My score in the Jeopardy round today was roughly half that of yesterday’s Jeopardy round. I really can’t explain why I didn’t come up with any correct responses in 1984. I did know the answer to this first clue of the game in that category, but didn’t ring in in time/didn’t feel confident enough: “January 1: This Southeast Asian sultanate gains its full independence from Great Britain.”* And I’ve never heard of the answer to this clue in Top U.S Franchises: “Begun in Japan, this chain of math and reading centers ranks as the top tutoring services franchise.”* Gene Beed of Irvine, CA knew the answer. I went to the company‘s website and found that there are three such centers in Irvine. I lived in a town 40 miles from Irvine for a couple of years, and I even worked briefly as a tutor at a center that seems similar. Of course I want to know, did you guys know the answer, and if so, where are you are from?
Donna Gottlieb found all three Daily Doubles today, the first one right after giving her first correct response. She risked all of her 1000, and got it right. The Daily Double was found in Top U.S. Franchises: “This women-only circuit-training fitness center began franchising in 1985.”*
I missed this first clue read in Big “Brother” because I was writing the categories on my sheet and didn’t realize “Brother” was in quotes!: “Zeppo or Gummo.”* Live and learn. Then I guess I was rattled, and gave only four words on this clue in the same category: “5-word nickname of Philadelphia.”* There really is no excuse for missing that one!
There was no clear favorite at the end of the Jeopardy round. Donna had 4400, Gene had 6800, and 2-day champ John Krizel had 7000. Here is my Jeopardy round:
I made up for the Jeopardy round in Double Jeopardy, which was nearly three times that of yesterday’s:
Did you guys know this triple-stumper in State Lakes?: “Grand Lake of the Cherokees.”* What about this one in From the Greek?: “This bowl-shaped depression at the mouth of a volcano is from the Greek for ‘mixing vessel.'”* Again, I knew this one, but didn’t feel confident enough, which is the same as not knowing it at all!
Donna found one Daily Double one near the beginning of the Double Jeopardy round and one near the end. Here’s the first one, in Opera Characters: “A one-act opera based on an episode in ‘Great Expectations’ is called this woman’s ‘wedding night.'”* The second Daily Double of the round was in From the Greek: “The name of this learning disability is partly from the Greek for ‘word.'”* Despite answering all three Daily Doubles correct, Donna was in third place going into Final Jeopardy. She never wagered to take the lead on the Daily Doubles. She wagered 1200 on the Opera Daily Double, when anything more than 2200 would’ve given her the lead. And even though there were only two clues left in the round, she only wagered to be in second place by 200 with a correct response. (To take the lead, though, she would’ve nearly had to risk it all.) So going into Final Jeopardy, John had 17400, Gene had 16000, and Donna had 12600.
The Final Jeopardy category was Legendary Public Servants. This was the clue: “In 1929, he became a special agent with the treasury department’s prohibition bureau, Chicago division.”* I guessed the same thing as Donna and got it wrong. She lost 8000. Gene got it right and added 9201. It appears he wagered to be in the lead if Donna doubled, even though she wasn’t in third place going in! Weird. It wouldn’t have mattered, though, because John got it right and wagered enough to beat Gene if he had wagered like he should have (in my opinion) and doubled. Incidentally, why does John look so down all the time, even when he’s done well? He’s 3 for 3 on Final Jeopardy, but you’d never know it from his expression and gestures. At any rate, his score today was 32001! Impressive. Can he get a fourth win?
*Brunei, Kumon, Curves, Marx Brothers, the City of Brotherly Love, Oklahoma, crater, Miss Havisham, dyslexia, Eliot Ness