Thursday, September 19, 2019 Game Recap and Discussion (SPOILERS)

[TenPoundHammer]

I was surprised FJ! wasn't a triple-get. "Extremely popular 3-D toy invented in the mid-70s" screams Rubik's Cube to me.

Whereas all I got from that clue is white noise.

[Category 13]

If he does get to 30+ wins, he would also become the third player to win $1M in regular play; I am sure it would take him just as long as it took Ken to reach the $1M mark should he get that far.

At his current rate, he will need at least 35 wins to reach $1M. He can chalk up a runaway game like James, but there is still a stark difference in their wagering habits. Ken and James' regular game money totals are in no danger of being surpassed by Jason, unless he gets close to 100 wins.

I was surprised FJ! wasn't a triple-get. "Extremely popular 3-D toy invented in the mid-70s" screams Rubik's Cube to me.

I thought of Rubik's Cube right away, but knew full well it was introduced in 1980 (as far as Americans are concerned).
The key was focusing on the word "invented" to make sense out of 1974.

[econgator]

"Blink" seemed very obscure for $400.

I'll agree with you on that one. Can't say I recall hearing of that book.

[jeo425]

I said "multitasking" on the WE INTERRUPT THIS PROCESS DD ("toggling"), which I rule close but no cigar; I gladly welcome suggestions to the contrary.

I was wondering if anyone would comment on this clue.

For reference, the full text of the clue was: "Interruptions at work make you constantly do this, the more technical name for switching between computer windows".

If we substitute in answers:

"Interruptions at work make you constantly toggle, the more technical name for switching between computer windows"
"Interruptions at work make you constantly multitask, the more technical name for switching between computer windows"

Ugh. Both of these sentences sound awkward to me, so I guess that's a wash.

I don't think multitasking or toggling are particularly technical terms, but if I'm obliged to concede that toggling is a technical term, then I'm more than willing to allow that multitasking is.

I floundered and only came up with "context switch" which in my nerd circles has been used to refer not only to the technical definition (the process in which an operating system switches between processes/threads, or tasks), but also to refer to what our brains do when we multitask or are interrupted by distractions. I wonder if "Alt Tab" would have been accepted?

I will just say that I didn't like this clue or the way it was written. Several things threw me off of the trail from the direction of the otherwise uninteresting word "toggle".

The first misdirection was the start of the clue: "Interruptions at work make you constantly do this". Okay, so not everyone is like this or has the luxury but I'm good at closing Outlook so most of my interruptions are from people coming up to me and asking questions. Things I do when I'm interrupted by someone coming up and asking a question are turning around in my chair, maybe logging out of the computer, walking to a whiteboard, or just losing concentration. The clue seems to boldly assume interruptions at work are coming from a computer, but that's only even hinted at in the second part of the clue.

The second misdirection was calling specifically for "the more technical term". As someone who writes software for a living, I was trying to think of something that seemed more technical to me. There's nothing particularly technical, or even notable to me about the word toggle. Phrases like operating system, disk drive, or cathode ray tube might be technical terms that could reasonably show up on Jeopardy. OTOH, the word toggle doesn't seem any more technical to me than window, menu bar, or clicking - things I think most technologically literate people are aware of. Sure they're technical in the sense that they have "a specific meaning within a specific field of expertise", but there's gotta be some qualifier on that. When does something cease becoming a technical term and become a layman's term? Is a busy signal or a gas pedal a technical term?

The third misdirection was calling for the more technical term "for switching between computer windows". Yes, you could say you toggle between two windows, but you could also toggle between two tabs, or toggle an option on and off, etc. It's a much more general term that doesn't have anything to do with windows specifically. I doubt you'll find any dictionary that mentions windows in its definition of toggle. It's akin to asking for the more technical term for operating a pick-up truck and expecting driving as the answer. The mind would probably wander to, huh, is there a more technical term specifically for operating pick-up trucks? Why not simply ask for the term for operating a vehicle?

And my last gripe, if toggling is the more technical term for switching between computer windows, then what, pray tell, is the less technical term?

I don't think there is a good answer to this question... err... question to this answer, you know what I mean.

Apologies for dwelling so much on one clue that ultimately didn't alter the outcome of the game (even if it was a DD with a large wager), maybe I'm just bitter about missing a clue that's so obvious in hindsight.

[earendel]

Rubik's Cube seemed to be the obvious answer based on "3D" and the mid-1970s. Interestingly, there is now a levitating, self-solving Rubik's Cube.

https://youtu.be/2vG-YtRmBSw

[Picked Off]

It's the second Final in two years based on the Rubik's Cube, per J-Archive.

#7519, aired 2017-04-27 TOYS: When it was first marketed in the late 1970s, this toy was given the Hungarian name "Buvos Kocka"

[heppm01]

I said "multitasking" on the WE INTERRUPT THIS PROCESS DD ("toggling"), which I rule close but no cigar; I gladly welcome suggestions to the contrary.

I also responded with multitask(ing), although was uncomfortable with it. As jeo425 expounded, I think it was a poorly written clue.

Got FJ halfway through the clue read. Considered Legos and TinkerToys during the think music but discarded them as being certainly much older.

[opusthepenguin]

I said "multitasking" on the WE INTERRUPT THIS PROCESS DD ("toggling"), which I rule close but no cigar; I gladly welcome suggestions to the contrary.

We both said multitasking chez Penguin for lack of anything better. If I'd thought of toggle I don't think I'd have switched to it. That's not really the meaning of toggle, technical or otherwise, though it may get used sloppily that way. You can certainly switch between windows by toggling, e.g. by hitting Ctrl-Esc or by clicking on the taskbar to minimize or maximize. But there are other ways that you can make the switch and other things on your computer screen that can be toggled. So I'm not a fan of this clue. It would have been interesting to see what they did with the response of "multitasking". That response isn't any worse than "toggling" and it might even be a little better.

[CasketRomance]

The street in the Hull House clue is a well known Chicago street.

[citation needed]

"Halsted Street" has zero Archive hits.

I wouldn’t say it was a slam dunk TOM, but it was the TOM in the clue. It is one of the major north/south street in downtown Chicago, whether it’s in the archive or not.

Then it's a very poor TOM. "You just have to know things" is a poor excuse and just seems like a way to weasel out of a bad clue.

why does everything have to include TOM? i prefer you know it or you don't questions as i think i have a leg up compared to others in wheelhouse categories...annoys me when there is added material to get people to the answer...and i am okay without added information to clues and questions i have no clue about...i just accept my fate

[CasketRomance]

The street in the Hull House clue is a well known Chicago street.

[citation needed]

"Halsted Street" has zero Archive hits.

why must everything have to show up in the archives? do you really want everything to be rehashed in a game and nothing new added? and if the former, then why don't you get more clues correct than you do since you should have been familiar with the material since it was archived

[CasketRomance]

DD: 1/3
FJ:

I was surprised FJ! wasn't a triple-get. "Extremely popular 3-D toy invented in the mid-70s" screams Rubik's Cube to me.

Overall, though, this game I think is a fine exemplar of how great Jason is. Even without uncovering all 3 DD's, he still had a runaway game, and that is an impressive thing for a champ to do.

I agree that Jason is a great champ, but in this game his opponents finding all of the DDs played to his advantage given that they missed all three. Had he scored a runaway in spite of his challengers having found and converted all three DDs, that would indeed be a feat.

i agree...3d toy and 70s...what else could it be?

[CasketRomance]

I was surprised FJ! wasn't a triple-get. "Extremely popular 3-D toy invented in the mid-70s" screams Rubik's Cube to me.

Whereas all I got from that clue is white noise.

well you need to work on your trivia game then, dude

[LucarioSnooperVixey]

52 R (Missed Megan Rapinoe and Ground Fault.)
DD: 3/3
FJ:
LT: Arctic Ocean, (Suez Canal), William Caxton, (Centennial), Crossventilation, (Toggle)

For Nilla, Mount Rushmore == Gutzon Borglum.

For Jason, Ferdinand Magellan == 1519-1521.

[LucarioSnooperVixey]

LEGO is a lot older than 1974.

1958

[LucarioSnooperVixey]

"Magellan" was MONSTROUS negbait when spotted "blah blah blah EXPLORER blah blah FERDINAND."

They meant Ferdinand as in King Ferdinand of Spain.

[seaborgium]

"Magellan" was MONSTROUS negbait when spotted "blah blah blah EXPLORER blah blah FERDINAND."

They meant Ferdinand as in King Ferdinand of Spain.

No they didn't, they meant Ferdinand as in Columbus's son.

[mas3cf]

"Magellan" was MONSTROUS negbait when spotted "blah blah blah EXPLORER blah blah FERDINAND."

"Ferdinand" was a fauxvlov (I just made that term up). The real clue was "4th voyage in 1502"

[squarekara]

LEGO is a lot older than 1974.

1958

LEGO, the toy company--30's.
LEGO interlocking bricks--40's.

[MollyQMurphy]

I also said multitask instead of toggle. Eye roll at calling that s technical term.

[LucarioSnooperVixey]

LEGO is a lot older than 1974.

1958

LEGO, the toy company--30's.
LEGO interlocking bricks--40's.

I was thinking of the current LEGOs used today with the tubes underneath. Those were patented in 1958.