Final Jeopardy: Contemporary Women Authors (4-15-16)
Today’s Final Jeopardy question (4/15/2016) in the category “Contemporary Women Authors” was:
A critic said that this bestselling author “Makes me wish there were more than 26 letters.”
New champ Margaret Miles won $40,001 yesterday. Yes indeed! It’s her second game and the last one of the week. Her challengers are: McKinnie Lee Sizemore, from Orlando, FL; and Andrew Pau, from Amherst, OH,
Round 1 Categories: Speaker’s Corner – Country Music – In My Desk Drawer – Writers by Initials – “Knock”, Knock – Who’s There?
Margaret found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Who’s There?” under the $800 clue. There were 9 clues left after it. She was in second place with $3,400, $3,200 less than McKinnie’s lead. She made it a true Daily Double and she was RIGHT.
This dashing young soldier who married Mary Anna Custis at Arlington House in Virginia on June 30, 1831. show
Margaret finished in the lead with $10,000. McKinnie was second with $7,000 and Andrew was last with $400.
Round 2 Categories: Almost Rhymes with Orange – Russian Cities – Describing the Animal – 17th Century People – TV Shows that are Based on Movies – Odds & “N”s
Andrew found the first Daily Double in “Russian Cities” under the $2,000 clue on the 5th pick of the round. In third place with $4,000, he now had $6,400 less than Margaret’s lead. He bet $3,000 and he was RIGHT.
In the 1930s a ballet company as well as the city of Vyatka were renamed this for slain communist Sergei. show
Margaret found the last Daily Double in “Describing the Animal” under the $1,200 clue. She was in the lead with $17,600 now, $3,800 more than McKinnie in second place. She bet $3,600 but could not come up with a response so she was WRONG.
Vespine. show
Andrew finished in the lead with $16,600. McKinnie was next with $16,200 and Margaret was in third place with $16,000. “Can you believe it?” Alex said (right after I typed the same thing). Seeing is believing…
ALL of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
The quote in the clue is from NPR’s Maureen Corrigan, made upon the publication of “X” (August 2015), the 24th novel in NY Times Best-Selling author Sue Grafton’s “alphabet” mystery series. Here’s a tip: In some systems, when you reach the 26th letter, you just go back and start with “AA.” Nevermind. It probably wouldn’t work that well in this case.
You can read an excerpt from “X” on NPR.
Margaret bet $15,999. That brought her up to $31,999.
McKinnie doubled his score to $32,400.
Andrew bet $15,801. He won the match with $32,401 and he is the new Jeopardy! champ. That was awesome, Andrew! Kudos to all 3 players for a very impressive match.
Here are two tough clues from this match:
17TH CENTURY PEOPLE ($1600) With a nose for science, around 1650 this French author wrote tales about imaginary journeys to the moon & sun (answered correctly by Margaret)
TV SHOW BASED ON MOVIES ($1600) Precogs can see murders before they happen in this Tom Cruise film that inspired a FOX TV show (answered correctly by McKinnie)
Got to Page 2 for the triple stumpers and more.
2 years ago: TWO of the players got this FJ in “Characters in Novels”
One of this man’s “most priceless memories” is of “a delicately nurtured Southern belle with her Irish up.” show
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I missed the Vespine Q. I, who once owned a Vespa, shame on me! If you own something, you should know what the word means. Boundary issues have always fascinated me. I’m descended from the people who founded the Indian Stream Republic in the 1830s in northern NH. Dad was born in Pittsburg. Sue Grafton came through here a few years ago (NW Montana) on the Amtrak for a couple of book signings. Unfortunately, she was way behind schedule and the signing was canceled. She is a helluva lady and remains very popular. She’s done screenplays for a couple of Agatha Christie movies. “X” came out last year, but I’m surprised she just didn’t call it “X is for the Unexpected”, or something like that.
Sometimes the final jeopardy ones are pretty easy. I believe yesterday’s was a pretty easy one too, though not everyone got it. Something like, which state far from New England shares the shortest border with Canada.
Quickly running through the Northern border states starting on the west coast puts Idaho at the top of a short list. Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota… Then it gets a bit tricky with the Great Lakes regions, but still you don’t have any states over there with the narrow band that is northern Idaho. Then you are back in New England territory, so process of elimination and best possible guess would give you Idaho.
Anyhow, I came to say that all three contestants are Tournament of Champions worthy. It is a shame they all got on the show so close together.
That is so true — they are all ToC worthy. It’s also a shame that our hopes for Margaret to go on a run were dashed. O Margaret we hardly knew ye!
@Andrew. 5-time champ hopes are transferable these days 🙂
If only Margaret hadn’t missed that damned DD….If only she knew the word for wasp in other languages (Italian & Portuguese =vespa; German= Wespe; Spanish= avispa…). Oh well.
I know, poor Margaret. I actually knew that one but didn’t know the one that meant deer, which led her to the DD.
I’m usually not good with animals, flowers, trees type categories, but I actually ran that category yesterday (deer, also from romance languages). 🙂
I’ve never seen a contestant look as dejected after a defeat as McKinnie. Geez.
I don’t read detective novels, so I never heard of Sue Grafton 🙁
McKinnie’s reaction was comical when he realized Andrew won the game. Very good match. Good clues too.
Congrats Andrew.
Yeah! Congratulations, Andrew! Speaking of McKinnie’s reaction, when I saw that, I said ”Sorry McKinnie, but Andrew beat you by $1!”
That seemed like a very easy final jeopardy question. I haven’t even read her books and I got it.
I think it was “Contemporary Women Authors,” wasn’t it?
Yup, you’re right, it was. Thanks 🙂