Jeopardy More Specific?

[Chuck Sutton]

Again Are there rules on when Alex asks someone to be more specific when just giving a last name.

 

Last week in a category on TV charactors the answer was \"Homey, the clown\"   The player responded \"Who is Wayans?\"

 

If there was ever a response that needed  a first name,  it is which Wayans played which character on In Living Color.

[TLEberle]

\"Prompt on: Roosevelt,\" \"Do not accept: Theodore Roosevelt\".

[Chuck Sutton]

Yes, but there were two Presidents named Roosevelt.  There were 5 Wayans on In Living Color.

[TLEberle]

Without inside knowledge (all hailing frequencies open!) the rule seems like it would be if Alex\'s game sheet says \"Prompt on: Wayans,\" then the contestant is asked to be more specific. If it doesn\'t, Alex doesn\'t ask.

[clemon79]

Without inside knowledge (all hailing frequencies open!) the rule seems like it would be if Alex\'s game sheet says \"Prompt on: Wayans,\" then the contestant is asked to be more specific. If it doesn\'t, Alex doesn\'t ask.

 

I think Chuck is pointing out (assuming all of this information is accurate) that this is a failing on the part of the writing / research team, and that if it DIDN\'T say \"Prompt on: Wayans\" on Alex\'s sheet, it should have.

[Matt Ottinger]

The strangest \"be more specific\" I ever saw on Jeopardy was a presidents category where a player responded with \"Who is Kennedy?\"  Yes, there is a whole family of political folks named Kennedy, but if \'president\' is assumed in the category, I don\'t see the need for prompting.

 

I agree with Chuck that \'Wayans\' by itself should not have been enough.

 

I had a taping last night where I wanted \'Conestoga wagon\' and I prompted a kid who said \'covered wagon\'.  He didn\'t get it, and later I felt bad because I don\'t think the question was specific enough as written.  (It wasn\'t one of mine.)

[chris319]

if Alex\'s game sheet says \"Prompt on: Wayans,\" then the contestant is asked to be more specific. If it doesn\'t, Alex doesn\'t ask.

 

Do you know for a fact that this is how Jeopardy! operates and if so, how do you come by that information?

[chris319]

I had a taping last night where I wanted \'Conestoga wagon\' and I prompted a kid who said \'covered wagon\'.

 

Why wouldn\'t covered wagon be an acceptable answer?

[clemon79]

Why wouldn\'t covered wagon be an acceptable answer?

 

Because a Conestoga wagon is a specific type of covered wagon, and I\'m going to guess the question pinned to that.

[chris319]

 

Why wouldn\'t covered wagon be an acceptable answer?

 

Because a Conestoga wagon is a specific type of covered wagon, and I\'m going to guess the question pinned to that.

 

What\'s the difference? Good luck explaining this one considering you don\'t even know what the question was.

[clemon79]

What\'s the difference? Good luck explaining this one considering you don\'t even know what the question was.

 

Yeah, I don\'t think I\'m going to engage if I\'m going to be treated like that. Feel free to look it up on Wikipedia, which is what I did.

[chris319]

 

What\'s the difference? Good luck explaining this one considering you don\'t even know what the question was.

 

Yeah, I don\'t think I\'m going to engage if I\'m going to be treated like that. Feel free to look it up on Wikipedia, which is what I did.

 

In other words, you don\'t have a clue.

[jjman920]

 

if Alex\'s game sheet says \"Prompt on: Wayans,\" then the contestant is asked to be more specific. If it doesn\'t, Alex doesn\'t ask.

 

Do you know for a fact that this is how Jeopardy! operates and if so, how do you come by that information?

 

I know that there has been video, or at least a photo, of what Alex sees when he\'s hosting the show. Whether or not that contains the answer to this specific question, I am not sure (it\'s been years since I\'ve seen it).

[chris319]

On our show I had a way of dealing with situations such as these.

[parliboy]

You buzzed them since \"Conestoga Wagon\" is two words?