Final Jeopardy: Authors (9-15-21)

Today’s Final Jeopardy question (9/15/2021) in the category “Authors” was:

In addition to knowing many languages & making up his own, he also taught language at the universities of Leeds & Oxford

20x champ Matt Amodio, a PhD student from New Haven, CT won $678,801 so far. In Game 21, he is up against: Maureen Skehan, a research associate from Baltimore, MD; and Nick Auricchio, a social studies teacher from Mission Viejo, CA.

Round 1 Categories: Action & Suspense Novels – It’s a Gas – Organizations – Can I Sell You Some Insurance (on TV)? – Numerical Entertainment – Reduplicatives

Matt found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Action & Suspense Novels” under the $600 clue on the 13th pick of the round. He was in the lead with $5,400, $1,200 more than Maureen in second place. He bet it all and he was RIGHT.

“Marko Ramius of the Soviet Navy was dressed for the arctic conditions normal to the…submarine base” in this book. show

WHAT IS “THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER”?

Matt finished in the lead with $11,200. Maureen was second with $7,200 and Nick was last with $2,400. No clues went uncovered.

Round 2 Categories: Prized Possessions – Across the USA – Artists – Famous Families – The 2020 Olympics in 2021 – “In” the Dictionary

Matt found the first Daily Double in “Across the USA” under the $1,600 clue on the 3rd pick. He was in first place with $14,800, $7,600 more than Maureen in second place. He bet $6,000 and he was RIGHT.

This river flows through Richmond, Virginia as well as a historic colonial settlement that bears its name. show

WHAT IS THE JAMES RIVER?

Matt got the last Daily Double in “Famous Families” under the $2,000 clue on the 13th pick. In first place with $26,400, he had $19,200 more than Maureen in second place. He bet $4,000 and he was RIGHT.

The first 3 doctors who worked at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota all had this last name. show

WHAT IS MAYO?

Matt finished in the lead with a runaway $41,200. Nick was next with $8,000 and Maureen was in third place with $7,200. No clues went uncovered.

TWO of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHO IS J.R.R. TOLKIEN?

J.R.R. Tolkien was a noted philologist, or classical linguist, and scholar of the Anglo-Saxon and Norse languages, but he is best known as the fantasy fiction author of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. From Tolkien Library’s website: “He began writing The Hobbit on the blank pages at the end of his students’ exams, and it was read to his children as bedtime stories. But it was part of an epic fantasy far bigger than any children’s fairy-tale…as was seen when The Lord of the Rings was published seventeen years later in 1954-1955.” At the time of his death on 9/2/1973, Tolkien was still working on Silmarillion, the history of his imaginary universe. Christopher Tolkien, his youngest son, used his father’s notes and unfinished manuscripts to complete and publish a set of ‘histories’ of Middle Earth.

That’s news to me: “Saint Tolkien” — On September 2, 2017, the Oxford Oratory offered its first Mass for the intention of Tolkien’s cause for beatification to be opened. (Note from VJ: The Facebook group for Tolkien’s sainthood linked to in the article is private– you have to join the group before you can read anything on) there.

Maureen got it right and was not penalized for an “e before i” Tolkein. She bet $7,600 and finished with $15,200.

Nick didn’t have a response but it didn’t even cost him a single canath. He remained at $8,000.

Matt got it right, too, with the same spelling as Maureen. He bet $20,000 and won the game with $61,200. Matt Amodio’s 21-day total is $740,001. Matt has now surpassed Julia Collins’ streak of 20 games. He can only go higher in number of games won if he beats James Holzhauer’s 32-game streak. Even so, it’s unlikely that he will beat Holzhauer’s money even if he makes it to 33 games.

A triple stumper from each round:

ACTION & SUSPENSE NOVELS ($1000) Do you wanna build “The Snowman”, in which Jo Nesbø sends this inspector with an alliterative name after a Norwegian serial killer

FAMOUS FAMILIES ($1600) Kykuit Estate in New York’s Hudson Valley was a “Center” of 4 generations of this family’s life

More clues on Page 2

2 years ago: TWO of the players got this FJ in “Children’s Books”

The original title of this 1900 classic included a gem; another working title mentioned a Plains state show

WHAT IS “THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ” (also acceptable: “THE WIZARD OF OZ”)?

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