Well, that’s where we differ. In a question making a distinction between a name and a symbol, “silver” is the name and “Ag” is the symbol. Hell, even without the question, I wouldn’t say “Ag” is the name of an element. It is a symbol or abbreviation for a name of an element. But we’ve rehashed this in the thread, I suppose, and it seems both sides are firmly entrenched.
You needn’t rehash anything for me. I didn’t ask you for a @#$%ing thing.
I will, however, let my unassailable logic stand for all reasonable folk to digest and delight in. I’m a real do-gooder that way.
“silver” is the name of the element. “Ag” is the symbol for the element. The question asked for an element. Not its name. Not its symbol. It asked for an element. Both “silver” and “Ag” identify the element. Thus both are valid answers.
So what? Bluffing works about a third of the time on Jeopardy.
A: “<something very obscure that nobody would know unless it was the subject of his thesis> by this Mormon leader.”
Q: “Who was Brigham Young?” (or, if it’s on the bottom third of the board, Joseph Smith)
Alex: “You’re right!”
Yeah, I may be exaggerating about a third of the time, but there are several times per show where the clue is something very obscure, but the correct response is the only name 90% of people have ever heard of in association with the subject.
What if the clue were this: “Of the elements whose symbols don’t match their English names, this element’s symbol, Ag, has led to intense debate on the SDMB.”
Would Ag be an acceptable answer? It’s synonymous, after all…
^ I gave similar examples in posts 23 and 61.
Yes, and it’s as wise today as it was 8 days ago. 
No, it wouldn’t be, since Ag is in the question. We’ve been over it. Remove it from the question, and Ag becomes a valid answer.
No, because “this element’s symbol” disqualifies the symbol from being the answer. What’s being looked for is the element that the symbol represents.
I realize your objection to the above is that if “Ag” is a symbol and not an element, then “silver” is not an element but a word. But we don’t talk that way. Neither did Alex when he read off the last contestant’s question which I quoted in post 140:
“What is AG, and that is the chemical symbol for (slight pause) silver. You are right, you add…”
He said it is the chemical symbol for silver, and not “it is the chemical symbol for the element that the word silver represents” because it’s not necessary. “Silver” is synonymous for the element AG represents based on the phrasing in the answer “this element’s symbol.” “Elements” in that part of the sentence is synonymous with the word silver, just as the word “silver” is synonymous with the element in the following part of Alex’s sentence: “is the chemical symbol for silver.”
Is Ag an element?
That’s your opinion. That’s not a fact. The fact is that what is being asked for is an element. Not element’s name specifically or element’s symbol specifically.
Okay, if the answer were “this former Beatle’s nickname derives from the Gaelic prefix meaning ‘son of’,” would you accept both “what is Paul McCartney” and “what is Macca?” If it were “the nickname of this former Beatle…” would that make a difference?
It shouldn’t, because in both cases it’s asking for the name. And despite **Terr’**s attempt to draw a distinction, “this element’s symbol” means “the symbol for this element,” and nothing else. It’s clearly asking for the name of the element, not the symbol.
I’m with the OP. Jeopardy fucked up.
Is “Macca” an identifier for Paul McCartney?
Seriously, you guys cannot come up with a single equivalent question that would illustrate your point. Why do you think that is?
It is clearly, and explicitly, asking for an element.
Yes. Do you know what a nickname is?
Here’s the “answer”:
“Of the element symbols that don’t match the element’s English name, this element’s symbol is alphabetically 1st”
It asks for “this element”.
Now, they may have intended for the question to ask for the English name, but as written, Ag has to be accepted.
ETA: Never heard of “Macca” as a nickname for Paul McCartney.
Exactly!
Would anyone ever say “Ag’s symbol” in a sentence? The argument keeps being made that “Ag” and “silver” are synonymous, so why not? Because it wouldn’t make sense because Ag is the symbol. Likewise, the use of “this element’s” in the answer is a blank that’s being asked to be filled in when phrasing a question and filling it in with “Ag” would read “Ag’s symbol.”
This makes sense:
“Of the element symbols that don’t match the element’s English name, silver’s symbol is alphabetically 1st”
This doesn’t:
“Of the element symbols that don’t match the element’s English name, Ag’s symbol is alphabetically 1st”
Often in cases like this, Trebek will look to the judges for a signal (?) from them as to the acceptability of the answer. It seemed to me that this is what he was doing.
Now, this was funny! 
This is the answer in a nutshell, and it’s self-evident. The clue contained two different references: “The element,” which is the blank that needs to be filled in; and “this element’s symbol,” which is clearly a qualifier (with the reference to alphabetical order) to identify which “this element” is the proper response.
It’s plain English. “This element’s symbol”–Ag–can’t be the answer as that sentence is constructed. The fact that Ag and silver reference the same element matters not, not when the sentence draws a clear distinction between the element (the answer it wanted) and its symbol (offered as a clue to zero in on the element).
Come on, people, think! This is important!
Of the states where the first two letters of the English name don’t match the abbreviation, which state’s abbreviation is alphabetically first?
Contestant 1: Alaska (correct!)
Contestant 2: AK
Does this help clarify anything? I think the AK and and Ag answers should be accepted, even though they are not the BEST answers. (er, questions)