Final Jeopardy: Holiday Songs (12-24-25)
The Final Jeopardy question (12/24/2025) in the category “Holiday Songs” was:
In an early draft, this title line was followed by “It may be your last”, but Judy Garland refused to sing it that way
In the last semifinal of the 2025 Second Chance Tournament (Week 2), the contestants are: Aaron Himmel, a stay-at-home dad orig. from Long Island, NY; Andrew Wang, a medical student from Winnetka, IL; and Melanie Hirsch, a lawyer from Silver Spring, MD.
The links in their names will take you to each one’s original game, and you can see if their second chance was predicted in the comments.
Round 1 Categories: Around the Caribbean – Classical Music – Hoe Hoe Hoe: Let’s Garden! – Go Away, I’m Mobile Gaming – From the TV Show’s Opening Narration – An “I”, 4, an “I”
Aaron found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Around the Caribbean” under the $600 clue on the 12th pick of the round. He was in last place with $400 now, $4,000 less than Andrew’s lead. Aaron bet the $1,000 allowance and he was RIGHT.
Split between 2 nations, this island has the largest population of any Caribbean isle, about 21 million show
Aaron finished in the lead with $8,600. Andrew was second with $5,000 and Melanie was last with $3,800. All clues were shown.
Round 2 Categories: World History – The Play’s the Thing – Critical Vase Theory – Asian Americans – Pop Culture Forecast – Caution: Word Construction Zone
Melanie found the first Daily Double in “The Play’s the Thing” under the $1,600 clue on the first pick. The scores were the same as above. Melanie bet her whole bet $3,800 and she was RIGHT.
2010’S “Clybourne Park” starts with a white couple selling their home to the Younger family of this great American play show
4 clues later, Andrew got the last Daily Double in “World History” under the $2,000 clue. In last place with $6,600, he had $3,000 less than Melanie’s lead. Andrew decided to go big or go home, so he bet it all and he was RIGHT.
In the 19th century a group of Irish radicals & a group of U.S. coal miners agitating for better conditions shared this feminine name show
Andrew and Melanie finished in a tie for the lead with $20,400. Aaron was next with $17,000. All clues were shown.
TWO of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
WHAT IS “HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS”?
Mental Floss has the full story on how Hugh Martin, who wrote the score for the 1944 MGM musical “Meet Me in St. Louis”, was persuaded to change the lyrics to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. “It may be your last” as the second line actually meant it would be the last Christmas in New York for Esther Smith (Judy Garland) and her little sister Tootie (Margaret O’Brien).
Garland’s character was 17 years old. Tootie was about 6. Garland felt that the audience would think she was a monster if she sang that easily misinterpreted line to a small child. Hugh Martin changed the song, it became a Christmas classic, and has been covered well over 2,000 times to date. I’d give the award for most nostalgic cover to none other than Judy’s own daughter, Liza Minelli.
Aaron got it right. He didn’t bet anything so his score remained $17,000.
Andrew thought it was “A Holly, Jolly Christmas”. He bet and lost his whole $20,400.
Melanie got it right, too. She bet it all and doubled her score to $40,800. Melanie Hirsch will be joining Michelle Tsai and Guy Branum for finals over the next 2 days.
2 triple stumpers in the whole game:
FROM THE TV SHOW’S OPENING NARRATION ($800) “There are 2 kinds of folks who sit around thinking about how to kill people–psychopaths & mystery writers”
GO AWAY, I’M MOBILE GAMING ($1000) I’ll literally never be done playing Temple Run; it’s this 2-word type where the character never stops moving forward
2 years ago: ALL of the players got this FJ in “AMERICANA”
After “Black Monday” in 1987, sculptor Arturo Di Modica put a statue of one of these in Manhattan to symbolize strength & power show
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If Melanie had lost her bet, wouldn’t Aaron have won?
That’s right, Marilyn.
What a barn burner! Now THAT’S entertainment! Good on Melanie for being the winner!
I was 1/3 on DD but got FJ. Of course, I got the Final because I’d heard the story on TCM. “Meet Me In St. Louis” is a favorite movie. Even though the song was in there, my favorite song from the film is “The Trolley Song”!
Merry Christmas, all y’all! Mele Kalikimaka!
If they ever have a Third Chance tournament, I have two early nominees. What a great battle! Minimal stumpers or missed answers (tiptoeing through the lilacs made me wince, though). Melanie blew her lead on that very knowable tennis clue at the end, but it didn’t hurt her.
Didn’t know Final but guessed right. Somehow I associated that song with Judy. First DD was easy, other two left me clueless although I certainly know that play a little.
Melanie doesn’t keep that $40800, right? It just gets her into the Final?
Advancing to the next round is the only prize in quarter or semi-finals. I’m pretty sure they let finalists keep $$ that exceeded the top prize guarantee before but I’ll have to check back to make sure.
That was quite a competitive game, and Melanie emerged as the new Jeopardy champion (as she bet the store in F) and scored). Wow! No, I didn’t get the FJ, but ‘Have Yourself A Very Merry Christmas’ was never one of my Christmas favorites.
What an exciting game to celebrate Christmas Eve. All three players had high scores and this was certainly a battle. All three players deserved their Second Chance by playing well. We came close to a tiebreaker but it didn’t happen. Melanie will get to take on Guy Branum and Michelle Tsai in the finals that begins on Christmas Day tomorrow.