Final Jeopardy: Contemporary American Authors (7-14-17)

Today’s Final Jeopardy question (7/14/2017) in the category “Contemporary American Authors” was:

This Pulitzer winner changed his first name to that of an Irish king, avoiding associations with a famous ventriloquist’s dummy.

2x champ Gavin Borchert has won $29,400 so far. In Game 3, these two ladies are looking to send him home: Vicky Smith, from South Portland, ME; and Larissa Dizon, from San Diego, CA.

Round 1 Categories: Abbreviated No. 1 TV Shows – Nation State – Kid Lit – You Get a “D” – ICYMI – Hidden Gems

Vicky found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Kid Lit” under the $800 clue on the 5th pick of the round. She was in the lead with $1.200, $1,000 more than Larissa in second place. She made it a true Daily Double and thought it was being logical. That was WRONG.

Milo of “Phantom Tollboth” fame learns you can only get to the Isle of Conclusions by doing this. show

WHAT IS BY JUMPING?

Gavin finished in the lead with $3,600. Vicky was second with $3,000 and Larissa was last with $1,200.

Round 2 Categories: Kansas History – The Bible – Music to My Years – The Orient Expression – Big Ben – You Can Set Your Watch by It

Gavin found the first Daily Double in “Set Your Watch” under the $1,200 clue, with a dozen clues to go after it. He was in the lead with $9,200 at this point, $200 more than Vicky in second place. He bet $3,000 and he was RIGHT.

For years the Third U.S. Infantry has been doing this ritual “every hour on the hour” at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. show

WHAT IS CHANGING OF THE GUARD?

4 clues later, Larissa found the last Daily Double in “The Bible” under the $1,600 clue. In third place with $6,000, she had $7,000 less than Gavin’s lead. She bet $3,000 and took a shot with the Barbers. That was WRONG.

In Romans 1 Paul says, “I am debtor both to” the Barbarians & these people from whom “Barbarians” derives. show

WHO ARE THE GREEKS?

Gavin finished in the lead with $15,800. Vicky was next with $9,800 and Larissa was in third place with $3,000.

TWO of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHO IS CORMAC McCARTHY?

Cormac McCarthy won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his post-apocalyptic novel, “The Road.” McCarthy was actually born a junior, named after his father, Charles Joseph McCarthy. While still in college, he published some short stories under the name “C.J. McCarthy, Jr.” His first name was later changed to Cormac legally, but sources vary considerably as to whether he or his family did it, and whether it was after an Irish king, or a means to differentiate himself from his father. Some sources say that “Cormac” was a family nickname given to his father by his Irish aunts. Others say Cormac is the Gaelic equivalent of Charles and still others say Cormac means “son of Charles.” Whichever it was, any comparisons to ventriloquist Edgar Bergen’s famous dummy, Charlie McCarthy, were certainly avoided.

Larissa thought it was F. Scott Fitzgerald. She bet and lost it all.

Vicky got it right with just the last name. She bet it all and finished with $19,600.

Gavin got it, too, with the full name. He bet $5,000 and won the match with $20,800. His 3-day total is $50,200.

A triple stumper from each round:

THE BIBLE ($2000) Appropriately, “she weepeth sore in the night” & “the ways of Zion do mourn” are in this Old Testament book

YOU CAN SET YOUR WATCH BY IT ($2000) Soldiers face off every day in an energetic & patriotic ritual at the Wagah Border between these 2 countries

2 years ago: Only ONE of the players got this FJ in “19th Century Americans”:

An account of her historic trial noted, “It was conceded that the defendant was, on the 5th November 1872, a woman.” show

WHO IS SUSAN B. ANTHONY?

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