And here they are:
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| Ian Pickus |
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| Joe McKee |
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| Grant Wing |
The Jeopardy round featured at least a couple categories I could get excited about: 80s Fads and The Dan Patrick Show. I’d never heard of the correct responses to these two clues in the former, though: “The sticky octopus-shaped toys called ‘wacky’ these slowly descended when hurled at an upright surface” and “This 5-letter word preceded ‘boppers’ or ‘bobbers’ in the name of novelty bobbing antennas that you were on your head.”
The round also featured quite possibly my least favorite and one I hope I never encounter when I’m on the show someday: Stupid Answers. I did get ’em all except for this one: “President John Tyler was the son of Mary Armistead and this governor.”
Ian found the Daily Double of the round, in First Names in the Dictionary. He had 200, Joe had 800, and Grant had 2800. Ian wagered 1000 on this clue: “The 2 common names, one female, one male, that are synonyms for a Christmas song or hymn.” Ian and I knew this one immediately.
At the first break, Joe had 2200 and Ian and Grant were tied with 1800. At the end of the round, Joe had 3800, Ian had 3400, and Grant had 3600 thanks to his “Prince of Orange” being deemed acceptable in response to this clue in Stupid Answers: “In Dutch, this royal was known as Willem Hendrik, Prins van Oranje.” He found the first Daily Double in the next round, in & After. He had 3200, Joe had 6600, and Ian had 5000. Grant wagered 2000 on this clue: “After a psy-ops team blasted van Halen for 10 days at this general, hiding in Panama’s Vatican embassy, he said no mas.” He and I got it right. (I’d probably have wagered it all, in his case.)
Grant had 10000 when he found the next Daily Double, in All Ears. Joe had 9000 and Ian had 7400. Grant wagered 3000 on this clue: “That’s right, cowboy! The stapes, the smallest bone in the ear and body, is more commonly called this.” Grant got it right, while this was the only one in the category I missed!
Despite getting those two Daily Doubles right, Grant was in second place going into Final Jeopardy, though not by much. He had 13400, Joe had 14200, and Ian had 11000. The category was American Artists. This was the clue: “In 1909, he completed his last painting, a canvas called ‘Driftwood.'” I, like Ian, incorrectly guessed Norman Rockwell, which I’m embarrassed to admit now that I see he died in 1978! Ian lost 3202. Grant and Joe both got it right. Grant wagered 13000, but Joe wagered 12700, enough to beat Grant had Grant doubled. So Joe is now a two-day champion.
My Coryat score today was a healthy 28200. Ian‘s was 11000, Joe’s was 14200, and Grant’s was 11200. My best categories were First Names in the Dictionary, which I swept, Stupid Answers, All Ears, the ridiculously easy Family Movies, which I swept, and “B”4. My worst were State Parks and Arbor Day Reading? Coryats for Wednesday and Thursday:
4-27: Virginia Ogozalek 9000 Denis Theriault 17400 Brian Meacham 12400 Me 19200
4-28: Maya Zwerdling 11600 Joe McKee 10800 Denis Theriault 15000 Me 22400
Last but not least, a gentleman who identifed himself only as a former contestant named “Ben” sent me this site he created for the purpose of practicing on the Jeopardy! buzzer. Please try it and let me know what you think: Worthwhile? Effective? (Please note that he describes this as a “first version,” and is working on adding more features.)