Final Jeopardy: The 13 Colonies (10-27-20)
Today’s Final Jeopardy question (10/27/2020) in the category “The 13 Colonies” was:
Pride in the document under which this future state was governed from 1639 to 1662 led to its official state nickname
2x champ, Brian Adams, an educator from Big Bear Lake, CA, has now won $35,401. In Game 3, his opponents are: Christa Gush, a knowledge manager from San Diego, CA; and Casey terHorst, a biology professor from Pasadena, CA.
Round 1 Categories: An Encouraging Verb – Platforms – Documentary Now! – I’m Posting that on Telegram – It All Starts with a Greek Letter
Brian found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Telegram” under the $400 clue, with 10 clues to go after it. He was in the lead with $5,000, $2,600 more than Christa in second place. He bet $3,000 and he was RIGHT.
As World War II began, the Royal Navy was cheered up by a telegram saying this politician “is back” show
Brian finished in the lead with $10,600. Christa was second with $4,200 and Casey was last with $1,200. Two $200 clues went uncovered.
Round 2 Categories: Astronomy – Keyboard Instruments – the Book of Job – South America – Pop Culture – the Rhyme Factor
Brian found the first Daily Double in “South America” under the $2,000 clue on the 15th pick. He was in the lead with $11,400 now, $3,600 more than Christa in second place. He bet $5,000 and went with Buenos Aires. That was WRONG.
This South American capital is named for an event not mentioned in the Bible but declared dogma by Pius XII in 1950. show
2 clues later, Brian landed on the last Daily Double in “Astronomy” under the $1,600 clue. In second place with $7,200 now, he had $600 less than Christa’s lead. He bet $3,000 and, this time, he was RIGHT and back in the lead.
aka the Swan, this constellation in the northern sky is home to the first black hole discovered. show
Brian finished in the lead with $15,400. Christa was next with $10,600 and Casey was in third place with $3,600. They didn’t get to 4 clues on this board.
Before FJ! began, Alex apologized to Casey for letting Christa go first in Double Jeopardy! He said the judges reviewed the gameplay and determined that it would have no effect on the outcome of the game.
NONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
WHAT IS CONNECTICUT?
The Connecticut History website explains the Fundamental Orders that governed the colony from from 1639 to 1662, noting that “The matter of whether the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut should be considered a constitution in the modern sense, let alone honored as the first written constitution (as was once claimed), remains a matter of debate. Nevertheless, they served as the basis for government in Connecticut until 1662. They are also the reason why, in 1959, the General Assembly officially designated Connecticut as “the Constitution State.”
The Connecticut State Library has more info, as well as the scoop on the state’s unofficial nicknames: the Provisions State, the Land of Steady Habits and, of course, the Nutmeg State, which I didn’t know referred to wooden nutmegs. I obviously missed the 1989 game with this clue: CONNECTICUT ($500) Yankee peddlers supposedly sold pieces of wood that looked like this spice, giving the state its nickname.
Casey went with Kentucky, not one of the 13 colonies. He lost his $1,201 bet and finished with $2,399.
Christa thought it was Virginia, the Old Dominion. She lost $4,801 and was left with $5,799.
Brian came up with Pennsylvania, the Keystone State. That cost him $5,900 but he won the game with the remaining $9,500. His 3-day total is $44,901.
A triple stumper from each round:
BIBLE-POURRI ($800) In I Kings 1:17, Bathsheba reminds David that this son of hers is to be the next king
THE BOOK OF JOB ($800) ($1200) John le Carre: “The Night ___”
2 years ago: Only ONE of the players got this FJ in “Places in the News”
In a hint of the future, in 1973 Marjorie Post gave it to the U.S. Govt. as a warm-weather presidential retreat, but it was returned show
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Casey’s chat story about being kissed by the sea lion who was afraid of tall men was really cute
Another triple stumper as nobody knows about geography.
I’d say this was more of an American History clue than geography clue.
Yes, apparently, nobody is a Geography Expert, not named David Madden, even if this is more of an “American History” clue than “US Geography”, or just “Geography”.
If only we had an easier clue, or Brian got that $5,000 Daily Double right, he would have gotten a spot in my made up Tournament of Champions right now, with 3 wins, instead of 4.
Considering the number of state nicknames, both official and other, it’s amazing the Jeopardy people would have chosen this question for FJ. Connecticut appears to have at least four nicknames easily found on the web. Both Nutmeg State and Constitution State seem equally popular. Thanks to VJ we now know the documents referred to were the Fundamental Orders. I must admit I’d never heard of them and appreciated the opportunity to learn. But I agree with JP that Lou’s comment was not logical. Sorry, Lou, but if you were aware of the Fundament Orders prior to this FJ, you are one rare individual. I just learned my State’s (unofficial) motto and I’ve lived here all my seven decades plus life( a native)
I thought it was a difficult clue, although not unreasonably so. I knew both nicknames, but knew “Constitution State” was the official one. With the category name effectively limiting the search to the east coast, if you were working through them in your head from north to south you could have a decent chance of getting it.
It’s also possible that “document” in the clue might lead you to Connecticut right away. I took the clue as an opportunity to learn about the origin of the nickname as well.
The surprise of the day to me was the wooden nutmegs. lol. They have a lot of stuff about it on Google Books that I don’t have time to look at right now, but Mental Floss has an article on it that mentions a math problem from an 1857 North Carolina algebra textbook:
“A Yankee mixes a certain number of wooden nutmegs, which cost him 1/4 cent apiece, with a quantity of real nutmegs, worth 4 cents apiece, and sells the whole assortment for $44 and gains $3.75 by the fraud. How many wooden nutmegs were there?”
Great game all of you.
I have been a native of Connecticut for a long time yet none of these contestants knew my state was one of the thirteen colonies? This should not have been a triple stumper as New haven and my hometown were first settled in the late 1630s.
Still congrats to Brian on his win, but still though he needs that fourth win to avoid losing a spot in the tournament of champions I’ve seen plenty of clues about my state previously.
I do not see how “the contestants do not know Connecticut was one of the thirteen colonies” follows logically from the fact that they did not answer the clue correctly. Nor how New Haven being settled in the late 1630s means it should not have been a triple stumper.
Okay, I’m confused, Lou. Native is where you were born, not where you lived for a long time. For example, I have lived in Texas for a long time, but I am a native of NJ
Another time, you posted that Zhengzhou, China was your hometown. So, where were you born?
Originally I am born in China but still though I have been a us citizen since I first came to the United States when I was about five or six. We moved a lot because my dad changed jobs. So I first lived in indiana, then New Jersey, and then Connecticut as our permanent place of residency. That’s why I lived in Connecticut for a long time after leaving New Jersey just like you VJ.
well, sort of like me, Lou. I would have to live to be 105 to live in Texas as long as I lived in NJ and that ain’t gonna happen 🤣🤣
I didn’t stay in New Jersey or Indiana for very long and like I said china will still be my native place of birth but I only visit that place as vacation spot. I hope this clears up the confusion.