Final Jeopardy: Mythological Beasts (3-16-18)

Today’s Final Jeopardy question (3/16/2018) in the category “Mythological Beasts” was:

Hesiod said it fawns on all who enter “with actions of… tail & both ears”, but when people try to exit it “eats them up”

2x champ Peter Karamitsos, has racked up $51,000 so far. In Game 3, he is up against these two players: Rahul Gupta, from Midlothian, VA; and Dan Lee, from New York, NY.

Round 1 Categories: Composers’ Country of Birth – A Second Screen Experience – Fruits & Vegetables – Book Talk – That Word Needs Pluralization – The Faberge Museum

Dan found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Book Talk” under the $800 clue, with 10 clues left after it. He was in second place with $2,400, $4,000 less than Rahul in second place. He bet $2,000 and responded with the noun so he was WRONG.

This adjective is used for a shortened version of a written work that still contains the basic story. show

WHAT IS ABRIDGED?
Dan said “abridgement”

Rahul finished in the lead with $6,000. Dan was second with $600 and Peter was last with zero.

Round 2 Categories: After the Vice Presidency – TV Titles – African-American Literature – Mountains – Any “Port” – In a Storm

Rahul found the first Daily Double in “In a Storm” under the $1,600 clue on the 7th pick. He was in the lead with $8,800 at this point, $6,200 more than Dan in second place. He bet $4,800 and guessed Atlanta. That was WRONG.

When tropical storms threaten, the National Hurricane Center HQed in this city jumps into action. show

WHAT IS MIAMI?

5 clues later, Peter found the last Daily Double in “Mountains” under the $1,200 clue. In third place with $800, he had $3,800 less than Dan’s lead. He bet the $2,000 allowance and he was RIGHT.

Mount Masada, site of a famous fortress in the Judean Desert, overlooks this body of water. show

WHAT IS THE DEAD SEA?

Rahul finished in the lead with $12,400. Dan was next with $6,200 and Peter was in third place with $4,000.

NONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHO IS CERBERUS (THE HOUND OF HADES)?

I found this passage from “The Theogony” in an 1856 translation on Google Books, though you may remember Cerberus from sources other than Hesiod (like cartoons, if you’re like me): “There in the front stand the resounding mansions of the infernal god, of mighty Hades, and awful Persephone besides; and a fierce dog keeps guard in front, a ruthless dog; and he has an evil trick: those who enter he fawns upon with his tail and both ears alike, yet he suffers them not to go forth back again, but lies in wait and devours whomsoever he may have caught going forth without the gates of strong Hades and dread Persephone.” A footnote says it appears to be Cerberus because the ruthless dog’s name is not mentioned in that part, but it is in other parts. One is quoted on the Cerberus page, the Twelfth Labor of Hercules on tuft.edu.

Peter had the Minotaur. He lost $3,999, leaving him a dollar.

Dan had the same response. He bet and lost it all.

Rahul thought it was the Sphinx. He only lost a dollar so he won the game with $12,399. Rahul Gupta is the new Jeopardy! champ

A triple stumper from each round:

FRUITS & VEGETABLES: ($1000) In some countries, this long-necked brown pear is known as the Kaiser Alexander

AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE ($2000) This author of “Kindred” and “Xenogenesis” combined African-American culture with science fiction themes

2 years ago: Only ONE of the players got this FJ in “Literary Detectives”

His creator sometimes found him a “detestable, bombastic, tiresome little creature”. show

WHO IS HERCULE POIROT?

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