Warning: This page contains spoilers for the June 6, 2025, 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 Name That -Ism) for Friday, June 6, 2025 (Season 41, Game 195):
This word first appears in English in a letter explaining that “Candide” is meant to ridicule the philosopher Leibniz
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Brian O’Heron, a graduate student from St. Louis, Missouri
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Elizabeth Hawkins, a software engineer from Oakland, California
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Nikhil Joshi, a veterinarian originally from Montville, New Jersey (1-day total: $5,400)
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Nikhil Joshi won just a shade over $5,000 yesterday after a low-scoring victory. Assuming no postseason expansion, he’s on the outside looking in of even Champions Wildcard at the moment, so he’ll absolutely need to take another victory to even have a hope of postseason play at this point. Meanwhile, closing out a week of contestants that I’ve heard has been filled with incredible people are Elizabeth Hawkins and Brian O’Heron.
(Content continues below)
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Correct response: What is optimism?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2025 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
The word “optimism”, derived from the Latin “optimum” (best), was coined by French Jesuits in the mid-1700s to refer to the theodicy of Leibniz, justifying God as the world’s creator. Voltaire’s later used “l’Optimisme” as the subtitle to his “Candide”.
Honestly though, I think a good joke answer here, considering Leibniz’s independent co-invention of calculus alongside Newton, would be “What is plagiarism?”, especially considering the rampant plagiarism that happens of this website—but I digress.
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Friday, June 6, 2025 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: London Literary Landmarks; Hodgepodge; Cybercrime; Hits Across The Decades; Comparative Adjectives; Shaped Like)
Elizabeth got the most number of correct responses, but an incorrect Daily Double meant she sat second after 15 clues. At the interviews, your scores were Nikhil $2,000 Elizabeth $1,200 Brian $200.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Nikhil 3 correct 0 incorrect
Elizabeth 6 correct 3 incorrect
Brian 2 correct 1 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Brian had a speech impediment when young where he pronounced Rs as Ws.
Elizabeth helped some Vietnamese with their English.
Nikhil was a hip-hop critic at his university newspaper.
While Elizabeth struggled with incorrect responses, Nikhil continued to lead.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Nikhil 8 correct 1 incorrect
Elizabeth 9 correct 4 incorrect
Brian 5 correct 1 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Nikhil $4,200
Elizabeth $1,200
Brian $800
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Volcanoes Are So Hot Right Now; Mythology; Weights & Measures; TV Creators; America In The 1920s; We’d Like A Short Word With “U”)
Brian found both Daily Doubles, but got DD2 incorrect. While Brian got clue #30 to ensure Nikhil didn’t have a runaway, Nikhil was in a strong position.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Nikhil 20 correct 1 incorrect
Brian 11 correct 2 incorrect
Elizabeth 13 correct 6 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 37 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Nikhil $16,200
Brian $8,800
Elizabeth $1,200
Elizabeth was the only player correct in Final Jeopardy, which means Nikhil is now a 2-day champion. He’ll go for win #3 on Monday.
Tonight’s results:
Elizabeth $1,200 + $0 = $1,200 (What is optimism?)
Brian $8,800 – $7,401 = $1,399 (What is absurdism?)
Nikhil $16,200 – $1,401 = $14,799 (What is existentialism?) (2-day total: $20,199)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) LONDON LITERARY LANDMARKS $800 (clue #8)
Elizabeth 800 -1000 (Nikhil 0 Brian -200)
2) WE’D LIKE A SHORT WORD WITH “U” $2000 (clue #16)
Brian 5600 -4000 (Nikhil 14200 Elizabeth 0)
3) WEIGHTS & MEASURES $1600 (clue #18, $9600 left on board)
Brian 3600 +3200 (Nikhil 14200 Elizabeth -2000)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: -83
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Nikhil 5
Elizabeth 5 4 3 4 4 4*
Brian 4
DJ! Round:
Nikhil 4 3 5 3 4 2 5 3
Elizabeth
Brian 3 4 5 2 3 4 2 5* 5 4*
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Nikhil 3.78
Brian 3.73
Elizabeth 4.00
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 37 (0.19 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Nikhil $16,200 Coryat, 20 correct, 1 incorrect, 35.09% in first on buzzer (20/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Brian $11,200 Coryat, 11 correct, 2 incorrect, 17.54% in first on buzzer (10/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Elizabeth $2,200 Coryat, 13 correct, 6 incorrect, 29.82% in first on buzzer (17/57), 0/1 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $29,600
Lach Trash: $14,200 (on 14 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $10,200
Lead Changes: 5
Times Tied: 2
Player Statistics:
Nikhil Joshi, career statistics:
34 correct, 5 incorrect
3/3 on rebound attempts (on 10 rebound opportunities)
29.82% in first on buzzer (34/114)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
0/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $10,800
Elizabeth Hawkins, career statistics:
14 correct, 6 incorrect
0/1 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
29.82% in first on buzzer (17/57)
0/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$1,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $2,200
Brian O’Heron, career statistics:
11 correct, 3 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
17.54% in first on buzzer (10/57)
1/2 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$800)
0/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $11,200
Nikhil Joshi, to win:
3 games: 41.566%
4: 17.277%
5: 7.181%
6: 2.985%
7: 1.241%
Avg. streak: 2.711 games.
Andy’s Thoughts:
- Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Nikhil $16,200 Brian $8,800 Elizabeth $1,200)
Nikhil: Standard cover bet is $1,401. (Actual bet: $1,401)
Elizabeth: Brian could keep you locked out, but if you bet at least $200 and are correct, you could take second place from him, if he makes the usual non-all-in wager from this spot of $7,401. (Actual bet: $0)
Brian: You have to be correct and bet at least $6,000 to have a chance of winning. If you bet between $6,000 and $6,400, you’re guaranteed at least second place with about a 19% chance of victory. (Actual bet: $7,401)
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If you’ve never read Candide, you should. It’s really good, and it does a great job at poking holes in people who just sit back and assume God will do all the work for them. I read it in 10th grade and still remember the subtitle, so this was an insta-get.
PS: Everyone go cultivate your gardens. IYKYK
I’ve enjoyed the Leonard Bernstein musical adaptation several times.
We probably went to different schools and at different times but I read “Candide” in the 10th grade as well. I agree with everything you wrote and yes, I know and I know. 🙂
Had forgotten the subtitle; but, having seen the play performed a couple of times, I remembered Candide’s tutor Pangloss, who believed that this was the best of all possible worlds. So I eventually got to the correct response. Was totally unaware of the connection to Leibniz, who I thought was a mathematician.
Haven’t watched yet, but Andy, I think you have a typo in the stats. At the first break you have Brian at 800 with 2 correct 1 incorrect.
At the end of the Jeopardy round you have Brian at 800 with 5 correct 1 incorrect.
Thanks for everything you do.
Thank you! Corrected.
The only thing I knew about Leibniz is that he helped come up with the idea of Calculus. I hope to put Candide on my reading list. Very educational today.
I have not read Candide, but I knew the subtitle.
I threw out a guess of dadaism.
Will we see Nikhil get win #3 on Monday? I’ll be tuning in to find out.