Wednesday, March 7, 2018 Game Recap and Discussion [SPOILERS]

[TenPoundHammer]

So how in 30 seconds did I not manage to even think of Japan at all?

[Ironhorse]

Anyway, instaget FJ. In a million years, I didn't think "name the three 'J' countries" would be an FJ clue. A sole get? If they ran out of time, sure. Two of them naming islands of Indonesia instead of nations? Weird ending.

Name the three H countries. Go!

The three V ones. Go! 30 seconds.

It's a snap for some, possible in 30 seconds for some and impossible for others. Yes, it's always nice to be in the first group.

I pulled 'em both instantly. I can't promise I would have done the same in Culver City.

[hscer]

I'm just glad nobody ended up with something like "What are Japan Jordan Jamai" - would've been the worst thing since "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart." (actually, one worse thing would have been only getting 3 letters into Japan when the pen quit)

[mxc_takeshi]

31 right.

Galapagos (3), Disney (4), Magazine (4), Spring (3), Suffragette (3), Fishing (3)
Literary Eponyms (0), Cabinet (2), "GREAT" (5), Before & After (2), Sound (1), Compliments (1)

Lach Trash: Grapefruit League, Seattle, Frederick the Great, audible

I got Japan and Jordan, but not Jamaica. Since the first two are in the East, I was thinking of a second island country there as opposed to the Western Hemisphere.

[Volante]

The Wikipedia article on the glass instrument gives all of the following as names for the instrument: glass harmonica, glass armonica, glass harmonium, bowl organ, hydrocrystalophone, armonica, harmonica. I wonder how many of those were on Alex's card.

Glad they had video for that one, before that kicked in I was ready to say theramin.

Instafinal. The Ks are my favorite country grouping, though. Each (well...Sporcle recognized...) country has a unique vowel after the initial K:

• Ka........
• Ke...
• Ki......
• Ko....
• Ku....
• Ky........

Bit much for an FJ though

[twelvefootboy]

The really interesting letter to start off countries is I. There are only eight, but all eight are among the more widely known countries.

Spoiler

India, Ireland, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Italy

I easily pulled eight and quit. However, I subbed Ivory Coast for Italy. I failed the other challenges for H and V. I've never studied any lists or done brain teasers or organized trivia. Amazing how the "I" list was so easy by comparison. In FJ, it was Japan, Jakarta, Jakarta, Jakarta, Jakarta, Jakarta damned earworm, finally Jamaica, try a circle in central Africa and give up.

Nobody has mentioned the only reason Glass Harmonicas are a thing - Ben Franklin invented the instrument. I've always considered BF to be the archetype of Major Hoople for the comic fans who know who that is. Sadly, I hung myself up on Glass Xylophone but knew it was wrong.

I know two Prussians, Kaiser Wilhelm and Frederick the Great. It just must have been a brain lock for the contestants.

I figured Jack would have legs, but a tough FJ took him down. I'll take the under at 50% for this one.

[econgator]

I got Jamaica right away and Japan right at the end. Jordan never came to me.

It came to me, but at about the 35-second point.

[Peter the accountant]

R: 26, W: 2, costing 1800
Coryat: 14800
FJ:
DD: 1/2
LT: Seattle (but needed the double rebound), audible (more football!!!), pike

Timings:
2:43 + 4:00 = 6:43
6:36
1:41

Yet another overly long video category. Didn't we have a category of clues from the Galapagos a couple of months ago? Or perhaps I'm recalling something I saw on the official J! web site?

Speaking of that category, my embarrassing miss of the day is there. Got Old Man and the Sea stuck in my head, but knew it was wrong. Couldn't switch to Moby Dick at all. I think the most annoying thing about those clues is that there's nothing to read (at least for home viewers) so you can't skip ahead and get to the real clue.

I started off very well, with 12 or 13 of the first 15 clues right, including a run on the Disney villians. I'd have to give up my Disney movie fan club membership if I hadn't. But it was down hill fast from there.

I went with Glass Harp, and initially counted it correct. But then did a brief image search afterward, and decided that was wrong. As seen on the show, a glass [h]armonica has nested glasses rotating on a spindle. A glass harp is individual glasses - usually laid out like a piano keyboard - that require the player to move their finger around the rim. (Makes playing more than two notes nearly impossible.)

In FJ, I had Japan almost instantly, then got stuck trying to get Jakarta and Java out of my head. Never managed to do that. I was mentally searching the Pacific for another island nation, never getting to the Caribbean. I can see how a group of 3 or 4 people would have all three countries within seconds, but it's clearly much tougher for a single individual.

I didn't like Lane's wager at all. I saw no need to risk more than $1200. His wager would have unnecessarily turned over the win to Jack had he missed. (Or to Emily had she got it right.)

[Category 13]

Am I the only one so far to get the fedora lach trash?

Also had grapefruit, Seattle, audible, pike.

[teapot37]

Am I the only one so far to get the fedora lach trash?

Also had grapefruit, Seattle, audible, pike.

Literary Eponyms
THIS CLASSIC MEN'S HAT WAS NAMED FOR A 19TH CENTURY PLAY WHOSE TITLE CHARACTER WAS ACTUALLY A WOMAN

I said "trilby", which is a hat named after a 19th-century novel (also adapted into a play in the 19th century) with a female title character (although the novel is far more famous for its character Svengali). Not sure if it would have been accepted.

[Foretopman]

Literary Eponyms
THIS CLASSIC MEN'S HAT WAS NAMED FOR A 19TH CENTURY PLAY WHOSE TITLE CHARACTER WAS ACTUALLY A WOMAN

I said "trilby", which is a hat named after a 19th-century novel (also adapted into a play in the 19th century) with a female title character (although the novel is far more famous for its character Svengali). Not sure if it would have been accepted.

I also said "trilby", but I was only hoping it had also appeared on stage.

I don't watch much football. I know about "calling an audible", but I don't think I've ever heard "audible" used as a verb.

[This Is Kirk!]

My brain wasn't firing on all cylinders last night and I could only come up with Japan for FJ. I hate that kind of clue, by the way. It really doesn't test knowledge because nearly everyone knows those three countries, so it's really just an exercise on how fast your recall is.

[davey]

Am I the only one so far to get the fedora lach trash?

Also had grapefruit, Seattle, audible, pike.

Literary Eponyms
THIS CLASSIC MEN'S HAT WAS NAMED FOR A 19TH CENTURY PLAY WHOSE TITLE CHARACTER WAS ACTUALLY A WOMAN

I said "trilby", which is a hat named after a 19th-century novel (also adapted into a play in the 19th century) with a female title character (although the novel is far more famous for its character Svengali). Not sure if it would have been accepted.

But is it a classic?? Does anybody...still wear...a trilby? Besides, the Trilby name came in 1894, while the Fedora play stretches back to...1882...
Sorry, I'm being facetious based on an FJ discussion earlier in the week...Sounds like a fine alternate response.

Only one J came to mind for me on this FJ...

[BigDaddyMatty]

My brain wasn't firing on all cylinders last night and I could only come up with Japan for FJ. I hate that kind of clue, by the way. It really doesn't test knowledge because nearly everyone knows those three countries, so it's really just an exercise on how fast your recall is.

This is a fair criticism. However, because I got this FJ! right, I reject it.

[jeff6286]

Anyway, instaget FJ. In a million years, I didn't think "name the three 'J' countries" would be an FJ clue. A sole get? If they ran out of time, sure. Two of them naming islands of Indonesia instead of nations? Weird ending.

Name the three H countries. Go!

The three V ones. Go! 30 seconds.

It's a snap for some, possible in 30 seconds for some and impossible for others. Yes, it's always nice to be in the first group.

Except there are 4 V ones

Spoiler

vanuatu, vatican city, venezuela, vietnam

Guess how many of those 4 are U.N. members!

[DBear]

Except there are 4 V ones

Spoiler

vanuatu, vatican city, venezuela, vietnam

Guess how many of those 4 are U.N. members!

Oh, that is just evil!

Spoiler

9 out of 10 will have Vatican City for Vanuatu

[dhkendall]

For those wondering, the other letters with a low amount of UN members beginning with those letters are D (4, 5, or 6 depending on nomenclature), F (3), O (1), Q (1), R (3, 4, or 5), Y (1), Z (2). None start with W or X.

Spoiler

Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic. Sporcle also considers the Democratic Republic of Congo a D country (I personally consider it a C) as does the UN. The UN also calls the Hermit Kingdom the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Fiji, Finland, France
Oman
Qatar
Romania, Russia, Rwanda. Sporcle considers the Republic of Congo an R country, the UN considers it a C country. The UN also calls the country Seoul is the capital of the Republic of Korea and, strangely, the country in Europe with the least number of tourists is seated as "Republic of Moldova". No I don't know why most other countries who are officially the "Republic of [country]" didn't get that treatment.
Yemen
Zambia, Zimbabwe

I was pleased to see what a glass harmonica was too. Heard of it but wouldn't' in a million years guess that would be it.

[seaborgium]

For those wondering, the other letters with a low amount of UN members beginning with those letters are D (4, 5, or 6 depending on nomenclature), F (3), O (1), Q (1), R (3, 4, or 5), Y (1), Z (2). None start with W or X.

Spoiler

Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic. Sporcle also considers the Democratic Republic of Congo a D country (I personally consider it a C) as does the UN. The UN also calls the Hermit Kingdom the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Fiji, Finland, France
Oman
Qatar
Romania, Russia, Rwanda. Sporcle considers the Republic of Congo an R country, the UN considers it a C country. The UN also calls the country Seoul is the capital of the Republic of Korea and, strangely, the country in Europe with the least number of tourists is seated as "Republic of Moldova". No I don't know why most other countries who are officially the "Republic of [country]" didn't get that treatment.
Yemen
Zambia, Zimbabwe

I was pleased to see what a glass harmonica was too. Heard of it but wouldn't' in a million years guess that would be it.

What about the Federated States of Micronesia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia?

[dhkendall]

For those wondering, the other letters with a low amount of UN members beginning with those letters are D (4, 5, or 6 depending on nomenclature), F (3), O (1), Q (1), R (3, 4, or 5), Y (1), Z (2). None start with W or X.

Spoiler

Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic. Sporcle also considers the Democratic Republic of Congo a D country (I personally consider it a C) as does the UN. The UN also calls the Hermit Kingdom the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Fiji, Finland, France
Oman
Qatar
Romania, Russia, Rwanda. Sporcle considers the Republic of Congo an R country, the UN considers it a C country. The UN also calls the country Seoul is the capital of the Republic of Korea and, strangely, the country in Europe with the least number of tourists is seated as "Republic of Moldova". No I don't know why most other countries who are officially the "Republic of [country]" didn't get that treatment.
Yemen
Zambia, Zimbabwe

I was pleased to see what a glass harmonica was too. Heard of it but wouldn't' in a million years guess that would be it.

What about the Federated States of Micronesia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia?

The U.N. seats them under M (Micronesia (Federated States of)) and T (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). (I think the T is a neutral measure, to demonstrate they don’t think the title is the country’s name, but an adjective to describe the country until the naming dispute is solved.

Source

[seaborgium]

Thanks. I wasn't trying to do a "gotcha"; I couldn't figure out a Google query that would tell me how the UN referred to them.