?” She was ruled to be incorrect! The next contestant buzzed in with “what is a (flour) tortilla?” and was ruled correct. IMO, the clue was poorly-worded, and “paper” should have been accepted.[/spoiler] ---
**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:** [January 28, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/978 "2020-01-28T00:57:11Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I have a problem with one of today’s questions: > > [spoiler]The category was “Wrap it up.” > > The clue was something like, “Subway’s signature wraps are wrapped with this.” > > One contestant said, “what is paper?” > > She was ruled to be incorrect! The next contestant buzzed in with “what is a (flour) tortilla?” and was ruled correct. > > IMO, the clue was poorly-worded, and “paper” should have been accepted.[/spoiler] Nope. The clue said “in one of these.” Paper is an uncountable noun, so “a (flour) tortilla” is the correct response. ---
**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:** [January 28, 2020, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/979 "2020-01-28T03:15:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Nope. The clue said “in one of these.” Paper is an uncountable noun, so “a (flour) tortilla” is the correct response. Still, if the contestant had replied with “sheet of paper,” I’m doubting they would have given her credit, even though it is technically correct. ---
**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:** [January 28, 2020, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/980 "2020-01-28T09:18:03Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Still, if the contestant had replied with “sheet of paper,” I’m doubting they would have given her credit, even though it is technically correct. Yeah, I think in that case they’d have to give her back the points she lost. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=48) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=50)