talkingaway wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 1:23 am
Your choice of years is a little wide, considering the World's Fair/Expo nudge. To me, those always seem to evoke a early-to-mid 1900s flavor, and honestly, I can't remember ever seeing a news story about one of the modern ones, but they do exist. I did think "Huh, a World's Fair in 1992 - that late?", but the cities just lead me to Columbus.
That was the thing. I had literally zero point of reference as to how far away the "500 years" was from the event. Literally the only way I could interpret a historical event that involved both Spain and Italy was "maybe there was some battle between the two or something; I wouldn't know because my world history game is super weak." And this was even WITH knowing the Genoa = Columbus connection. So with absolutely no direction, I assumed that it was far more likely to be something UNfamiliar to me.
It's been told to me before that I should "try something on" in the clues. But for that to happen, I have to recognize that something CAN be tried on in the first place. With nothing IN THE CLUE suggesting that the 500th anniversary occurred relatively recently, why should I assume that the event wasn't held this year? Or in 1066? 16 AD? Eleventy zillion BC?
talkingaway wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 1:23 ambut in FJ!, a lot of the clues are hard, but not so hard that the average person at home wouldn't go, "Oh, of course!" after the answer is revealed. They don't want to frustrate the people at home by asking, for example, what year the third wife of Henry VIII died.
Except the hundreds and hundreds of times that they do. How many FJ!s over the years have polled under 20%? Quite a lot. It's like when they give something like JAZZ LOVER or GLITZY AFFAIR as a bonus puzzle on Wheel: they're bringing out the big guns to force a loss.
Two places commemorating a battle on a big anniversary isn't far-fetched, but the clue said "celebrate." Only one place out of two is going to be celebrating a battle between them.
TenPoundHammer wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 2:16 am
That was the thing. I had literally zero point of reference as to how far away the "500 years" was from the event.
MarkBarrett wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 8:58 pm
How do you get to this building? Have your tone poem premiere there, like Gershwin in 1928... or just hop off the Q at 57th & 7th
************
How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Practice
That is as old as the hills and right up there with the time to go to the dentist being tooth-hurty.
And I knew that, but all the "blah blah blah" after that sent me miles off course.
I still, STILL don't see why "500 years" should have me think that the 500th anniversary was within my own lifetime.
TenPoundHammer wrote: ↑Fri Mar 20, 2020 12:24 am
Anyone else learn "chartreuse" from the Kmart store brand crayons?
...Just me? Okay, how about Sargent brand? Still just me?
We could only afford the 16 color package . But in redneck-ville we learned the color name as a fishing lure color. Also learned Fuschia the same way. The fish were always biting on the other color from whatever we had available.
That color is named for a flower that was named for someone named Fuchs, so the correct spelling is "fuchsia."
Thanks, I don't know how that got out. Maybe it's self defense against the danger of Tourette-ing if I start typing f-u-c- . It still seemed funny to hear a hillbilly talk about chartreuse Rebels or jigs before I knew what the color was . Like reading about a wedding where the bridesmaids wore puce .
Disclaimer - repeated exposure to author's musings may cause befuddlement.
I seem to be regressing on this front. It used to be that every time a clue required multiple Central American countries, I would always manage to name every single one except the correct ones.
Now, I seem to be utterly unable to name ANY of them.
Should I just accept this as one of those knowledge gaps that refuses to fill, like "what planet is biggest"?
TenPoundHammer wrote: ↑Fri Mar 27, 2020 2:06 am
I seem to be regressing on this front. It used to be that every time a clue required multiple Central American countries, I would always manage to name every single one except the correct ones.
Now, I seem to be utterly unable to name ANY of them.
Should I just accept this as one of those knowledge gaps that refuses to fill, like "what planet is biggest"?
If something keeps slipping out of your brain you need to come up with some mnemonic or other method to remember it. Read Bob Harris' book Prisoner of Trebekistan for an idea of some of the methods he used.
bluejaylink wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:32 pm
If something keeps slipping out of your brain you need to come up with some mnemonic or other method to remember it. Read Bob Harris' book Prisoner of Trebekistan for an idea of some of the methods he used.
I've found that mnemonics just don't work for me. Ever.
TenPoundHammer wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 7:28 pm
What was the TOM for "Magi" on Masters of Art for $200? That whole category seemed extremely difficult.
"Adoration" pointed to something worshipful, probably related to the nativity (the chorus from "O, Come, All Ye Faithful" popped into my mind as soon as I saw the clue), and "trio" led me to the "three wise men." Which probably would have been accepted. And "three kings" might have led to a BMS instead of an outright rejection.
Lots of things can be "adored", and nothing suggested a worshipful or spiritual bent for me. It just sounded like a YEKIOYD that was massively out of place in the top box.
The clue was in the right box as others have mentioned.
TenPoundHammer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 9:29 pm
What was the TOM for Trojan War in Plays for $400? I was trying to find a war that occurred in the 1600s, and I don't see anything pointing to Trojan whatsoever.
The clue said "ancient war". You could guess Peloponnesian, or Punic, or probably several other things, but to me Trojan is the most obvious thing to guess in the top row. Mileage may vary.
Apparently Andromache is the wife of Hector, (from the Trojan War) so even if you don't know the play you could know this for certain if you have that much knowledge of myth , but I suspect most viewers do not.
TenPoundHammer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:48 pm
Lots of things can be "adored", and nothing suggested a worshipful or spiritual bent for me. It just sounded like a YEKIOYD that was massively out of place in the top box.
"Of" indicates the adorers, not the adoree.
"Adoration of" should be enough to cue "Magi" for those who have ever heard the full phrase, and "this trio" puts a super fine point on it. Certain Biblical events are repeatedly portrayed in art, and usually titles get used and reused. The Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi, Pietà, Noli Me Tangere, and the Conversion of St. Paul are all examples, and you'd do well to familiarize yourself with those words/phrases, perhaps some instances of art with those titles, and the accompanying stories (maybe with the exception of Noli Me Tangere, which has no hits in J! Archive).
edit: the earliest Archive hit for my search of "adoration Magi" was a $200 clue in DJ in 1987. "Their 'adoration' was title subject of both da Fabriano & da Vinci"
seaborgium wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:16 pm"Adoration of" should be enough to cue "Magi" for those who have ever heard the full phrase,
Which I have, but "adoration" just seemed way too wide-open for me to get a bead on. Could be any trio for all I know, and nothing in the clue even remotely points to a religious trio. Could have been the Three Musketeers, the three Stooges, the Pythagorean theorem, the Three Little Pigs, the three lower strings on my guitar when it's in DADGAD tuning...
seaborgium wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:16 pm"Adoration of" should be enough to cue "Magi" for those who have ever heard the full phrase,
Which I have, but "adoration" just seemed way too wide-open for me to get a bead on. Could be any trio for all I know, and nothing in the clue even remotely points to a religious trio. Could have been the Three Musketeers, the three Stooges, the Pythagorean theorem, the Three Little Pigs, the three lower strings on my guitar when it's in DADGAD tuning...
I didn't say "Adoration," I said "Adoration of."
Maybe I should have specified "heard the full phrase and understand what it refers to and know that it has frequently been portrayed in art." And if all these apply to you as well, then you really have no excuse and should stop attempting to make them.
seaborgium wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:40 pm
Maybe I should have specified "heard the full phrase and understand what it refers to and know that it has frequently been portrayed in art." And if all these apply to you as well, then you really have no excuse and should stop attempting to make them.
This is just Silver Spring, Maryland all over again.
seaborgium wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:40 pm
Maybe I should have specified "heard the full phrase and understand what it refers to and know that it has frequently been portrayed in art." And if all these apply to you as well, then you really have no excuse and should stop attempting to make them.
This is just Silver Spring, Maryland all over again.
What, that place that everyone had heard of except you?
seaborgium wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:40 pm
Maybe I should have specified "heard the full phrase and understand what it refers to and know that it has frequently been portrayed in art." And if all these apply to you as well, then you really have no excuse and should stop attempting to make them.
This is just Silver Spring, Maryland all over again.
What, that place that everyone had heard of except you?
I HAVE heard of it many times, but still found it way too obscure for the top box and therefore couldn't filter through the 847,000 other "Silver something"s in my head. And the only excuse anyone gave was "I kinda sorta vaguely almost maybe might have possibly heard of this once when I was three."
seaborgium wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:40 pm
Maybe I should have specified "heard the full phrase and understand what it refers to and know that it has frequently been portrayed in art." And if all these apply to you as well, then you really have no excuse and should stop attempting to make them.
This is just Silver Spring, Maryland all over again.
What, that place that everyone had heard of except you?
I HAVE heard of it many times, but still found it way too obscure for the top box and therefore couldn't filter through the 847,000 other "Silver something"s in my head. And the only excuse anyone gave was "I kinda sorta vaguely almost maybe might have possibly heard of this once when I was three."
For a Wheel of Fortune champion, you're surprisingly inept at completing phrases.
seaborgium wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:54 pm
For a Wheel of Fortune champion, you're surprisingly inept at completing phrases.
I shouldn't have to do THAT DEEP of a mental dig in the top box. Silver Spring is what, the 100,000th most populous city in Maryland? Probably not even in the top 100 of ways to complete "Silver ____".
Your reasoning was "it just sounded right". Well, maybe "Silver Spring, Kentucky" or "Silver Spring, Ohio" "sounds" more right to my ears.
. But in redneck-ville we learned the color name as a fishing lure color. Also learned Fuschia the same way. The fish were always biting on the other color from whatever we had available.
. It still seemed funny to hear a hillbilly talk about chartreuse Rebels or jigs before I knew what the color was 
. Like reading about a wedding where the bridesmaids wore puce 
.