Warning: This page contains spoilers for the July 8, 2024, game of Jeopardy! — please do not scroll down if you wish to avoid being spoiled. Please note that the game airs as early as noon Eastern in some U.S. television markets.
Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Opera) for Monday, July 8, 2024 (Season 40, Game 216):
The melody of a traditional piece for the koto called “Echigo-Jishi” is used in Act 1 of this opera
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Stephanie Lewis, a project coordinator from Washington, D.C.
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Karan Menon, a data scientist originally from Edison, New Jersey
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Isaac Hirsch, a customer support team lead from Burbank, California (3-day total: $70,186)
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
There are three weeks left in Season 40 of Jeopardy!; following that, there will be six weeks of encore presentations and a continuation of regular play to start Season 41 beginning the second Monday in September. Isaac Hirsch enters today’s play as a strong 3-day champion, averaging nearly 30 correct responses a game. However, it is a new week, and I am sure that challengers Stephanie Lewis & Karan Menon are hoping that Isaac is slightly rusty on the signaling device for this Monday episode!
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(Content continues below)
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Correct response: What is Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly)?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2024 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
Before we go any further: Jeopardy! has accepted Madame Butterfly as correct and equivalent to Madama Butterfly as recently as 2021, and Operabase considers Madame Butterfly to be an alternative title.
Madama Butterfly an early 20th century opera from Giacomo Puccini, set in Japan. It is speculated that “Echigo-Jishi” was Puccini’s favorite Japanese song, and it was used as in the opera as the entrance aria for the opera’s title character (Cio-Cio-San).
I’ll be honest, though: knowing how “the discourse” has been regarding the show over the last two years, I see a Final Jeopardy clue such as this one, and I immediately start to feel dread about potential reactions to the multiple potentially acceptable titles. (I already have vacation plans lined up for the summer break—can you tell I am already looking forward to it?)
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Monday, July 8, 2024 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: The Solar System; Truck & Truckin’ Songs; The Spanish Animal; Samuel Beckett; Endgame; Waiting For…)
Isaac picked up 11 correct to Stephanie’s 2 and Karan’s 1 in the opening segment, punctuated by the Daily Double. At the interviews, Isaac had $9,600 to Karan’s $1,000 and Stephanie’s $400.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Isaac 11 correct 0 incorrect
Karan 1 correct 0 incorrect
Stephanie 2 correct 2 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Stephanie has tasted glow stick and does not recommend it.
Karan is a former winner of the National Geographic Bee.
Isaac is into weightlifting.
Isaac picked up another 7 correct responses to continue holding a big lead after 30 clues.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Isaac 18 correct 1 incorrect
Karan 6 correct 1 incorrect
Stephanie 3 correct 3 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Isaac $11,800
Karan $2,400
Stephanie $200
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: 20th Century America; Capes; 3 Of A Kind; Books; Vocabulary; Fly Me To The Moon)
Isaac found both Daily Doubles, got them both, and finished Double Jeopardy with 30 correct responses. He cruised to a runaway.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Isaac 30 correct 2 incorrect
Karan 10 correct 2 incorrect
Stephanie 9 correct 4 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 20 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Isaac $27,400
Karan $7,200
Stephanie $5,000
This Final Jeopardy clue was a triple-get, with both spellings accepted; Isaac has cleared six figures and goes for win #5 tomorrow!
Tonight’s results:
Stephanie $5,000 + $0 = $5,000 (What is Madama Butterfly?)
Karan $7,200 + $2,801 = $10,001 (What is Madame Butterfly?)
Isaac $27,400 + $3,000 = $30,400 (What is Madame Butterfly?) (4-day total: $100,586)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) THE SOLAR SYSTEM $1000 (clue #15)
Isaac 7400 +2200 (Karan 1000 Stephanie 400)
2) BOOKS $1200 (clue #5)
Isaac 13800 +5000 (Karan 2400 Stephanie 1800)
3) CAPES $1200 (clue #18, $7200 left on board)
Isaac 25200 +600 (Karan 7200 Stephanie 4200)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 68
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Isaac 3 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 5*
Karan 3
Stephanie 5 4
DJ! Round:
Isaac 3* 3 5 3 4 5 3*
Karan 5 4 3
Stephanie 4 5 4 5 4 4 5 3
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Isaac 3.89
Karan 3.75
Stephanie 4.30
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 20 (0.09 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Isaac $23,000 Coryat, 30 correct, 2 incorrect, 45.61% in first on buzzer (26/57), 2/3 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Karan $7,200 Coryat, 10 correct, 2 incorrect, 19.30% in first on buzzer (11/57), 0/1 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Stephanie $5,000 Coryat, 9 correct, 4 incorrect, 22.81% in first on buzzer (13/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $35,200
Lach Trash: $13,800 (on 11 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $5,000
Lead Changes: 0
Times Tied: 0
Player Statistics:
Isaac Hirsch, career statistics:
119 correct, 14 incorrect
5/6 on rebound attempts (on 11 rebound opportunities)
50.00% in first on buzzer (114/228)
7/9 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $10,400)
2/4 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $23,300
Karan Menon, career statistics:
11 correct, 2 incorrect
0/1 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
19.30% in first on buzzer (11/57)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $7,200
Stephanie Lewis, career statistics:
10 correct, 4 incorrect
0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
22.81% in first on buzzer (13/57)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $5,000
Isaac Hirsch, to win:
5 games: 68.113%
6: 46.394%
7: 31.600%
8: 21.524%
9: 14.661%
Avg. streak: 6.136 games.
Andy’s Thoughts:
- With the notable exception of titles—which generally need a publication citation to be accepted—the judges have historically used what amounts to descriptivism instead of prescriptivism, in that popular usage of an otherwise incorrect term (or pronunciation) will render an otherwise incorrect response correct. It should also be noted that “dark side of the moon” has historically meant “the unknown side of the moon” as opposed to “the unlit side of the moon”.
- Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Isaac $27,400 Karan $7,200 Stephanie $5,000)
Isaac: Bet no more than $12,999. (Actual bet: $3,000)
Karan: Standard cover bet over Stepanie is $2,801. (Actual bet: $2,801)
Stephanie: Bet no more than $599 and take second if Karan is incorrect. (Actual bet: $0)
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“What is ‘Madame Butterfly’?” It’s the only opera I know of set in Japan. (I wrote the title as I guessed it.)
I know only a miniscule amount about opera, but I got this Final Jeopardy for literally the saame reason as you I suspect, Koto, and,Echigo-sound like it was referrencing things Japanese. The only opera I knew right off hand, with Japanese elements was Madame Butterfly.
The Mikado didn’t enter my mind until MarkD mentioned it.
Echigo-Jishi sounded Japanese to me – so guessed Madame Butterfly. I did almost second guess myself and switch to Mikado.
It was my only guess so glad I was able to come up with it. Opera is not my strong suit, so expected to start the week off with a bagel.
If you’re not familiar with the specifics of each opera, but you know enough that Japanese + Opera = Madame Butterfly or Mikado, it might as well be a coin toss.
My thinking as well.
I didn’t know where koto” comes from, but Echigo-Jishi sounds Japanese, and the only opera associated with Japan I know is Madame Butterfly.
FJ was easy today. It couldn’t have been The Mikado because that work is an operetta, not an opera.
Isaac continues to be very impressive!
The Japanese song I recall from “The Mikado” is in Act II and starts “Miya sama, miya sama…”
Why did Stephanie have to provide a first name for her clue with the photograph of the woman but Isaac only needed to provide the last names for his photo clues?
Basically, in general, if there is only one famous person in that field with that last name, last name only has been acceptable on the show for 40 years. However, if there are multiple famous people in the same field with the same last name, the show will generally ask you to be more specific, and they have gone back to requiring that this season.
So, being that there’s only one Shatner, Shatner on its own is fine. But when you have a situation like the Barrymores, where there is a Wikipedia article about the family, first names will be required.
Well, opera isn’t my strong suit and I could only guess Miss Saigon (not even sure that’s an opera), but I knew that’s Vietnam and couldn’t come up with anything else.
When I saw the answer, I feel like I probably should have gotten it, even if by default knowledge. I knew that you all would be kicking booty here on this one! 🙂
Retro congrats to Isaac on win #4. Nice to see a guy that’s from Burbank (2 cities away from me) doing very well. 🙂
On to tomorrow night! Will it be his 5th win?