# Without Googling, do you know this Final Jeopardy question? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052 "2010-04-23T00:01:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/1 "2010-04-23T00:01:41Z")
In today’s (4/22/10) Final Jeopardy, I thought this was super easy and can’t believe all three blew it. **Category:** Telecommunications Technology **Answer:** In 1992, New York City received the first one of these, 917. **Question:** [spoiler]What is overlay area code? There was an entire Seinfeld episode about it! It’s happened in nearly every slightly large-sized metro area! How did all three blow it?[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/2 "2010-04-23T00:06:30Z")
Yeah, anyone who watches \*Seinfeld \*should have gotten it. I was surprised they all didn’t get one from a few nights ago: That it was the Korean War that started in 1950 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/3 "2010-04-23T00:10:32Z")
Knew it immediately but that’s sort of because I live here and they’ve been brought to our attention. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/4 "2010-04-23T00:15:03Z")
I would have known what it was, in terms of its function and the reasons for its implementation, but i wouldn’t have known to use the word “overlay” to describe it, so i guess i would have got the answer wrong. I’ve seen the Seinfeld episode, but it was a long time ago. ---
**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:** [April 23, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/5 "2010-04-23T00:19:46Z")
I guessedcellphone area code which is vaguely correct but wouldn’t have been accepted. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/6 "2010-04-23T00:20:49Z")
What’s an overlay area code? Is that ten digit dialing? I’ve never heard the term. (And I could be on Jeopardy any damned day until a few months from now, so I guess I’d have blown that one.) ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/7 "2010-04-23T00:25:27Z")
I live in New York City, and I would have guessed “dedicated cell phone area code”. Had no idea until just now that it was an overlay. 646 is an overlay for 212, but as far as I’m aware, 917 is only for cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/8 "2010-04-23T00:27:14Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I guessedcellphone area code which is vaguely correct but wouldn’t have been accepted. That’s what I guessed, because that’s what mine starts with. Why wouldn’t it have been accepted? The Seinfeld episode was about 646, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/9 "2010-04-23T00:31:39Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > What’s an overlay area code? Is that ten digit dialing? I’ve never heard the term. (And I could be on Jeopardy any damned day until a few months from now, so I guess I’d have blown that one.) An [overlay code](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overlay_plan) requires all number dialing in the same area to use 10 digits to avoid confusion. You can no longer use the “last 7” digits as a shortcut, cause that could be for more than one area code. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/10 "2010-04-23T00:33:28Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I guessedcellphone area code which is vaguely correct but wouldn’t have been accepted. It wouldn’t have been accepted because 1992 wasn’t the first use of an area code (that was in the 1950’s), just the first use of an _overlay_ area code. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/11 "2010-04-23T00:39:04Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > It wouldn’t have been accepted because 1992 wasn’t the first use of an area code (that was in the 1950’s), just the first use of an _overlay_ area code. Yeah, but he said _cellphone_ area code. Not just regular area code. ---
**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:** [April 23, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/12 "2010-04-23T00:40:19Z")
> [@choie](#): > > That’s what I guessed, because that’s what mine starts with. Why wouldn’t it have been accepted? Because although the new code was largely driven by the rise in the number of cellphones, it’s not _specifically_ meant for them. It also covered pagers and such. I’d guess the judges were looking specifically for “overlay” and it never would have occurred to me. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/13 "2010-04-23T00:44:57Z")
Ah, got it. Thank you, **Bryan Ekers**. That explanation, I can live with. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/14 "2010-04-23T00:46:52Z")
917 is not just for cellphones. My landlord’s house line is a 917 #. And my cell phone is a 646. NYC also got 347 added a couple years ago. Get one of those, and you’ll be REALLY unpopular here. ---
**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:** [April 23, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/15 "2010-04-23T00:49:07Z")
Don’t be too impressed. It was a wiki and google effort. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/16 "2010-04-23T02:31:11Z")
What is a dedicated area code for mobile phones? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/17 "2010-04-23T02:44:35Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > NYC also got 347 added a couple years ago. Get one of those, and you’ll be REALLY unpopular here. Just curious, why? ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/18 "2010-04-23T02:45:51Z")
I posted that before looking at the other posts. Overlay was actually my first guess. Should have gone with it. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/19 "2010-04-23T03:05:23Z")
I’ve never heard of an overlay before. I always just thought it was an area code for NYC cellphones. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052/20 "2010-04-23T03:19:35Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Just curious, why? I’m guessing that it’s because people who get the new area code are most likely young and new to the city, and certain long-time New Yorkers like to do look down on the “intruders.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-googling-do-you-know-this-final-jeopardy-question/537052.md?page=2)