Final Jeopardy: 20th Century Literary Terms (12-20-13)

The Final Jeopardy question (12/20/2013), in the category “20th Century Literary Terms” was:

The writer who named this U.S. movement said the term referred to supreme blessedness, not exhaustion.

2-day champ Varun Shekhar has won $18,600 and is trying for a third win today. His opponents are: Jon Choi, from Vancouver, BC, Canada; and Greg Munda, from Glendale, CA.

Varun found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “___ing the _____” under the $1,000 clue. He was in third place with $1,800, $400 less than Greg in the lead. He bet $700 but did not know so he was WRONG.

This African custom seen at many weddings of African-Americans symbolizes sweeping away the old. show

WHAT IS JUMPING THE BROOM?

Jon finished in the lead with $5,800. Varun was second with $2,700 and Greg was last with $2,200.

Jon found the first Daily Double in “Christmas” under the $1,600 clue. He was in the lead with $6,600, $4,800 more than Greg in second place. He bet $2,000 and he was RIGHT.

With peace on earth on their minds, Israel’s Menachem Begin & this leader met in Egypt on Christmas Day 1977. show

WHO IS ANWAR SADAT?

Jon found the last Daily Double in “Physical Science” under the $1,600 clue. In the lead big time with $9,800, he had $6,700 more than Varun in second place. He bet $3,000, took a guess but that sounded like “medial lines.” Whatever it was, it was WRONG.

Nothing’s final, it’s all in this, also the name for magnetic lines that run from pole to pole forming magnetic fields. show

WHAT IS FLUX?

Greg finished in the lead with $11,800. Jon was next with $10,000 and Varun was in third place with $6,700. Upon returning from mucho commercials, Jon was awarded a correct answer on a response Trebek found highly amusing in the category “It’s Snowing.” Under the $800 clue, in response to “In skiing, this basic method of turning or stopping is also called the wedge,” Jon said “What is Pizza.” Those ski lesson paid off. Jon remained in second place but went into FJ with $11,600.

Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS THE BEAT GENERATION or BEAT MOVEMENT?
“Since it was Jack Kerouac who had originally coined the phrase, he was asked repeatedly what he meant by it. Initially he said that the Beat Generation was composed of people who had been beaten down, worn out, and exhausted. As time passed, he refined his definition to emphasize the beatific, blessed, or sympathetic qualities of his generation. “(The Typewriter Is Holy: The Complete, Uncensored History of the Beat Generation)

The term also led to describing followers as “beatniks” although most people did not think of them as “beatific.” In the youtube, Kerouac (in a French interview with English subtitles) expresses his dislike of the term beatnik.

Varun wrote down “suffrage” but bet nothing, so he remained at $6,700.

Jon got it right. He bet $300 and finished with $11,900.

Greg didn’t come up with anything. He lost $11,401 and landed in third place with $399.

So Jon Choi will be returning on Monday as the new champ, at which time Trebek will undoubtedly remind us that he is the third recent Canadian champion.

After seeing Jon do very well in the “Literature” category in the first round, VJ bet that he would definitely get FJ. She was RIGHT.