The Official TPH Education Thread (POTENTIAL GAME DAY SPOILERS)

[Howard]

The clue: "This work was over 50 years old & excerpts had been popularized when it had its first full U.S. performance on Christmas Eve 1944 "

How I interpreted it: "Blah blah blah something in Russia that happened sometime around the end of the 19th century. Could be a book, could be music, could be a play, could be anything."

I just find it hard to believe that you've played this game for so long yet still fail to answer some of the most basic final jeopardy questions, so I am going to give make up a final jeopardy of my own and see if you can answer it

Category: US Presidents

When this president died in 1885 his funeral train made special stop at west point before reaching its final destination of morningside heights in New York City.

[Vowela]

The clue: "This work was over 50 years old & excerpts had been popularized when it had its first full U.S. performance on Christmas Eve 1944 "

How I interpreted it: "Blah blah blah something in Russia that happened sometime around the end of the 19th century. Could be a book, could be music, could be a play, could be anything."

"Christmas Eve" was the key word. Russia + Christmas = really good chance "The Nutcracker" is the answer; even if you don't know more about The Nutcracker, there was enough there to make the association and hope for the best (which would've worked today!).

[TenPoundHammer]

The clue: "This work was over 50 years old & excerpts had been popularized when it had its first full U.S. performance on Christmas Eve 1944 "

How I interpreted it: "Blah blah blah something in Russia that happened sometime around the end of the 19th century. Could be a book, could be music, could be a play, could be anything."

"Christmas Eve" was the key word. Russia + Christmas = really good chance "The Nutcracker" is the answer; even if you don't know more about The Nutcracker, there was enough there to make the association and hope for the best (which would've worked today!).

Or, you could fail to realize that the Nutcracker is Russian.

[Bamaman]

As I said in the game thread, I thought it was set in England. But the date left me with only one choice.

[1stlvlthinker]

The clue: "This work was over 50 years old & excerpts had been popularized when it had its first full U.S. performance on Christmas Eve 1944 "

How I interpreted it: "Blah blah blah something in Russia that happened sometime around the end of the 19th century. Could be a book, could be music, could be a play, could be anything."

"Christmas Eve" was the key word. Russia + Christmas = really good chance "The Nutcracker" is the answer; even if you don't know more about The Nutcracker, there was enough there to make the association and hope for the best (which would've worked today!).

Or, you could fail to realize that the Nutcracker is Russian.

What did you think it was.

If you answer with "I didn't know it was from any country", then it could be the correct answer. Of course, you're left with the "+ Christmas" part of it if you have no other "Russia +" answer. So what else is around Christmas from before 1894? A Christmas Carol? An acceptable answer if you also didn't know it was from England.

Stop clamming and start guessing. There is literally nothing on the line, so you might as well guess.

[TenPoundHammer]

I figured "Christmas" was irrelevant background noise so I tuned it out too.

[tiwonge]

Also, "performance." What is performed on Christmas? The only other thing I can think of might be a manger scene or something like that.

Christmas is a notable day. It's unlikely to be irrelevant. (In fact, in almost all cases, if they give you a specific day or a specific year or a specific time of the year, it probably is important. The clues have to be brief, so they're not going to include a lot of--if any--irrelevant information.)

[nklotz]

I figured "Christmas" was irrelevant background noise so I tuned it out too.

Why would you think that a specific date given in the clue wouldn't be relevant? The writers aren't trying to trick you.

[TenPoundHammer]

Also, "performance." What is performed on Christmas? The only other thing I can think of might be a manger scene or something like that.

Christmas is a notable day. It's unlikely to be irrelevant. (In fact, in almost all cases, if they give you a specific day or a specific year or a specific time of the year, it probably is important. The clues have to be brief, so they're not going to include a lot of--if any--irrelevant information.)

I'm constantly being given conflicting info. Half the time I'm told to zone in on only the key words; the other half I'm told to read every last word in the clue. What do you want from me?

[Stanislaus Jacob]

Also, "performance." What is performed on Christmas? The only other thing I can think of might be a manger scene or something like that.

Christmas is a notable day. It's unlikely to be irrelevant. (In fact, in almost all cases, if they give you a specific day or a specific year or a specific time of the year, it probably is important. The clues have to be brief, so they're not going to include a lot of--if any--irrelevant information.)

I'm constantly being given conflicting info. Half the time I'm told to zone in on only the key words; the other half I'm told to read every last word in the clue. What do you want from me?

Christmas was one of the key words.

On Lady Bird: The reason you should know it is in fact because it won the Golden Globe for best comedy or musical! (And won or at least was nominated for other awards as well, but sometimes the clue is self-justifying, and this was such a case.)

Also, my instinct marks you out as a potential Roseanne fan (blue collar, Midwestern - I think you have mentioned Home Improvement in the past, which had some similarities, albeit it was the more G-rated and - at the time - conservative of the two). If so, you know Laurie Metcalf.

[TenPoundHammer]

Christmas was one of the key words.

Then how was I supposed to know that? Again, I keep getting told to KISS on the clues, but every time I do, I manage to completely tune out the most important word.

Also, my instinct marks you out as a potential Roseanne fan (blue collar, Midwestern - I think you have mentioned Home Improvement in the past, which had some similarities, albeit it was the more G-rated and - at the time - conservative of the two). If so, you know Laurie Metcalf.

I haven't seen Roseanne since I was 5, and at that point, I didn't know who any of the actors were.

[Stanislaus Jacob]

I haven't seen Roseanne since I was 5, and at that point, I didn't know who any of the actors were.

I guessed wrong, then. Sorry. But if I may shoehorn in one of the themes of this thread - I did guess. I didn't say "TPH could like literally any show," but rather I tried to make an inference based on what I know about him. That is the principle you need to apply to Jeopardy. Even if you make a wrong guess, as I did, you still feel better than if you let your mind go blank.

[TenPoundHammer]

I haven't seen Roseanne since I was 5, and at that point, I didn't know who any of the actors were.

I guessed wrong, then. Sorry. But if I may shoehorn in one of the themes of this thread - I did guess. I didn't say "TPH could like literally any show," but rather I tried to make an inference based on what I know about him. That is the principle you need to apply to Jeopardy. Even if you make a wrong guess, as I did, you still feel better than if you let your mind go blank.

Well then I guess I'm wired differently, because I'd rather confide in being wrong than stumble my way into being right.

[opusthepenguin]

Also, "performance." What is performed on Christmas? The only other thing I can think of might be a manger scene or something like that.

Christmas is a notable day. It's unlikely to be irrelevant. (In fact, in almost all cases, if they give you a specific day or a specific year or a specific time of the year, it probably is important. The clues have to be brief, so they're not going to include a lot of--if any--irrelevant information.)

I'm constantly being given conflicting info. Half the time I'm told to zone in on only the key words; the other half I'm told to read every last word in the clue. What do you want from me?

Situational awareness?

[jeffwolfe]

I haven't seen Roseanne since I was 5, and at that point, I didn't know who any of the actors were.

I guessed wrong, then. Sorry. But if I may shoehorn in one of the themes of this thread - I did guess. I didn't say "TPH could like literally any show," but rather I tried to make an inference based on what I know about him. That is the principle you need to apply to Jeopardy. Even if you make a wrong guess, as I did, you still feel better than if you let your mind go blank.

Well then I guess I'm wired differently, because I'd rather confide in being wrong than stumble my way into being right.

Nothing wrong with stumbling. Nobody ever learned to walk without stumbling, and there are 7 billion people on the planet who know how to walk. All improvement is incremental.

If you'd prefer a systematic approach, how about this:
Just focus on finding the right keywords. If it's a clue without keywords, it doesn't count. Keep track of the number of times you identify the correct keywords. Over time, you may identify a pattern to the keywords you are missing. That will help you improve.

Next, take the keywords and formulate a reasonable guess. Keep track of the reasonable guesses you make. Then you can look at the difference between your answers and the correct ones. Are they "pick one" and you picked the wrong one? Was it something you simply didn't know? Did you miss something in the clue?

This will give you a better way to measure progress than counting miss after miss for months at a time.

[1stlvlthinker]

I figured "Christmas" was irrelevant background noise so I tuned it out too.

How the hell do you simultaneously ignore key words in the clues, then complain that there was no way to tease out the answer?

[tiwonge]

I figured "Christmas" was irrelevant background noise so I tuned it out too.

How the hell do you simultaneously ignore key words in the clues, then complain that there was no way to tease out the answer?

I think ignoring all the key words is a good start in finding no way to tease out the answer.

[MarkBarrett]

NHO "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" either. Poll request?

Request seen. That was no first box clue, College Championship or not, and even with the "Me" hint. I have heard of the title and could have named Olivia Cooke being in it. Others in the category were clearly easier.

Out of curiosity I would like you to name five movies anywhere from 2014 to the present just to get a range of live action (non-comedy and non-animation) films on your radar. A lot of movies on J! seem to be NHO for you and that is ignoring a wide pipeline of ways to at least pick up titles if nothing else.

Here is another exercise. Which five of these are actual movies (and not obscure) from the past few months. Five are titles I made up.

1. Red Ink Madness
2. Death Wish
3. Downsizing
4. Mega Millions
5. Charging the Mound
6. Pacific Rim Uprising
7. All the Money in the World
8. White Mountain
9. Prize Legend
10. Fifty Shades Freed

[twelvefootboy]

Out of curiosity I would like you to name five movies anywhere from 2014 to the present just to get a range of live action (non-comedy and non-animation) films on your radar. A lot of movies on J! seem to be NHO for you and that is ignoring a wide pipeline of ways to at least pick up titles if nothing else.

Here is another exercise. Which five of these are actual movies (and not obscure) from the past few months. Five are titles I made up.

1. Red Ink Madness
2. Death Wish
3. Downsizing
4. Mega Millions
5. Charging the Mound
6. Pacific Rim Uprising
7. All the Money in the World
8. White Mountain
9. Prize Legend
10. Fifty Shades Freed

I'll play! See if TPH can out-dumb me. Five movies in five years

Spoiler

La La Land / The shape of water / a billboard outside ebbings, Missouri . Done, and only know the titles from unavoidable Oscar hype. I'm half trying to back into them from actors, but I've quit watching late night TV shows where they pitch them and never see trailers and commercials on the DVR. I could SWAG some superhero titles and get a couple right if the Roman Numeral comes out (Iron Man 3) uh, Avengers something?? Captain America something

I NHO any of the ten, but think I can sniff out two:

Spoiler

Death Wish and Fifty Shades ? I think I heard something about a re-boot and a sequel to the Fifty Shades. For the rest - you ought to be in Show Business - I can't rule out any of them

I do NOT consider my ignorance of all thing Hollywood to be virtuous or wish to be defined by it. I'm just not in the loop and not studying for it on purpose.

MB - I rarely monger for poll requests, but if the tea leaves point to a bonus question about the phrase about leaning and cleaning, I'm curious. I am a connoisseur of throwback phrases and never picked this one up to torment our younger staff members. You know, things like "When you're up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember you came to drain the swamp". And the old sign - "Our credit manager is Helen Waite; if you want credit, go to Helen Waite". I've got a bunch of favorite men's room graffiti as well, but they probably won't show up on J!

[TenPoundHammer]

Uh... even if you DID include animated, I doubt I could get to 5. I haven't been paying attention to the animated ones either,