# Travesty on Final Jeopardy 2/5/2014 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2014, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637 "2014-02-06T03:55:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/41 "2014-02-06T16:35:01Z")
> [@jimbuff314](#): > > I remember that kid. I think his misspelling altered > the meaning or something. Not the meaning, but the pronunciation. The Final Jeopardy rule is that spelling doesn’t count, as long as the misspelling is phonetically the same. “Emancipatation” added an extra syllable to the word, so it was ruled incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/42 "2014-02-06T16:35:53Z")
I don’t have a big problem with the results, but I am surprised the judges weren’t more strict. To me, the question is asking for the English name of the element, not the symbol. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/43 "2014-02-06T16:37:48Z")
The judges on Jeopardy are not known for being strict. I’ve seen them give credit for Ivan the Terrible being Czar of the Soviet Union. I do not bemoan this, BTW. Looser judging makes for a more fun game IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/44 "2014-02-06T16:38:05Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > **NB:** The symbol for silver is Ag, not AG, which is what the contestant wrote. > > Surprised no one here has mentioned that, SFAICS. Post #28 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/45 "2014-02-06T16:39:53Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > The judges on Jeopardy are not known for being strict. I’ve seen them give credit for Ivan the Terrible being Czar of the Soviet Union. > > I do not bemoan this, BTW. Looser judging makes for a more fun game IMHO. Really? I guess I haven’t watched in ages, but my recollection was annoyingly nitpicky judging, especially when it came to pronunciation. ---
**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:** [February 6, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/46 "2014-02-06T16:41:17Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > **NB:** The symbol for silver is Ag, not AG, which is what the contestant wrote. > > Surprised no one here has mentioned that, SFAICS. Ooops, someone has. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/47 "2014-02-06T17:54:09Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not a fake quotation: [Richard Feynman - Knowing the Name of Something](http://www.haveabit.com/feynman/2) Thank you Cartoonacy. My apologies to borschevsky. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/48 "2014-02-06T18:04:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, Chuck Forrest, who won Monday night, won the Tournament of Champions in 1986. I haven’t been paying attention to the dates Alex or Johnny say they were on - maybe they are giving special tournament dates? Appreciate that, Sean Factotum. As far as I can remember, the contestants yesterday were from '91, '92 and (I think) '97. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/49 "2014-02-06T18:25:14Z")
> [@Cartoonacy](#): > > Not the meaning, but the pronunciation. The Final Jeopardy rule is that spelling doesn’t count, as long as the misspelling is phonetically the same. “Emancipatation” added an extra syllable to the word, so it was ruled incorrect. This. And whether they ruled his answer correct or incorrect had no bearing on the outcome of the game. I didn’t understand what the big hullabaloo was about anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/50 "2014-02-06T18:36:08Z")
Interesting question. The answer given has just enough vagueness to to allow this (IMO wrong) answer to pass. To me the desired knowledge is: (a) There are symbols for elements that don’t match their English names (given in the clue, but the player should readily know some of them) (b) Which one of these is first? (Ag) © What element is that the symbol for? (Silver) Not requiring step © makes it a much easier question. I, in fact, always confuse Gold and Silver (only figuring it out when I remember that Goldfinger’s first name was Auric). But I do know that there is an Ag and an Au and that Ag comes first. Would those of you that accept Ag have accepted Argentum? ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/51 "2014-02-06T18:37:11Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Was the guy who won that guy who has been going for the big money questions first, trying systematically to find the Daily Doubles? His manner has also irked Treveck a bit, from what I’ve read… **John,** I believe you’re thinking of Chuck Forrest, who WAS on the show this week. Arthur Chu, the current returning champion, who has a 2-week break while this “80’s” tournament goes on, reference the “Forrest Bounce” as one of his strategies [here](http://mentalfloss.com/article/54853/our-interview-jeopardy-champion-arthur-chu)in an interview with Mental Floss magazine. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/52 "2014-02-07T02:11:40Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Actinium doesn’t work - its symbol matches its English name. I think what the OP is saying is that the player who answered “Ag” did not demonstrate his knowledge of the true answer. It’s like answering “Ac” instead of “Actinium” when the question is, “What element has the symbol Ac?” – or questioning “Ac” when the answer is…or whatever. :rolleyes: Anyway, I’m going back to read some Rule 34 style Wizard of Oz porn where the Sn Man slips Dorothy the W… ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/53 "2014-02-07T02:29:22Z")
You can’t get the Au if you don’t take the Pb! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/54 "2014-02-07T02:50:02Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Anyway, I’m going back to read some Rule 34 style Wizard of Oz porn where the Sn Man slips Dorothy the W… How Fe-ick. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/55 "2014-02-07T02:57:14Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I sort of agree with the OP. The question did make a point of distinguishing between an element’s name and its symbol and asked for the name. I don’t think so. It didn’t ask for an element’s name. Depending on how you chose to understand it, it either asked for “element”, or “element’s symbol”. As in either: Of the elements whose symbols don’t match their English names, this **element** ’s symbol comes first alphabetically or Of the elements whose symbols don’t match their English names, this **element’s symbol** comes first alphabetically Ag is the answer to either of the questions. Silver is the answer to the first one only. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/56 "2014-02-07T03:03:16Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I don’t think so. It didn’t ask for an element’s name. Depending on how you chose to understand it, it either asked for “element”, or “element’s symbol”. As in either: > > Of the elements whose symbols don’t match their English names, this **element** ’s symbol comes first alphabetically > > or > > Of the elements whose symbols don’t match their English names, this **element’s symbol** comes first alphabetically > > Ag is the answer to either of the questions. Silver is the answer to the first one only. Doesn’t the first part of the clue imply that the answer has to be an element, though? An element can be “of the elements whose symbols don’t match their English names” (or, phrased less awkwardly, belong the category of “elements whose symbols don’t match their English names.”) But an “element’s symbol” can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/57 "2014-02-07T03:05:58Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > Doesn’t the first part of the clue imply that the answer has to be an element, though? An element can be “of the elements whose symbols don’t match their English names” (or, phrased less awkwardly, belong the category of “elements whose symbols don’t match their English names.”) But an “element’s symbol” can’t. Ag is “the element”. So is “silver”. Both are the correct answer, the judges were right. If you disqualify “Ag” as not being “the element” but only a symbol for it, you have to disqualify “silver” as not being “the element” but only a name for it. Then only a physical chunk of silver would qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/58 "2014-02-07T03:07:08Z")
Surely the only answer that would answer the hyper pedants would be “What is this?” and whip out a silver ingot that you happened to have secreted down your pants. eta: Ninjaed! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/59 "2014-02-07T03:15:53Z")
Well, the chances to correct this mistake Ar. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637/60 "2014-02-07T03:18:52Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, the chances to correct this mistake Ar. I’ll give you a _golf clap_ for that one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travesty-on-final-jeopardy-2-5-2014/680637.md?page=4)