Final Jeopardy: In the Dictionary (8-10-20)

Today’s Final Jeopardy question (8/10/2020) in the category “In The Dictionary” was:

In his dictionary, Samuel Johnson self-effacingly defined this job title in part as “a harmless drudge”

Today we’re watching a rerun of the first semi-final of the 2002 Million Dollar Masters Tournament that originally aired on 5/8/2002 and featured: Bob Harris, an author, comedian, and radio commentator from Los Angeles, CA; Leslie Shannon, a manager of a research lab from Sydney, Australia; and Eric Newhouse, a director of technical assistance from Vermillion, SD.

In the “From the Vault” intro, Alex Trebek complimented Bob Harris, saying he has a great sense of humor and went on to mention Bob’s book: “A few years after this show aired, he wrote a book called the “Prisoner of Trebekistan”. Hmmm… let’s see who takes no prisoners today.”

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Round 1 Categories: American Revolutionaries – TV’s Pretty Faces – The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Li’l Bow Wow – Let a Smile Be Your Umbria – Strain Thy Brain

Eric found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Umbria” under the $1,000 clue on the 15th pick of the round. He was in the lead with $4,000. Bob was at zero and Leslie was in the hole for $600. Eric bet $1,500 and he was RIGHT.

Running through Umbria are the Tiber & Nera Rivers & the Umbrian Range of this mountain system. show

WHAT ARE THE APENNINES?

Eric finished in the lead with $11,100. Bob was second with 2,000 and Leslie was last, at zero.

Round 2 Categories: Shakespeare – All the Presidents’ Men – I’ve Got a Little Liszt – Bobbing for Bobs – Tough Geography – Before, During & After

Bob found the first Daily Double in “Shakespeare” under the $800 clue on the 15th pick. He was in second place with $6,400 now, $12,200 less than Eric’s lead. He made it a true Daily Double “in front of 6,000 people” and he was RIGHT.

He has the nerve to woo a widow beside her father-in-law’s coffin, but she marries him anyway. show

WHO IS RICHARD III?

2 clues later, Eric got the last Daily Double in “All the President’s Men” under the $1,600 clue. In the lead with $19,900, he now had an $8,300 over Bob, in second place. He bet $2,000 and thought it was George Schultz. That was WRONG.

This defense secretary under Ronald Reagan received a full pardon for his role in the Iran-Contra Affair. show

WHO IS CASPER WEINBERGER?

Eric finished in the lead with $25,500. Bob was next with $14,800 and Leslie was in third place with $2,800.

TWO of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS A LEXICOGRAPHER?

Mental Floss has an article called “17 Hilarious Definitions from Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary”. It includes “lexicographer” (No. 5) and says “On page 1195, he called a lexicographer ‘a harmless drudge’ who ‘busies himself in tracing the original and detailing the signification of words.'” I didn’t find that particularly funny but some of the others really are.

Ambrose Bierce had a much more lengthy entry for “lexicographer” in his 1911 “Devil’s Dictionary” that began: “A pestilent fellow who, under the pretense of recording some particular state in the development of a language, does what he can to arrest its grown, stiffen its flexibility and mechanize its methods.

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Leslie wrote down “a dictionary writer.” She bet and lost it all.

Bob got it right. He bet it all and doubled his score to $29,600.

Eric got it, too. He bet $4,101, anticipating Bob’s all-in wager, so he won the game with $29,601. Eric Newhouse is the first finalist and one step closer to winning a cool million.

A triple stumper from the each round:

AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARIES ($1000) This general was appointed president of the Board of War for his victory over Burgoyne at Saratoga

BOBBING FOR BOBS ($400) In a 1960 hit song, this man’s lover was waiting for him “Beyond the Sea”

More clues on Page 2

6 years ago: Only ONE of the players got this FJ in “The Other Side of the Globe”

This capital city, which at 12,330 miles is farthest from Madrid, is named for a soldier who spent time in Madrid. show

WHAT IS WELLINGTON?

Click here to leave well wishes and prayers for Alex Trebek for continuing success in his battle against cancer. There’s also a link to where you can make a donation to pancreatic cancer research in his honor.