Wednesday, July 13, 2022 Game Recap and Discussion (SPOILERS)

[davey]

This motto is the name of a city in that state & is a famous quote by an ancient Greek from the 3rd century B.C.

I spent literally ten minutes trying to figure out what "that state" was referring to, because there was no obvious grammatical antecedent.

This clue is a syntactical muddle. Mrs P and I both figured it out by keying in on the juxtaposition of "famous quote by an ancient Greek", "name of a city", and "state mottos". (We're from that state, so it was easier.) Having settled on Eureka, it was possible to analyze the tortuous syntax and confirm that this was indeed what the clue was asking for. But I wouldn't want to have to work my way forward starting with the clue's wording and trying to figure out what the heck they wanted.

I was just happy - and a little shocked - that it was that state and this motto, since I wasn't 100% sure that was CA. I might have mixed up Eureka and Excelsior...

[twelvefootboy]

TIL the California state motto. This clue favored the left coast demographic. I tried to think of phrases that might be a city name, like Truth or Consequences (which is a city in NM), or Land of Opportunity. If I had to guess California state motto, I would have bet on The Golden State, or possibly The Bear State. I also NHO Eureka, CA. There is a Eureka Springs in Arkansas that is notable as an artsy fartsy enclave.
The suicide wager from second doesn't annoy me any more than making the cover wager. I am tired of hearing about $1 or $2 winning margins as if the game was ultra-competitive.

[alietr]

I'm curious to see if someone can write FJ better. I tried a few times in my head, and wasn't very successful.

[Linear Gnome]

I'm curious to see if someone can write FJ better. I tried a few times in my head, and wasn't very successful.

This motto, a famous quote by an ancient Greek from the 3rd century B.C., is also the name of a city in its state.

[alietr]

I'm curious to see if someone can write FJ better. I tried a few times in my head, and wasn't very successful.

This motto, a famous quote by an ancient Greek from the 3rd century B.C., is also the name of a city in its state.

You've earned your gold star for the day.

[Robert K S]

I'm curious to see if someone can write FJ better. I tried a few times in my head, and wasn't very successful.

This motto, a famous quote by an ancient Greek from the 3rd century B.C., is also the name of a city in its state.

You've earned your gold star for the day.

That version has the problem that it doesn't link the motto with the state. I tried to reword but was not successful without repeating the word "motto", or the word "state", or both.

[davey]

I'm curious to see if someone can write FJ better. I tried a few times in my head, and wasn't very successful.

This motto, a famous quote by an ancient Greek from the 3rd century B.C., is also the name of a city in its state.

You've earned your gold star for the day.

That version has the problem that it doesn't link the motto with the state. I tried to reword but was not successful without repeating the word "motto", or the word "state", or both.

I think it does. "Its" is better for the original wording too. The antecedent is clearer (I suppose someone could think it's "quote" here, but that's in a parenthetical clause), especially when you take the category into account, which is never too much to ask.

[BigDaddyMatty]

Coryat: $37,800
49 R/3 W
DD: 3/3
FJ:
LT: counterfeited, Hawaii, Alex, Ottawa, laconic, Vostok, 12 (DD), Neil Simon

While the rest of you were dissecting the syntax of the FJ!, I was considering the choice of "mottos" vs. "mottoes."

Today's DDs demonstrated the value of putting the hammer down on those clues. As usual, they required nothing more than basic J! knowledge and paying attention to context clues:
"What is the shortest verse in the (King James) Bible?"
"Who was elected U.S. president in 1928?"
"What specific number of people--spectators, likely--is associated with a trial?"

On the Dia de los Muertos stamp clue, I couldn't resist responding with "What is my birthday?" I suppose it's not what USPS had in mind when they issued the stamp, but it's what *I* celebrate each year on that date.

[Woof]

“This state motto, a quote from the 3rd C BCE by a famous Greek, is also the name of a town within that state.” Meh boards for me, but as a CA native ain’t no way I’m missing FJ. Oski would have my toosh had I not.

[floridagator]

I was tempted to throw something at the TV twice during this game: when the contestants couldn't come up with Ottawa when spotted Mackenzie King and when Emily made her WAG of nine that kept her from finishing in the lead. It's always amazed me how trivia players such as on Jeopardy and in college bowl rely strictly on memorization and are so bad at figuring things out.

FJ was instant for me, but I had to reread the clue to verify they were going for Eureka and not California.

Do you know what Archimedes said when he got a good idea when he was an old man?
"Modesto! No, that's not it.
Sacramento! No, that's not it.
Redding! No, that's not it.
Chico! ..."