# You, too, can be Alex Trebek **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2002, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893 "2002-12-11T00:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/1 "2002-12-11T00:57:10Z")
Well, you can start out by buying [this](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18839&item=1979107266). And then [this](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18839&item=1979106148). ---
**Author:** ![Flowerchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Flowerchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flowerchild)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/2 "2002-12-11T02:12:04Z")
I must watch way too much Jeopardy Because for a second, I thought, “that podium would be way cool to have” ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/3 "2002-12-11T02:36:30Z")
The urge to get that and then act out celebrity jeopardy sketches with my friends is almost too much to control… “You’ll rue the day you crossed me, Tre_beck_!” ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/4 "2002-12-11T10:58:53Z")
You know, for a show like _Jeopardy!_ that prides itself on knowledge, and that penalizes players for getting one letter in a person’s name wrong, you’d think that they would know the difference between a **podium** and a **lectern**. A podium is a platform. A lectern is a speaker’s desk. You stand _on_ a podium, _behind_ a lectern. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/5 "2002-12-11T11:04:56Z")
Maybe Kramer could use it with his Merv Griffith set. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/6 "2002-12-11T15:12:23Z")
Anyone notice that Brad Rutter is the high bidder on the lectern? He’s mentioned in the write-up as starting his million dollar quest from this lectern. I don’t think he’s going to be outbid. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/7 "2002-12-11T16:21:59Z")
From the OED online: Podium > [@](#): > > 1. d. A raised platform or dais at the front of a hall or stage; spec. that occupied by the conductor of an orchestra. First cite 1947. It’s been more than 50 years now. Can we finally accept that the word is used this way? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/8 "2002-12-11T16:30:46Z")
I love Jeopardy, but IMHO, Alex Trebeck is a dickwhistle. Could I pretend to be Art Fleming instead? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/9 "2002-12-11T23:18:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by norinew \* > \*\*I love Jeopardy, but IMHO, Alex Trebeck is a dickwhistle. Could I pretend to be Art Fleming instead? \*\* Sure. Just ignore the fact these are pieces from Trebek’s set and have his signature on them. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2002, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/10 "2002-12-12T15:49:17Z")
I stood at Podium 3, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/11 "2002-12-12T16:15:18Z")
**Exapno Mapcase** , _podium = raised platform_ is what I said. A conductor does not conduct from a lectern, he conducts from a podium. The conductor stands _on_ a podium. Nothing in that dictionary definition you quoted says that _podium = lectern_. ---
**Author:** ![djbdjb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@djbdjb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djbdjb)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/12 "2002-12-12T19:04:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Moto \* > \*\*I stood at Podium 3, myself. \*\* Can I ask you to check out … [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=149900](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=149900) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/13 "2002-12-12T19:07:30Z")
> [@](#): > > You, too, can be Alex Trebek How much to **not be** Alex Trebek? And, if there’s somebody I don’t like, how much to make **them** become Alex Trebek? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/14 "2002-12-12T20:12:59Z")
I just think it’s cool that they’re invoking the name of a [Doper](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=134179) to advertise the podium. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-too-can-be-alex-trebek/141893/15 "2002-12-12T20:26:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\ ***Exapno Mapcase** , _podium = raised platform_ is what I said. A conductor does not conduct from a lectern, he conducts from a podium. The conductor stands _on_ a podium. Nothing in that dictionary definition you quoted says that _podium = lectern_. \*\* Apologies. I thought that the cites given there supported the usage in the lectern sense, but when I go back to read them I see that they can all be interpreted in the sense of raised platform. However, on [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), I found this: A stand for holding the notes of a public speaker; a lectern. Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Purists still do make the distinction between podium and lectern, but I believe it is one of the word pairs that are rapidly becoming synonymous, as a quick check on Google will show you. However, this is a hijack and I apologize for that as well.