Wednesday, October 14, 2020 Game Recap and Discussion (SPOILERS)

[talkingaway]

I'm not a superhero geek, but I have Pringles Syndrome (once you pop, you can't stop) when it comes to movies and sequences; hence, I've seen all the main MCU movies out there. Stan Lee's cameos were often written about; TBH, I'm pretty sure I missed them the first 3 or 4 movies. A large number of large-grossing action movies just screams franchise, and Stan's the man.

I was shocked to only go 4/5 in 80s and 90s music - that's my wheelhouse. Bon Jovi's album tripped me up. I got inexplicably stuck on Van Halen's 1984 - RIP Eddie. I've heard of Slippery When Wet, and I'd know it's 100% by an 80s supergroup, but I don't think I'd have been able to pair it to Bon Jovi. Kenny Rogers almost tripped me up because I can never get him untangled with Kenny Loggins - even with a picture, which is ridiculous, I know. But when the clue got to "Lady", I had time to instantly redirect myself.

Russian Doll - seen all episodes, but couldn't get to the title, even with the obviously Russian name. I could only get to "Natasha Lyonne".

I'm still a little surprised that they didn't overturn "overlook", but looking back, I see why. You don't really "have overlook" of a project, you "have oversight" of it. But the definition of overlook has "a commanding position or view"...I'd certainly say oversight is better, and I guess I can understand if they decided to neg it.

One thing that Alex might have overlooked on the first DD in DJ!: He specifically said Jack could tie for the lead of 2400, almost implying that 1200 was Jack's max bet, instead of 2000. Alex didn't say he COULDN'T bet more, but it was sort of implied.

[opusthepenguin]

I was surprised Kevin received credit for his response on DJ29 SWEDEN LOWS--& HIGHS for $1600: Low: in a twist like one out of his "Millennium" mysteries, some fans think this author was murdered in 2004

https://youtu.be/LUI3CY8SZvM

What do you hear him say?

Spoiler

Mrs Penguin and I very clearly hear him saying Who is STEVE Larsson, rather than the correct Stieg Larsson. We went back and listened again and heard the same thing. The CCs have him saying Stieg. Once I saw that, I correctly surmised there would be no reversal before FJ. A reversal would have left him still in the lead, so the outcome of the game was not affected.

[opusthepenguin]

Took me 10 seconds or so to figure out the obvious response to FJ. Once I did that, I knew the guy with his 25-year Comic-Con pin was headed for the TOC. Given his fourth podium losses in some of his games, I have to put him in the bronze category. TOC level competition isn't going to leave that trash on the floor.

[BrigadierSolo13]

I was surprised Kevin received credit for his response on DJ29 SWEDEN LOWS--& HIGHS for $1600: Low: in a twist like one out of his "Millennium" mysteries, some fans think this author was murdered in 2004

https://youtu.be/LUI3CY8SZvM

What do you hear him say?

Spoiler

Mrs Penguin and I very clearly hear him saying Who is STEVE Larsson, rather than the correct Stieg Larsson. We went back and listened again and heard the same thing. The CCs have him saying Stieg. Once I saw that, I correctly surmised there would be no reversal before FJ. A reversal would have left him still in the lead, so the outcome of the game was not affected.

Funny... When I wanted to believe he said Steve, I heard Steve. Then when I wanted to believe he said Stieg, I heard Stieg. After one more watch, I hear Stieg.

[davey]

Contronyms $800: I had "detail." Judges?

Maybe a detail is something you overlook, though it's not part of the definition...I don't see how you get to "supervision of a project" even if you're referencing a small detachment of troops or police officers given a special duty, as I assume you are...
I admit, I had to ponder a while before realizing why "variety" is a contronym...

[Bob78164]

This game is a loss for the Weak Form of Shore's Conjecture. The second-place player bet "big." --Bob

[davey]

I was surprised Kevin received credit for his response on DJ29 SWEDEN LOWS--& HIGHS for $1600: Low: in a twist like one out of his "Millennium" mysteries, some fans think this author was murdered in 2004

https://youtu.be/LUI3CY8SZvM

What do you hear him say?

Spoiler

Mrs Penguin and I very clearly hear him saying Who is STEVE Larsson, rather than the correct Stieg Larsson. We went back and listened again and heard the same thing. The CCs have him saying Stieg. Once I saw that, I correctly surmised there would be no reversal before FJ. A reversal would have left him still in the lead, so the outcome of the game was not affected.

Funny... When I wanted to believe he said Steve, I heard Steve. Then when I wanted to believe he said Stieg, I heard Stieg. After one more watch, I hear Stieg.

The final sound is a bit muddy, but he gets the benefit of the doubt cause I don't believe he would think the Swede's name was Steve...

[mas3cf]

Contronyms $800: I had "detail." Judges?

Maybe a detail is something you overlook, though it's not part of the definition...I don't see how you get to "supervision of a project" even if you're referencing a small detachment of troops or police officers given a special duty, as I assume you are...
I admit, I had to ponder a while before realizing why "variety" is a contronym...

In Massachusetts, every road construction site has a police detail by law. I lived in Mass for 6 years, which is probably why my brain went there:

https://www.mass.gov/road-flaggers-and-police-detail

[davey]

Contronyms $800: I had "detail." Judges?

Maybe a detail is something you overlook, though it's not part of the definition...I don't see how you get to "supervision of a project" even if you're referencing a small detachment of troops or police officers given a special duty, as I assume you are...
I admit, I had to ponder a while before realizing why "variety" is a contronym...

In Massachusetts, every road construction site has a police detail by law. I lived in Mass for 6 years, which is probably why my brain went there:

https://www.mass.gov/road-flaggers-and-police-detail

My guess is they're there to protect the project, not to supervise it.

[davey]

I thought "Downton Abbey" was steep for $200 though.

Uh, no. If it were possible to be, it would have been overvalued.

Who the hell even watches British shows in the US anyway? I don't see any reason for any British TV show to be in the top box unless it's 1.) a billion years old like Doctor Who, or 2.) inextricably part of worldwide pop culture lexicon like Monty Python. Downton Abbey doesn't seem to be one zillionth as popular as either. They might as well have asked for That Mitchell and Webb Look.

At the peak of its popularity, it regularly drew about 13.5 million viewers per week, which would have beat every single network show other than NCIS. The movie also brought in right around $200M. DOn't get me wrong, I love me some Doctor Who, but the good Doctor wishes she had numbers even close to that. So, who watches it? A LOT of people.

Also, about the other $200 clue referenced, it's worth noting that there's nothing in the clue about the bulb being "burnt" out or "dead'." It can just be "off". Most of us know the phrase "lights out."
I got Earth Day from the date, but I'm still not sure what spring break or final exams have to do with it...
Another epic FJ fail for me tonight. I knew about Lee's movie cameos, of course, but I have even less interest in the kind of movies he appeared in than I do in baggy Stephen King properties. My snobbery bites me 2 games in a row!...

[Robert K S]

Almost missed Final by misreading the clue as calling for a person in "manly action films"

[BrigadierSolo13]

So, in CONTRONYMS for $1000, how do we feel about "series"?

Here's the wording of the clue: "It can mean an assortment of different types, or one type in particular"

So the first half of clue seems to fit "series" just fine.

I feel like the wording of the second half leaves itself open to interpretation. Here's some examples I have of how the word "series" would work for that definition:

Is the Series X one type of the new Xbox?
- This one seems like a pretty clear "yes"

Is the 3 Series one type of BMW?
Is the F Series one type of Ford?
- While the argument "There are still different types within those series" is strong, I would argue that "one type in particular" can still have further types included in that single type. Like Cheerios is one type of cereal in particular, Frosted Cheerios is one type of Cheerios in particular, the 16 oz. box of Frosted Cheerios is one type of Frosted Cheerios in particular, etc.

What do the judges think?

[BigDaddyMatty]

Coryat: $41,000
51 R/2 W
DD: 2/3
FJ:
LT: oversight, variety, the Dakotas, Earth Day (DD), Canada, United Kingdom, USA, maharaja (DD), amalgamate

DD1 was an all-time stinker. I got it based on the date, but what in the world led the writers to believe they were being helpful by talking about spring break and final exams?

On DD2, I lost the coin flip between tides and eclipses. I had never before heard that the sun has anything to do with tides. Makes sense that it would have a small effect, but I had only ever heard the moon mentioned in that context.

I was proud of myself for having learned from J! that Easy Rawlins is an Elmore Leonard character. Oops. Even more embarrassing, Mr. Leonard is very much not an African-American writer.

My story is not as, um, interesting as Golf's, but I learned of the Tongass National Forest from a James Taylor concert I attended ~20 years ago. He had conservation literature about the Tongass posted at the merch table.

[BigDaddyMatty]

So, in CONTRONYMS for $1000, how do we feel about "series"?

Here's the wording of the clue: "It can mean an assortment of different types, or one type in particular"

So the first half of clue seems to fit "series" just fine.

I actually think it's the first half that's problematic. Dictionary.com defines series as "a number of things, events, or people of a similar kind or related nature coming one after another."

[BrigadierSolo13]

So, in CONTRONYMS for $1000, how do we feel about "series"?

Here's the wording of the clue: "It can mean an assortment of different types, or one type in particular"

So the first half of clue seems to fit "series" just fine.

I actually think it's the first half that's problematic. Dictionary.com defines series as "a number of things, events, or people of a similar kind or related nature coming one after another."

What about a poker series having different types of poker?
A series of events?

[davey]

So, in CONTRONYMS for $1000, how do we feel about "series"?

Here's the wording of the clue: "It can mean an assortment of different types, or one type in particular"

So the first half of clue seems to fit "series" just fine.

I actually think it's the first half that's problematic. Dictionary.com defines series as "a number of things, events, or people of a similar kind or related nature coming one after another."

What about a poker series having different types of poker?
A series of events?

I'm not sure how I feel about this, but consider this sentence: Ted Danson has appeared in a series of TV series.

[LucarioSnooperVixey]

59 R (My one miss won't surprise you.)
DD: 3/3
FJ:
LT: Oversight, Variety, North & South Dakota, George Orwell, (Earth Day), (Maharaja), Amalgamate, Walter Mosley

[Philliesfan02]

59 R (My one miss won't surprise you.)
DD: 3/3
FJ:
LT: Oversight, Variety, North & South Dakota, George Orwell, (Earth Day), (Maharaja), Amalgamate, Walter Mosley

Yeah, I NHO Russian doll either.

I now have 11 straight FJ clues correct in a row

[earendel]

I was surprised Kevin received credit for his response on DJ29 SWEDEN LOWS--& HIGHS for $1600: Low: in a twist like one out of his "Millennium" mysteries, some fans think this author was murdered in 2004

https://youtu.be/LUI3CY8SZvM

What do you hear him say?

Spoiler

Mrs Penguin and I very clearly hear him saying Who is STEVE Larsson, rather than the correct Stieg Larsson. We went back and listened again and heard the same thing. The CCs have him saying Stieg. Once I saw that, I correctly surmised there would be no reversal before FJ. A reversal would have left him still in the lead, so the outcome of the game was not affected.

Funny... When I wanted to believe he said Steve, I heard Steve. Then when I wanted to believe he said Stieg, I heard Stieg. After one more watch, I hear Stieg.

Every time I heard it, I heard "Steve" (maybe because that's my real first name) and expected a reversal.

[earendel]

Almost missed Final by misreading the clue as calling for a person in "manly action films"

As did I.