Friday, June 8, 2012 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

[MarkBarrett]

From a Word and Phrase Origins book by Robert Hendrickson:

I'm at sixes and sevens, in a state of confusion, trying to explain this expression, which dates back to 1340. One theory is that it comes from the biblical phrase (Job 5:19): "He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee." More likely the term evolved from the old dice game of hazard. Sinque and sice ("five" and "six") were the most risky bets to make in the old game, and anyone who tried to throw these numbers was considered careless and confused. Later, sinque and sice became "six" and "seven." Perhaps the change simply occurred because the terms looked and sounded somewhat alike. But it is possible that six and seven (an impossible throw in dice and two numbers that add up to the unlucky 13) represent a joking shift. Only about a century and a half ago did set on six and seven take on its plural forms and become (set) at sixes and sevens. The phrase is still widely used today. A similar, older Italian expression, a tredici, "at 13," may be the source of the expression.

**************
Alex has had to give the Don Juan speech before. That and the zero hour reversal had him working extra hard for the last game of the week.

Aaron: Your interview story was good enough and certainly memorable. I could relate to it as my wireless keyboard has no indicator like my previous ones with wires did to let me know the Caps Lock was engaged. It's never reached a point for me to yank the thing, but more than one try to sign on to the internet has left me cussing at the thing when entering my password has failed.

The FJ clue had me immediately understand I was looking at something about cliffhanger since serials ended with those. Working out my response to only write cliff took more time. I comtemplated cliffhanger, cliffhanging and cliff. The shortest response seemed good enough and I did not want to add anything extra. I was happy Aaron had the same and that there would be no doubt those five letters were good enough and correct.

*******
Early heads up for West Coast viewers - On Tuesday the 12th that's game one of the NBA finals. J! will not air at 7 or 7:30. Set your machines accordingly and contact your stations as needed. It will be the same on Thursday the 14th, Tuesday the 19th and very likely Thursday the 21st as well.

[Volante]

Pretty much insta-get on FJ, once I processed what they were seeking.
And if you follow TV series with any regularity, "cliffhanger" is definitely cliche. Seems like a scripted show can't end a season without one anymore.

GG to everyone who thinks "cliffhanger" is a cliche...I'll be over here, hanging from a cliff as it were, waiting to see how this one scores in the poll, myself.

[fowlerism]

Argh, thwarted by small-mindedness. I know damn well a cliché can be both a phrase or a more general construct, but my brain zeroed in on the former definition, and I got nowhere. I, too, said "plank," which doesn't even fit the narrow definition and I knew was wrong. Actually, I think if the FJ category name had been something else I might have gotten the clue, what with the whole cliffhanger TOM and all.

[gloriaclemente]

First off, hi Aaron, uh, CAPS LOCK, and congrats on your win!

Thanks, MarkBarrett, for the heads up on the schedule change. I guess my viewing party on Tuesday will have to be rescheduled. I had an inkling that the finals would be happening around my airdate, but of course it wasn't set until now. DAMN YOU OKC THUNDER (caps lock intentional) your curse continues! (Die-hard Sonics fan here.)

[econgator]

And if you follow TV series with any regularity, "cliffhanger" is definitely cliche. Seems like a scripted show can't end a season without one anymore.

Exactly. A TV series utilizing a cliffhanger to end a season is cliche. A cliffhanger is, in and of itself, not.

[Onairb]

How in the world do they get through a "Never-Seen TV Characters" category without mentioning the infamous Vera Peterson? For SHAME, J! writers.

I was expecting that the whole time as well.

Edited since the 'cake/pie in face' scene was already mentioned. She was also shown standing on the stairs leading to the bar, but all we saw were her feet.
As for 'cliffhanger'..it's become overused as a description for 'anything important for which the outcome is undecided', such as the 2000 presidential election, or a sporting event that goes down to the final seconds/inning/etc.

[seaborgium]

And if you follow TV series with any regularity, "cliffhanger" is definitely cliche. Seems like a scripted show can't end a season without one anymore.

Exactly. A TV series utilizing a cliffhanger to end a season is cliche. A cliffhanger is, in and of itself, not.

However, having a character hanging on a cliff to create suspense for the readers/viewers/whatever is such a cliché that they made a word out of it to refer to all suspenseful endings.

I came up with "cliffhanger" but never shortened it. I'd like to think that if I had written it down I would have parsed the clue thoroughly and crossed out the last half. In fact, though I normally save my "benefit of the doubt" gets for stuff that someone else blurts out while I'm on the right track, I think I'm going to count this one in the poll.

If Rosanne had bet everything on the Daily Double, she would have been tied for the lead going into FJ. Well done on the perfect wager, CAPS LOCK!

[dhkendall]

I'm at the rightmost podium on today's show. I'd just like to say that I'm spectacularly un-proud of my contestant interview. It went from being "I need a fifth contestant tidbit to put on this form!" (I am sure I had a different one when I auditioned nearly 2 years ago) to "Why are they putting that one on Alex's card?" (he chooses from 3 on each card of his own volition) to "Oh, man, why is he asking me about this boring thing on live TV!?". I always feared the chat-with-contestants moment - and I'm one of those people who fast-forwards through it 99% of the time - but at least it's not embarrassing or confusing, just kind of flat.

In stark contrast, today's returning champ, Sarah Fowlkes, today has one of the funniest contestant stories I have ever heard.

Why, oh, why, did I choose the end of Sarah's story to take a drink (not of milk, water, have to keep my girlish figure!)? It was very funny, but, fortunately, was able to control my laughter. (I've found from years of doing standup that I'm able to keep my laughter bottled relatively successfully if the situation requires (else I'd be laughing at my own jokes on stage))

I also liked your story too, Aaron. Roseanne's was rather uninteresting, at least to me, but I have found that contestant interviews are hit and miss. I always make sure to watch them, though.

So explain to me why the hell edamame is $400 material.

alietr's been using the JBoarder of the month bribes donations to pay Sony to put all hoity-toity food in the top rows, just to see if you'd (predictably) make a comment.

"Sixes and sevens" was a total NHOI. I wonder what the etymology of that is?

Surprised at how many (on the board and in the studio) hadn't heard of it. I think it's a generational thing, myself. It was an instaget for me, but then I remember my grandmother (who passed away almost 20 years ago now) using the phrase.

I easily ran the TV category as well. My precall of Carlton the doorman didn't show up, however. Nor did Mrs. Wolowitz.

How in the world do they get through a "Never-Seen TV Characters" category without mentioning the infamous Vera Peterson? For SHAME, J! writers.

Mrs. Peterson was one of my precalls. Wilson was the other, so I was somewhat satisfied (rarely watched Home Improvement, though, but I greatly enjoyed Cheers.) Loved seeing the others, and I've noticed that incredibly successful shows (pretty much every example either used in tonight's show or quoted on the board) have unseen characters! I wonder if that's deliberate?

I was never a huge fan of it, either. But Bamawoman liked it so I got hooked on it though her. but that clip wasn't very funny to me, Kramer was probably my least favorite character on the show.

Just piping in to say I love the term "Bamawoman".

(And to say that I remember when Seinfeld was on (at the height of my standup "career") people pretty much expected that I a) watched it and b) liked it. Whereas neither was the case (I've seen the odd episode (including the last one), and just don't get it. I don't have a vitriolic hatred for it like certain boardie(s) here do, but I just don't see the humour in it. My comedy mentor, however, has recommended to me time and again to rent Jerry Seinfeld's movie "Comedian". Even though I don't do standup any more (as evidenced by the reference to outdated video rentals) I still have in mind to take her up on her suggestion, as she's never wrong - I'm sure the movie will be of a lot more interest to me.

Finally, judges: I slipped up in the Latin cities category - I saw "Neapolis" and I blurted out "Napoli" - possibly thinking of one of my favourite Monty Python sketches (a little known one from early in the first episode), or possibly because "Neapolis" is a lot closer to "Napoli" than "Naples" (due to, of course, Italian being close to Latin). Would I have been credited with a correct response if I had said "Napoli"? (I'm thinking I wouldn't be incorrect if I said that the 2006 Winter Olympics were held in "Turino", but then that's because that's what all the marketing said.)

[alietr]

Finally, judges: I slipped up in the Latin cities category - I saw "Neapolis" and I blurted out "Napoli" - possibly thinking of one of my favourite Monty Python sketches (a little known one from early in the first episode), or possibly because "Neapolis" is a lot closer to "Napoli" than "Naples" (due to, of course, Italian being close to Latin). Would I have been credited with a correct response if I had said "Napoli"? (I'm thinking I wouldn't be incorrect if I said that the 2006 Winter Olympics were held in "Turino", but then that's because that's what all the marketing said.)

Napoli is absolutely correct. It's the city's real name (in Italian) like Turino. Naples is the exonym.

[legendneverdies]

Early heads up for West Coast viewers - On Tuesday the 12th that's game one of the NBA finals. J! will not air at 7 or 7:30. Set your machines accordingly and contact your stations as needed. It will be the same on Thursday the 14th, Tuesday the 19th and very likely Thursday the 21st as well.

That is only where ABC stations carry J!, as the finals IIRC are airing on ABC.

[harrumph]

I'm at the rightmost podium on today's show. I'd just like to say that I'm spectacularly un-proud of my contestant interview. It went from being "I need a fifth contestant tidbit to put on this form!" (I am sure I had a different one when I auditioned nearly 2 years ago) to "Why are they putting that one on Alex's card?" (he chooses from 3 on each card of his own volition) to "Oh, man, why is he asking me about this boring thing on live TV!?". I always feared the chat-with-contestants moment - and I'm one of those people who fast-forwards through it 99% of the time - but at least it's not embarrassing or confusing, just kind of flat.

In stark contrast, today's returning champ, Sarah Fowlkes, today has one of the funniest contestant stories I have ever heard.

Your interview came across well, you had "character", and it was something I can relate to as I wish there was a function where I could highlight all the unintentionally capitalized text that I've gone on for a full line with and turn it into uncapitalized, instead i have to wipe the text and start over

[cheezguyty]

I wish there was a function where I could highlight all the unintentionally capitalized text that I've gone on for a full line with and turn it into uncapitalized, instead i have to wipe the text and start over

If you're working in Microsoft Word then you can highlight the uppercase text and press Shift + F3 to change it to lower case.

[dhkendall]

Finally, judges: I slipped up in the Latin cities category - I saw "Neapolis" and I blurted out "Napoli" - possibly thinking of one of my favourite Monty Python sketches (a little known one from early in the first episode), or possibly because "Neapolis" is a lot closer to "Napoli" than "Naples" (due to, of course, Italian being close to Latin). Would I have been credited with a correct response if I had said "Napoli"? (I'm thinking I wouldn't be incorrect if I said that the 2006 Winter Olympics were held in "Turino", but then that's because that's what all the marketing said.)

Napoli is absolutely correct. It's the city's real name (in Italian) like Turino. Naples is the exonym.

Even if I answered the exonym of the others (assuming I buzzed in first)? Hoping the judges would agree with you (a downside of the board is that no Jeopardy! judges post here)

[TenPoundHammer]

I type about 100 words per minute, but would be 130+ if I didn't have to hit delete every other letter.

And yet, as sloppy of a typist as I am, I have never accidentally the caps lock.

[soxfan99]

In the TV category, I was waiting for Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget, or the nanny from Muppet Babies. When I was little and watching those shows, I always hoped that in one episode, they'd be shown.

[Sage on the Hudson]

Finally, judges: I slipped up in the Latin cities category - I saw "Neapolis" and I blurted out "Napoli" - possibly thinking of one of my favourite Monty Python sketches (a little known one from early in the first episode), or possibly because "Neapolis" is a lot closer to "Napoli" than "Naples" (due to, of course, Italian being close to Latin). Would I have been credited with a correct response if I had said "Napoli"? (I'm thinking I wouldn't be incorrect if I said that the 2006 Winter Olympics were held in "Turino", but then that's because that's what all the marketing said.)

If you pronounce a name the way the natives do, you're righter than right, and can't be faulted or penalized. I usually say Donau (German), or Duna (Hungarian) for Danube, Tajo (Spanish), or Tejo (Portuguese) for Tagus, Ciudad Mexico, etc. I figure that were I on the show, I might as well help viewers actually learn something beyond the usual hoary and, yes, clicheed, responses they hear year after year.

[Magna]

If you pronounce a name the way the natives do, you're righter than right, and can't be faulted or penalized.

There's a scene in Groundhog Day where Bill Murray is watching J! and astonishes everyone else in the room by not only getting everything right, but pronouncing the response "What is Mexico?" with a native accent (roughly, "What is Me-hi-co?"), which the contestant then also astonishingly does.

Btw, I think the episode is this one:
http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=3680

The contestant who gave the "Mexico" response was Leslie Frates, a Spanish teacher and later TOC competitor.

[seaborgium]

I type about 100 words per minute, but would be 130+ if I didn't have to hit delete every other letter.

And yet, as sloppy of a typist as I am, I have never accidentally the caps lock.

Do you omit entire words in an effort to avoid it?

Btw, I think the episode is this one:
http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=3680

The contestant who gave the "Mexico" response was Leslie Frates, a Spanish teacher and later TOC competitor.

The episode you linked is a ToC game!

[TenPoundHammer]

I type about 100 words per minute, but would be 130+ if I didn't have to hit delete every other letter.

And yet, as sloppy of a typist as I am, I have never accidentally the caps lock.

Do you omit entire words in an effort to avoid it?

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-accidentally

[MarkBarrett]

Btw, I think the episode is this one:
http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=3680

The contestant who gave the "Mexico" response was Leslie Frates, a Spanish teacher and later TOC competitor.

The episode you linked is a ToC game!

And two lines below the date, notice what the archivist included.