Final Jeopardy: American Quotes (6-4-18)
Today’s Final Jeopardy question (6/4/2018) in the category “American Quotes” was:
In a 1789 letter, Benjamin Franklin relates the durability of the new Constitution to these 2 things
New champ Ian Booth, a trade specialist from Washington, D.C., won $23,201 last Friday. In his second game, he is up against: Leslie Manion, a bookseller from Washington; and Tommy Fagin, an English teacher from New York.
Buzzy Cohen was in the studio audience. Alex introduced him as “one of our most popular and self-effacing contestants on Jeopardy! last year, and also the winner of our Tournament of Champions.” “Self-effacing” Buzzy got up and unbuttoned his suit jacket to display this humongous 2017 Jeopardy! Champion belt with his name on it! See the video clip on Jeopardy!’s Twitter.
Alex then said: “Buzzy, I know you still want to replace me as host of Jeopardy! but I ain’t going anywhere for a while.”
Round 1 Categories: Motorcycles – The End of “It” – Designer Initials – Lookin’ Back Texas – Mama Tried – Classic Country Songs
Tommy found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Mama Tried” under the $600 clue on the 8th pick of the round. He was in second place with $1,400, $600 less than Leslie’s lead. He made it a true Daily Double and he was RIGHT.
If John Surratt hadn’t befriended this actor, his mama Mary probably wouldn’t have been tried & hanged. show
Leslie finished in the lead with $5,800. Tommy was second with $5,600 and Ian was last with $3,200.
Round 2 Categories: The Disaster Artists – Country Facts – Hail Hydro – Movies of “Wonder” – The Novel’s Subtitle – The Old 3, 4
Ian found the first Daily Double in “Country Facts” under the $800 clue on the 4th pick. He was in third place with $4,000 now, $1,200 behind Leslie’s lead. He bet $3,000 and he was RIGHT.
Morocco’s official languages are Tamazight & this. show
Ian found the last Daily Double in “The Disaster Artists” under the $1,600 clue on the 14th pick. In the lead with $11,400, he had $1,800 more than Tommy in second place. He bet $4,000 and went with Whistler, just to say something but he knew that was WRONG.
In 1895’s “What an Unbranded Cow has Cost”, this artist depicts the brutal cattle wars of the West. show
Leslie finished in the lead with $12,600. Tommy was next with $12,000 and Ian was in third place with $11,000.
NONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
The quote comes from Benjamin Franklin’s 11/13/1789 letter to French scientist Jean-Baptiste Leroy: “Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” This Day in Quotes.com notes that this is actually a translation as Franklin wrote the letter in French. They have some interesting background info as well as the quote in French.
Ian had “the pillars of… “Atlas,” he told Alex. He bet and lost it all.
Tommy came up with education & a free press. He lost $11,199, leaving him a buck.
Leslie thought of a rock and a fortress. She lost $12,001. That left her $599 and Alex Trebek said: “You’re gonna become the new champion with a massive $599, which is less than Ian and Tommy have earned for their appearance today! But you get to play again tomorrow.” Hey, it’s a start to Leslie’s husband getting that chicken coop she promised him if she wins 5 games.
A triple stumper from each round:
LOOKIN’ BACK TEXAS ($400) In 1822, this man, called “The Father of Texas,” founded the first American colony in the Mexican province of Tejas
MOVIES OF “WONDER” ($2000) We were gobsmacked– that is almost the right word– by Julianne Moore’s work in this 2017 drama about 2 deaf kids
2 years ago: TWO of the players got this FJ in “18th Century Names ”
From the Latin, it’s one of the middle names of an 18th century luminary & means lover of or loved by God. show
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From Fridays performance I really thought Ian would qualify for the toc. Ian was very strong and had a lot of broad knowledge. Oh well. Jeopardy is truly a humbling game.
Poor betting strategy by Ian. He should have bet $1601 in case Leslie bet nothing. His only chance was if both Leslie and Tommy missed it.
Well 599, is a start for Leslie’s first game but I want to see her add big bucks if she wants to be a streaker. Death and taxes isn’t that hard to figure out but rocks and fortresses has nothing to do with Ben Franklin as rocks were used during william the conqueror’s reign. Also what year was education and free press first used in the United States, VJ?
@VJ
Congratulations!! The only one.
And you are right, what has “durability” combined with “death and taxes” to do with the constitution. The distraction (or red herring if you will) I was mentioning. One of the solutions where the players probably smacked their forehead afterwards (at least figuratively) and said “Jeez”…. Each one used that phrase probably a few dozen times in her/his life. Sneaky,sneaky….
Thanks, John. I just went with my own reaction to that clue this morning and didn’t even second guess it
LINK: 10 more clues from the game
That’s the way to go. First instincts are usually – if not right – very close. The players overthought it (or they had NO clue in the first place…..
What a game that must have been!! “Waltzing Matilda ” a triple stumper????
That’s almost their National Anthem!!
Maybe they don’t play that here in the States as much as they used to, or people don’t listen to the words — Austin Rogers lost 4 grand on a DD last October when he didn’t know what a jumbuck is