# What happens when Jeopardy is wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 7, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143 "2009-07-07T00:10:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/21 "2009-07-07T09:57:31Z")
There have been a couple of cases on _Jeopardy_ and _Millionaire_ where a contestant came back after a flawed question, I believe. And then there’s the case of Rick Rosner, who [unsuccessfully sued _Millionaire_](http://www.megasociety.org/noesis/150/rosner1.html) over a flawed question regarding elevation of capital cities. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/22 "2009-07-07T10:44:29Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I don’t recall the exact wording of the question, but on one show aired during the last couple of weeks, I think they screwed up on Final Jeopardy. I don’t remember the wording of the question, but the correct response was “whipping boy”. One of the contestants answered “patsy”, which was ruled incorrect. But aren’t they sorta the same thing? Does anyone remember watching that episode? I’ve been meaning to watch to see if they brought that contestant back – Alex looked a bit uncomfortable saying no to patsy. **OttoDaFe** is correct, the question specifically referenced a child, but it was a _terrible_ Final Jeopardy question, in that it was worded so poorly (not the subject matter). I remember noticing at the time that Alex even seemed to have trouble parsing the question when he read it. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/23 "2009-07-07T11:42:44Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > And if they don’t catch the problem during the taping and correct it after a break, they’ll only invite a contestant back if the error was large enough to have changed the final outcome of the game. > > For instance, if they made a mistake on a $100 clue and the winner won by $1,000, there wouldn’t be a make-good. See, this is interesting. If that $100 question was, say, the first question of the game, it could have implications through the whole game. The person who lost that money might tend to change his actions (bidding on Daily Doubles, deciding whether or not to ring in on questions) as opposed to if he had won that money. It’s hard to tell when $100 really matters. Now, if it’s near the end, I would agree that it wouldn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![lifeofriley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aca169/32.png) [@lifeofriley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lifeofriley)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/24 "2009-07-14T03:17:24Z")
A bunch of my American History geek friends and I really think that the Final Jeopardy today 7/13/09 was not only inappropriate for a kids week but just plain wrong. The answer was: In this war, the area that became Indiana was acquired. All the kids got the “incorrect” answer, which made the far in front favorite lose. Alex said it was “The American Revolution”. Well, that is really debatable in history circles. The Continental Congress negotiated with Britain for some land in Indiana but the land had never been truly owned by Britain and had always been in dispute with the tribes. The possible answers could have been: “Old Northwest Indian War”, “The Ohio Indian War”,“Miami Campaign”,“War for the Ohio River Boundary”, or just plain “Indian Wars”. So one kid who probably is pretty good in American History bet according to conventional wisdom, #2 kid bet a paltry sum, and they all got it wrong, so #1 kid loses the whole thing. What is that kid supposed to do? I think Jeopardy should really “do the right thing” when kids are involved! ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/25 "2009-07-14T04:07:28Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > And, even if it were wrong, it wouldn’t be fair to penalize the players for giving the answer their fact checkers believed to be right. I completely disagree. Since the only contestant who gets money from Jeopardy is the winner, the only thing that matters is how the contestants’ scores are relative to each other. Thus, in your scenario, the show is being unfair to the contestant who actually got the answer right. Incidentally, I will have to defer to you as to what the show’s actual practice is, as I haven’t watched it regularly for years. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/26 "2009-07-14T11:53:21Z")
Nitpick: Every contestant who appears on Jeopardy gets money. The only one who gets what he actually won is the winner. The other two get smaller, fixed amounts, in addition to whatever parting gifts are involved. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/27 "2009-07-14T16:10:05Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > Nitpick: Every contestant who appears on Jeopardy gets money. The only one who gets what he actually won is the winner. The other two get smaller, fixed amounts, in addition to whatever parting gifts are involved. Very good. My point about the contestants caring about their scores relative to each other still stands, though. Also, the winner gets to play again, which is definitely worth money. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/28 "2009-07-14T16:14:44Z")
Regarding yesterday’s (Monday) kids game, the question was along the lines of “what holiday was commemorated by a stamp of Whistler’s Mother”, with the answer being “what is Mother’s Day” (which no kid answered, though one or two got wrong). I object on the grounds that Mother’s Day isn’t a “holiday”, either technically nor in common parlance (at least, not in my circles). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/29 "2009-07-14T16:41:26Z")
Back in 1980, I appeared on a college TV quiz show. One of the questions was “Who is the only American President to have been impeached?” We said Andrew Johnson. And we were told the correct answer was Andrew Jackson. After the show my team protested this point but we were told that the ruling of the judges was final even if they were factually wrong. I’m guessing _Jeopardy_ has a similar rule in effect. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/30 "2009-07-14T16:58:32Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > Nitpick: Every contestant who appears on Jeopardy gets money. The only one who gets what he actually won is the winner. The other two get smaller, fixed amounts, in addition to whatever parting gifts are involved. Nope. I was on Jeopardy! in 2000, came in second, and was awarded only the parting gift shown. The show does this to encourage betting on the final clue and on Double Jeopardy questions. In addition to this, hotel, airfare and meal costs to appear on the show are the responsibility of the contestant. Had I come in third place (which was likely - I only pulled out second because I was the only one who got Final Jeopardy right) I would have lost money on the deal. ---
**Author:** ![President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_Johnny_Gentle)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/31 "2009-07-14T17:23:26Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Nope. I was on Jeopardy! in 2000, came in second, and was awarded only the parting gift shown. The show does this to encourage betting on the final clue and on Double Jeopardy questions. > > In addition to this, hotel, airfare and meal costs to appear on the show are the responsibility of the contestant. Had I come in third place (which was likely - I only pulled out second because I was the only one who got Final Jeopardy right) I would have lost money on the deal. This [changed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy!#Cash_prizes) in 2002, precisely to deal with the issue that you mentioned (losing money for appearing). This has led to situations where the third place finisher ends up making more money on a particular show than the winner. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/32 "2009-07-14T17:29:19Z")
Consider me educated. I was not aware of this. I have to say I wasn’t disappointed too much with the outcome in my situation - second place for me was a week’s vacation in Puerto Rico, and my wife and I wound up using this as our honeymoon. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/33 "2009-07-14T20:25:40Z")
> [@lifeofriley](#): > > I think Jeopardy should really “do the right thing” when kids are involved! Well, the _right_ thing would be to not have them on at all. It’s for grownups. Let the brats play on some Nickelodeon quiz show or someplace where wrong answers earn a shower of green slime. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/34 "2009-07-14T21:10:08Z")
**AuntiePam** said: > [@](#): > > I don’t recall the exact wording of the question, but on one show aired during the last couple of weeks, I think they screwed up on Final Jeopardy. I don’t remember the wording of the question, but the correct response was “whipping boy”. One of the contestants answered “patsy”, which was ruled incorrect. But aren’t they sorta the same thing? Does anyone remember watching that episode? I’ve been meaning to watch to see if they brought that contestant back – Alex looked a bit uncomfortable saying no to patsy. Unfortunately, a situation like this is impossible to judge without knowing the actual “answer”. Usually the specific wording of the answer specifies something significant. It doesn’t matter if the meaning is similar if the answer specifies something about a reference to physical abuse, or a small child, or something unique to the phrase origin. It would be fair to say that “car” and “automobile” are synonymous, but if the answer refers to “this 10 letter word”, then “car” is not correct. ---
**Author:** ![Trick\_Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Trick\_Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trick_Rider)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/35 "2009-07-14T21:24:07Z")
Honestly, even if the answer Trebek gave was wrong, I don’t see why they would have the contestant back. The contestant didn’t actually give an answer. Therfore, the situation would probably be the same if Trebek had given a different answer. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/36 "2009-07-15T02:18:02Z")
> [@lifeofriley](#): > > Well, that is really debatable in history circles. The Continental Congress negotiated with Britain for some land in Indiana but the land had never been truly owned by Britain and had always been in dispute with the tribes. The possible answers could have been: “Old Northwest Indian War”, “The Ohio Indian War”,“Miami Campaign”,“War for the Ohio River Boundary”, or just plain “Indian Wars”. So is the [Wikipedia entry on Indiana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana) wrong when it says “At the conclusion of the French and Indian War and one hundred years of French rule, the region came under the control of the Kingdom of Great Britain”? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/37 "2009-07-15T04:44:21Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > **What happens when Jeopardy is wrong?** The Four Horsemen ride, the Seven Seals are broken, the Midgard Serpent is set loose, and Huitzilopochtli devours the world. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/38 "2009-07-15T10:35:46Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > So is the [Wikipedia entry on Indiana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana) wrong when it says “At the conclusion of the French and Indian War and one hundred years of French rule, the region came under the control of the Kingdom of Great Britain”? Wikipedia is often wrong when no source is given, so it wouldn’t surprise me. A lack of source usually means that no one actually did research, and merely gave what was considered common knowledge. If that common knowledge is disputed in a reputable source (and I assume U.S. History experts wouldn’t say it unless it was), then it falls afoul of Wikipedia’s Neutral Point of View Policy, and is, therefore, wrong. ---
**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:** [July 15, 2009, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/39 "2009-07-15T12:08:12Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Unfortunately, a situation like this is impossible to judge without knowing the actual “answer”. Usually the specific wording of the answer specifies something significant. It doesn’t matter if the meaning is similar if the answer specifies something about a reference to physical abuse, or a small child, or **something unique to the phrase origin.** This is the case for the answer in question. It was about the origin of the term. > [@](#): > > Now referring to a scapegoat, this term originated as someone designated as a “proxy for correction” - the origin of Patsy isn’t really known, but that definitely isn’t that. (No, I didn’t remember it, specifically, I went to [J-Archive](http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=3077).) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143/40 "2009-07-15T13:56:10Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > It would be fair to say that “car” and “automobile” are synonymous, but if the answer refers to “this 10 letter word”, then “car” is not correct. “Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz, and Lucille LeSueur.” “Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?” “I’m sorry, that’s absolutely wrong. The correct response is, _‘What were the real names of Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, and Joan Crawford?’_.” “Be that as it may, Alex, those people have never been in my kitchen.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-jeopardy-is-wrong/502143.md?page=3)