Sketchy at best

     Recent Coryats:
Originally 4-22-09: 21800 (28400 without negs)
Originally 4-23-09: 20000 (23200 without negs)
Originally 7-4-12: 27000 (28200 without negs). The first time I played, my score was 18000 (22200 without negs). I shouldn’t look at my previous Coryat before I play again, because I’m sure it influences me.
Originally 4-24-09: 25200 (27400 without negs, both in Lands Down Under. Sadly, I should’ve rung in on two other clues in the category.)
Originally 4-27-09: 38200 (40400 without negs)
     Do you remember when I posted about a new game show’s call for contestants? I believe this tweet is referring to the same show, in which case it’s legit after all.
     Good news – Michelle Souza has reached out to us and agreed to do a Q & A. Leave a comment on any post, with your questions for her! And contestants, take her and Alistair‘s example: Don’t be shy about contacting us.
     Joshua Brakhage defeated Michelle yesterday. Is he gonna make it 2 wins today? Here he is with his opponents:

Waymond Mitchell of Houston TX

Joshua Brakhage of South Coffeyville OK

Zora Shinn of Solvang CA

     Waymond was described by Johnny as a “quotation specialist.” What do you suppose that is?
     Before the first break, Joshua and Waymond went back and forth like in a ping pong game. Joshua got 8 right and one wrong and earned 4000. Waymond got 5 right and one wrong and had 2000. Zora got one right and had 800.
     Zora found the Daily Double after 2 clues had been revealed after the break. She had 1200 now. Joshua had gotten the other one right and had 4200. Zora wagered 800 on this clue in Geopoliticians: “Alamo is the seat of the Tennessee county named for this frontiersman & congressman.” I picked the right one but Zora did not.
     Mr. Trebek gave the one-minute warning with 6 clues left, but we saw them all. At the end of the round, Zora had 2400. She’d gotten 4 right since her Daily Double. Joshua too had gotten 4 right but also one wrong, and had 6000. Waymond had gotten 2 right and had 3800. He was lucky enough to find the first Daily Double in the round. He’d gotten 3 right but 2 wrong, and had 5800. Zora had gotten 9 right and had 12800. Joshua had gotten 5 right and had 9600. Waymond wagered 5000 on this clue in Nonmusical Instruments: “This instrument that records respiratory movements shares its name with a classic drawing kit.” I can see how Waymond’s response of “Etch-a-Sketch” might be a scream, but maybe it was still too early for me. To make matters worse for poor Waymond, he began to select the next clue by saying, “What is…”, but he caught himself. I got this one right. Anyone else have a spirograph as a kid?
     Waymond found the next Daily Double too. Each contestant had gotten one right since his last one. Joshua had 10000, Zora had 13600, and Waymond had 2000. He made me nervous when he wagered everything on this clue in Waterfalls: “Ironically, it leaps from a plateau whose name means ‘devil’s mountain.'”  Luckily he got it right, because Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning then. There were 5 clues left.
     One clue was left covered today. Joshua still had 10000 at the end of the round. Zora got 2 right since Waymond’s second Daily Double, and had 16000. Waymond had gotten one right and one wrong and had 5200.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Olympic Host Cities. This is the clue: “When this city hosted the XIV Winter Olympics, it was located in a different nation than today.” I got this one instantly but kept thinking for a while, just in case. The boys got it right too, and both doubled their scores. A risky move, especially for Joshua, I thought. As it turns out he’d only have to have added 1901. Zora got it wrong and lost 4100. We’ll see Joshua try for his third win tomorrow, then. Will I be updating the ToC list? He looks strong to me. He has $40,006 through today.
     My Coryat today was 33600 32400 with 1800 2400 in negs. (ETA: I hadn’t negged myself for the following clue but just removed the 1200 as if I hadn’t answered. Also, I’ve negged myself for a clue I’d counted as a clam: I’d said “Candle in the Wind” instead of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” even though I knew the correct response and said it correctly in my head.) I wish I could’ve accepted “spinal bifida” for this one in Back Words: “SBA is short for this association that helps those with a certain neural tube defect.” Here are the rest of my triple-stumpers:

• In Eye on Sports: “Saying he’d be considered legally blind without specs, this golfer got Lasik in 1999, then–natch–won the Disney Classic.”
• In Geopoliticians: “The last U.S. president to have a county named for him (in N.M.), he may be best known for the Teapot Dome scandal.”
• In Let’s Make a Quilt: “The 19th-century style of quilt named for this Maryland city can fetch 6-figure sums at auction today.”