# The Syncopated Clock

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-syncopated-clock/9920>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 7, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-syncopated-clock/9920 "2000-04-07T21:59:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-syncopated-clock/9920/1 "2000-04-07T21:59:00Z")

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I and some friends of mine have been trying to recall the answer to this bit of classic TV trivia. (Actually, we’ve batted this around for years.) Perhaps you folks can help.

## What TV show (game show?) used the Leroy Anderson song “The Syncopated Clock”, either as a theme or as background music while the contestants were coming up with an answer?

_God is my co-pilot. Blame Him._

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-syncopated-clock/9920/2 "2000-04-07T22:25:00Z")

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Isn’t that on Jeopardy?

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**Author:** ![LBJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecae2f/32.png) [@LBJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LBJay)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-syncopated-clock/9920/3 "2000-04-07T22:59:00Z")

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“Beat the Clock”

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-syncopated-clock/9920/4 "2000-04-07T23:55:00Z")

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My only recollection of it is as various “Late Movie” themes.

It’s is on the album [Television Themes: 16 Most Requested Songs](http://www.towerrecords.com/product.asp?pfid=1055404) but the on-line listings don’t say which program it was used on.  
[This page](http://userdata.acd.net/ottinger/records.htm) has the following info:

> [@](#):
>
> BEAT THE CLOCK
> 
> THEME (“Subway Polka”):  
> Taken from the Harry Geller and his Orchestra album “New York, New York” (RCA 1955)  
> Probably used as the theme in the late fifties, after the original “Hickory, Dickory, Dock” theme and before the show moved to ABC in 1958, although one reference book suggests it was used longer.

## Maybe that “original” theme is really “Syncopated Clock.”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2000, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-syncopated-clock/9920/5 "2000-04-08T04:08:00Z")

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I’ve thought of both of those (Jeopardy and Beat the Clock), but I don’t think they’re right. If it was “Jeopardy” it would have had to been an older version; the music they use now is not “The Syncopated Clock”. If it was “Beat the Clock” then it’s surprising to me that I can’t find a reference _anywhere_ (yet) that links the two. (I think “Hickory Dickory Dock” was a different piece of music, but I may be wrong.)

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_God is my co-pilot. Blame Him._