Form of a Question Question

[alietr]

Those who have been briefed more recently than me might know ... a friend had asked whether "Is it Alex Trebek?" (for example) would be accepted as being in the form of a question. I thought it would.

[MattKnowles]

Host: 5280

Contestant: Is it the number of feet in a mile?

I don’t know about official rules but I’m guessing they would simply ask the contestant to phrase it differently without resorting to a formal rule.

I think it’s technically wrong because the clue is not a proper answer to the question response. Yes/no would be a proper answer to that question response and not 5280.

They have lots of other clues that aren’t a proper question/answer pair and it doesn’t get in the way of the game.

[A Wray]

I am certain I remember this exact phrasing -- "Is it X?" -- being accepted on a show within the last 15 years. It was a female contestant and I believe the clue was a DD. No doubt some Archive wizard can find it.

I think it’s technically wrong because the clue is not a proper answer to the question response.

Of course, but they have never required logical questions. You can use the wrong interrogative pronoun; you can leave out the verb. And it's well established that if the clue is, for instance, "Bugs Bunny debuted this catchphrase in the 1940 film A Wild Hare," you can respond with just "What's up, Doc?" There was even an entire category in which contestants were urged to respond in that illogical manner.

[AndyTheQuizzer]

Not just the last 15 years—the last 15 weeks.

From September 21 of this year: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=6826 (LIL NASDAQ "X" $800)

[A Wray]

Nice find, but I didn't see that show, so there must have been another instance I'm remembering. Anyway, we now have a definitive answer to alietr's question.

[Bob78164]

This happened during the UToC. The contestant didn't know the correct response, and finally at the buzzer guessed, "Is it _______?" The introductory "is it" was barely audible and in fact the judges had to go back to the tape to confirm that it had been uttered. But it was, and the contestant got credit for a correct response. I'm pretty sure it was a Daily Double and I think Alex remarked on it at the time. --Bob

[AFRET CMS]

Those who have been briefed more recently than me might know ... a friend had asked whether "Is it Alex Trebek?" (for example) would be accepted as being in the form of a question. I thought it would.

I think I very dimly remember almost a throwaway remark by Maggie during the contestant briefing where she said that inaccurate or ungrammatical questions would usually be accepted. I think she said something like, "If the clue is 'This comes on December 25'," they would probably accept something weird like "How many was Christmas?" as a correct response. She said focus on the information, not on the phrasing. But it may have been someone else who said something similar, perhaps on set during familiarization practice. It was four years ago this week, and the memories grows hazier every day.

[triviawayne]

I know you were looking for current stuff, and received that answer already, but wanted to mention that IIRC, I saw it in the early days (probably pre 1990) on a DD where someone gave "is it x", and Alex said something like, "well that is in the form of a question, so that's an acceptable response."

[alietr]

Not just the last 15 years—the last 15 weeks.

From September 21 of this year: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=6826 (LIL NASDAQ "X" $800)

Thanks, Andy!

[Bamaman]

I know you were looking for current stuff, and received that answer already, but wanted to mention that IIRC, I saw it in the early days (probably pre 1990) on a DD where someone gave "is it x", and Alex said something like, "well that is in the form of a question, so that's an acceptable response."

http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=4788

Check the FJ responses.

[TenPoundHammer]

Here's one I remember seeing in first-run (Former Technology for $1600).

[econgator]

Here's one I remember seeing in first-run (Former Technology for $1600).

Wait ... so you can't remember hearing of something you heard of two months ago, but can remember 1 single clue from 17 years ago?

[opusthepenguin]

Here's one I remember seeing in first-run (Former Technology for $1600).

Wait ... so you can't remember hearing of something you heard of two months ago, but can remember 1 single clue from 17 years ago?

Doesn't your memory work that way? Mine does. I have an extremely good memory, but that doesn't equate to total control over what sticks and what doesn't. I can remember some conversations I had 30 years ago and not what someone said on JBoard last week.

[talkingaway]

I know you were looking for current stuff, and received that answer already, but wanted to mention that IIRC, I saw it in the early days (probably pre 1990) on a DD where someone gave "is it x", and Alex said something like, "well that is in the form of a question, so that's an acceptable response."

http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=4788

Check the FJ responses.

That was the exact one that I saw when playing some golden oldies off the archive maybe 5-6 months ago. The FJ! is actually a callback to clue #2 under TV THEMES. While Tim remembered how to phrase questions in the standard "What is" or "Who is" for clue 1, he asked "Could it be..." for the second one. Being a good sport, he continued the gag for FJ!.

Speaking of which, Q1 was a TS?! 34 years later, and it should be a buzzer race.

[GoodStrategy]

I know you were looking for current stuff, and received that answer already, but wanted to mention that IIRC, I saw it in the early days (probably pre 1990) on a DD where someone gave "is it x", and Alex said something like, "well that is in the form of a question, so that's an acceptable response."

http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=4788

Check the FJ responses.

That was the exact one that I saw when playing some golden oldies off the archive maybe 5-6 months ago. The FJ! is actually a callback to clue #2 under TV THEMES. While Tim remembered how to phrase questions in the standard "What is" or "Who is" for clue 1, he asked "Could it be..." for the second one. Being a good sport, he continued the gag for FJ!.

Speaking of which, Q1 was a TS?! 34 years later, and it should be a buzzer race.

I noticed a spelling error in that game: it should be "refrigerator" in Tim's prize.

[cheezguyty]

I am certain I remember this exact phrasing -- "Is it X?" -- being accepted on a show within the last 15 years. It was a female contestant and I believe the clue was a DD. No doubt some Archive wizard can find it.

Is it "Is it oak?"?

[A Wray]

I am certain I remember this exact phrasing -- "Is it X?" -- being accepted on a show within the last 15 years. It was a female contestant and I believe the clue was a DD. No doubt some Archive wizard can find it.

Is it "Is it oak?"?

Possibly, or it might be the one Bob referred to; see if you can find that one! I started posting on the Sony board during the UToC, and I remember this particular response being discussed either there or here.

[cheezguyty]

I am certain I remember this exact phrasing -- "Is it X?" -- being accepted on a show within the last 15 years. It was a female contestant and I believe the clue was a DD. No doubt some Archive wizard can find it.

Is it "Is it oak?"?

Possibly, or it might be the one Bob referred to; see if you can find that one! I started posting on the Sony board during the UToC, and I remember this particular response being discussed either there or here.

I just looked through every UToC game with a woman playing and didn't see any recorded examples of unusual phrasing.

I did notice a completely unrelated but mildly interesting coincidence though:

• on 3/21, contestant Shane gave an incorrect response of "Christiana" where the correct response was "christiania"
• on 4/21, contestant Sean gave an incorrect response of "Christiana" where the correct response was "Christina"

"Christiana" was also an incorrect guess in 2018 and has no hits as a correct response, which leads me to wonder if that could be the record.

[edited to add missing word (thanks opus)]

[seaborgium]

I think the only "is it" UToC incident was on a DD played by Bob Blake. If I recall correctly, Alex actually ruled him wrong for not phrasing in the form of a question, but tape was stopped and reviewed, and they found Bob made an almost inaudible "is it" sound before he said what Alex heard.

[opusthepenguin]

I did notice a completely unrelated but mildly interesting coincidence though:

• on 3/21, contestant Shane gave an incorrect response of "Christiana" where the correct response was "christiania"
• on 4/21, contestant Sean gave an incorrect response of "Christiana" where the correct response was "Christina"

"Christiana" was also an incorrect guess in 2018 and has no hits as a correct response, which leads me to [wonder] if that could be the record.

That's interesting. There was a player named Debbie Christiana in 1987 who lost but did enter FJ with $1900. So Christiana has made a few correct responses.