# 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:** 71
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1401 "2020-09-30T04:45:31Z")
I don’t see how Barry vs Berry changes the pronunciation, but the judged ruled so, so… (I could see them ruling the is are too ambiguous - is the middle one a schwa? Are they all pronounced the same? English orthography is nuts.) ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1402 "2020-09-30T05:04:03Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > Was anyone as baffled as I was by Final Jeopardy… the Great Lakes question? That is the only thing I know about Hiawatha. (I thought it was a book, not a poem. Obviously, I’ve never read it) But I know that he lived by the “Gitche Gumee” (I would have spelled it wrong). I didn’t even know that it was one of the Great Lakes. ---
**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:** [September 30, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1403 "2020-09-30T15:53:02Z")
I have a question: If that poem is so long, and the part I quoted comes toward the end, why am I automatically directed there whenever I Google _ **The Song of Hiawatha** _? 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1404 "2020-09-30T17:21:03Z")
Looks like my feeling that Final has been more difficult this year is correct. I could not find combined stats for the entire history but I looked at several seasons and they are basically the same. It has been answered correctly about 50% of the time, for all players. All get it wrong 15-20% of the time. This year overall 31% have gotten it right, all 3 missed 50% of the time. > **[J! Archive - Final Jeopardy! Round statistics - Season 37](https://j-archive.com/finalstats.php?season=37)** > > Final Jeopardy! statistics for Season 37 ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1405 "2020-09-30T17:41:14Z")
Just read that it was the poem that Lucy would start to recite several times on an episode of I Love Lucy. Don’t know the EP number. ---
**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:** [September 30, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1406 "2020-09-30T17:47:53Z")
Either the clues are harder or the contestants are less able than in the past. I wonder if there’s a correlation between FJ and overall scores. It seems to me a lot of the totals going into FJ haven’t been terribly high lately. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1407 "2020-09-30T17:51:43Z")
Most of the Jeopardy! writers are working from home right now. I’ve seen it suggested that this might be at least part of the cause of some of the awkwardly worded clues. They’re not able to have a big group meeting of writers where confusing clues might be spotted and hammered into better shape. ---
**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:** [September 30, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1408 "2020-09-30T17:52:37Z")
I get the feeling that Longfellow is often quoted in sitcoms. _ **Paul Revere’s Ride** _ was used in _ **Gilligan’s Island** _, f’rinstance. No scientific evidence for this, just my impression. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1409 "2020-09-30T18:12:24Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Either the clues are harder or the contestants are less able than in the past. I wonder if there’s a correlation between FJ and overall scores. It seems to me a lot of the totals going into FJ haven’t been terribly high lately. Could be. > **[Inside the Jeopardy! Writers Room | J!Buzz | Jeopardy.com](https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/cast-crew/inside-jeopardy-writers-room)** > > Imagine you’re a Jeopardy! writer: Your daily assignment is to create two to three categories, each complete with five approved clues. Where do you begin? Jeopardy! head writer Billy Wisse and writer Michele Loud answer the question, as they reveal... ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1410 "2020-09-30T19:47:27Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > Looks like my feeling that Final has been more difficult this year is correct. I could not find combined stats for the entire history but I looked at several seasons and they are basically the same. It has been answered correctly about 50% of the time, for all players. All get it wrong 15-20% of the time. This year overall 31% have gotten it right, all 3 missed 50% of the time. > > [https://j-archive.com/finalstats.php?season=37](https://j-archive.com/finalstats.php?season=37) We’re dealing with a small sample size for the current season, though. Let’s check back in a month or two. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1411 "2020-09-30T19:49:30Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > Just read that it was the poem that Lucy would start to recite several times on an episode of I Love Lucy. Don’t know the EP number. And Ricky STILL wouldn’t let her be in the show? That Philistine. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2020, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1412 "2020-10-01T05:52:54Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > Looks like my feeling that Final has been more difficult this year is correct. I could not find combined stats for the entire history but I looked at several seasons and they are basically the same. It has been answered correctly about 50% of the time, for all players. All get it wrong 15-20% of the time. This year overall 31% have gotten it right, all 3 missed 50% of the time. I was going to say much the same as **terentii**. I think the quality of contestant is lower, so it’s hard to say whether or not the clues are harder. I already felt the quality had gone down as of last year, and said as much a few times ITT, but it’s clearly going to lower quality if you go from recruiting from all over North America to only doing so in the L.A. metro (or maybe southern California a little more broadly?). ---
**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 1, 2020, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1413 "2020-10-01T05:58:39Z")
I thought Wednesday’s FJ was easy, again. Since two out the three contestants got it wrong, I’m leaning toward the explanation they’re not as sharp as they might be. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1414 "2020-10-01T12:00:45Z")
Famous person + gun = Earnest Hemingway. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1415 "2020-10-01T13:32:10Z")
Really? I knew he was an ambulance driver in WWI, and killed himself with a shotgun, but I’ve never heard anything else about him getting shot. Whereas the “got shot, still gave a speech” story is a fundamental part of Teddy Roosevelt’s mythology. Right up there with riding a moose. ---
**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 9, 2020, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1416 "2020-10-09T23:22:02Z")
Jeopardy answer: “The number of squares on a checkerboard”. The contestant answered: “What is 64?”, and was declared correct. What if she had answered “What is 204?” Look at an 8x8 board and count the squares. There are 64 single squares - but there are also 49 2x2 squares; 36 3x3 squares; 25 4x4 squares; 16 5x5 squares; 9 6x6 squares; 4 7x7 squares; and 1 8x8 square. Checkers is also played on 10x10 and 12x12 boards in various countries. I hope Alex was prepared for one of several perfectly valid responses. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1417 "2020-10-09T23:42:42Z")
I guessed Fahrenheit 451 Right away Brian ---
**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 10, 2020, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1418 "2020-10-10T00:05:04Z")
WTF does asbestos have to do with either _ **Brave New World** _ or _ **The Invisible Man** _?!? That was at least as bad as “Ernest Hemingway” and “William McKinley.” ---
**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 10, 2020, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1419 "2020-10-10T05:00:26Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > They’re not trying to hide it. Theyb are being coy, though. The last few days the contestants are “originally from Podunk, MN” instead of “currently from Los Angeles”. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2020, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1420 "2020-10-10T05:09:34Z")
Ahh, clever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=70) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=72)