Transcript 9/16/2011 - Meg McElroy

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Meg McElroy
New York City, NY
8th grade teacher

Meg has been teaching for nine years. Meredith says that 8th grade can be a difficult year. Meg keeps them in line by setting the ground rules early.

Topic Tree: (unrandomized)
10 - Biblical Quotes
9 - Next in Line
8 - Big Fans
7 - Night Time
6 - Paralyzed Prose
5 - Medical Devices
4 - Hall-of-Famers
3 - TV Themes
2 - Taking Stock
1 - Messy Fun

Topic Tree: (randomized)
5 - Medical Devices
10 - Biblical Quotes
8 - Big Fans
7 - Night Time
2 - Taking Stock
9 - Next in Line
1 - Messy Fun
6 - Paralyzed Prose
3 - TV Themes
4 - Hall-of-Famers

Question #1 (Hall-of-Famers - Level 4)
In 2011, a news article by the Associated Press used the headline "Reba, Shepard, Braddock enter" what?
A - LPGA Hall of Fame
B - Culinary Hall of Fame
C - Country Hall of Fame
D - NASA Hall of Fame

Meg thinks that

Spoiler

Reba could be the country singer

. She told her sister she'd go for it on the first question so she says, "Let me have fun and say

Spoiler

C

.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Country Hall of Fame)
Value: $7000
Bank: $7,000

Question #2 (TV Themes - Level 3)
"Our whole universe was in a hot, dense state" is the opening line of the theme song of what popular sitcom?
A - Modern Family
B - How I Met Your Mother
C - The Big Bang Theory
D - 30 Rock

Meg says they're all excellent shows.

Spoiler

Answer: C (The Big Bang Theory)
Value: $500
Bank: $7,500

Question #3 (Paralyzed Prose - Level 6)
Paralyzed and unable to speak, Jean-Dominique Bauby dictated the book "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" by doing what?
A - blinking
B - sniffing
C - humming
D - coughing

Meg isn't entirely positive but before she saw the answers she thought

Spoiler

blinking

and since she's here for fun she's going to make that her final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: A (blinking)
Value: $2000
Bank: $9,500

Question #4 (Messy Fun - Level 1)
Twenty thousand gallons of water are mixed with 200 tons of topsoil for an annual event in Wayne County, Michigan called what?
A - Cement Bash
B - Slush Party
C - Mud Day
D - Grease Fest

Meg has never heard of this event and there's an answer that's jumping at her, but she's not ready to go yet so she decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Mud Day)
Value: $10,000
Bank: $9,500 (no change)

Meredith asks what she was thinking and Meg said "Mud Day" but added that Grease Fest sounded like more fun. She's OK with the result.

Question #5 (Next in Line - Level 9)
As President pro tempore of the Senate, who is currently third in line of presidential succession?
A - Chuck Schumer
B - Barbara Boxer
C - Daniel Inouye
D - Mitch McConnell

This is something that Meg's father would want her to know but she doesn't so she decides to jump this question also.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Daniel Inouye)
Value: $1000
Bank: $9,500 (no change)

Meg wouldn't have guessed that.

Question #6 (Taking Stock - Level 2)
What is the mainstay food of the national chain that shows DNKN as its Nasdaq symbol when it went public in 2011?
A - hamburgers
B - tacos
C - donuts
D - pizza

Meg is thinking that it's probably for

Spoiler

Dunkin Donuts

.

Spoiler

Answer: C (donuts)
Value: $5000
Bank: $14,500

commercial break

Meg came to have fun and so far, so good. If she wins big she would like to have a summer off because although she isn't teaching she has other jobs to help meet expenses. She'd like to go abroad.

Question #7 (Night Time - Level 7)
Roughly how many fortnights are in a decade?
A - 50
B - 110
C - 190
D - 260

Meg usually brag that for an English teacher she's very good at math but being on the show makes it a little more challenging. She knows what a fortnight is, or at least she thinks she does. She's here for the fun so she makes

Spoiler

D

her final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: D (260)
Value: $100
Bank: $14,600

Question #8 (Big Fans - Level 8)
Taken from Spanish, the word "aficionado" originally referred to fans of what?
A - puppet shows
B - classical guitar
C - bullfighting
D - ballroom dancing

Meg doesn't know this. Meredith asks if she knows any Spanish and Meg replies, "I know un pequeno - that's all I got." There's one that's jumping out at her but she's going to ask the audience hoping that there are some Spanish-speakers there.

ATA results

A - 10%
B - 19%
C - 65%
D - 6%

Again, she's here for the fun so she goes with the audience's answer.

Spoiler

Answer: C (bullfighting)
Value: $3000
Bank: $17,600

commercial break

Question #9 (Biblical Quotes - Level 10)
Which of these historic monuments features a Biblical quote from Leviticus 25:10?
A - Washington Monument
B - Gateway Arch
C - Liberty Bell
D - Statue of Liberty

Meg came here to have fun but money helps to have fun so she's going to happily walk away at this point.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Liberty Bell)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $8,300

[MarleysGh0st]

Question #3 (Paralyzed Prose - Level 6)
Paralyzed and unable to speak, Jean-Dominique Bauby dictated the book "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" by doing what?
A - blinking
B - sniffing
C - humming
D - coughing

Meg isn't entirely positive but before she saw the answers she thought

Spoiler

blinking

and since she's here for fun she's going to make that her final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: A (blinking)
Value: $2000
Bank: $9,500

Should we have all heard of Mr. Bauby or was this supposed to be a "most obvious" question?

Question #4 (Messy Fun - Level 1)
Twenty thousand gallons of water are mixed with 200 tons of topsoil for an annual event in Wayne County, Michigan called what?
A - Cement Bash
B - Slush Party
C - Mud Day
D - Grease Fest

Meg has never heard of this event and there's an answer that's jumping at her, but she's not ready to go yet so she decides to jump the question.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Mud Day)
Value: $10,000
Bank: $9,500 (no change)

Meredith asks what she was thinking and Meg said "Mud Day" but added that Grease Fest sounded like more fun. She's OK with the result.

Grease Fest might be more fun, but the recipe would have to include something more than dirt and water.

Question #7 (Night Time - Level 7)
Roughly how many fortnights are in a decade?
A - 50
B - 110
C - 190
D - 260

Meg usually brag that for an English teacher she's very good at math but being on the show makes it a little more challenging. She knows what a fortnight is, or at least she thinks she does. She's here for the fun so she makes

Spoiler

D

her final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: D (260)
Value: $100
Bank: $14,600

Good for you, Meg! But as any Math teacher would say, show your work! How about stating for the record how many days are in a fortnight?

[themanwho]

Question #3 (Paralyzed Prose - Level 6)
Paralyzed and unable to speak, Jean-Dominique Bauby dictated the book "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" by doing what?
A - blinking
B - sniffing
C - humming
D - coughing

Meg isn't entirely positive but before she saw the answers she thought

Spoiler

blinking

and since she's here for fun she's going to make that her final answer.

Spoiler

Answer: A (blinking)
Value: $2000
Bank: $9,500

Should we have all heard of Mr. Bauby or was this supposed to be a "most obvious" question?

I'd say "not obscure" (in my expert opinion as a former Barnes and Noble employee). This is a book club favorite, and was a movie a couple of years ago.

-M

[jarnon]

I admire Meg for taking some risks, unlike other recent contestants.

Question #9 (Biblical Quotes - Level 10)
Which of these historic monuments features a Biblical quote from Leviticus 25:10?
A - Washington Monument
B - Gateway Arch
C - Liberty Bell
D - Statue of Liberty

Meg came here to have fun but money helps to have fun so she's going to happily walk away at this point.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Liberty Bell)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $8,300

Living near Philly, I know this one by heart: Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.

[tanstaafl2]

Meg McElroy
Question #8 (Big Fans - Level
Taken from Spanish, the word "aficionado" originally referred to fans of what?
A - puppet shows
B - classical guitar
C - bullfighting
D - ballroom dancing

Meg doesn't know this. Meredith asks if she knows any Spanish and Meg replies, "I know un pequeno - that's all I got." There's one that's jumping out at her but she's going to ask the audience hoping that there are some Spanish-speakers there.

ATA results

A - 10%
B - 19%
C - 65%
D - 6%

Again, she's here for the fun so she goes with the audience's answer.

Spoiler

Answer: C (bullfighting)
Value: $3000
Bank: $17,600

commercial break

I seem to be missing something here. I knew the answer because I knew the answer. Bullfighting is the ony "sport" in the group and certainly has a close association with Spain so I could see why one might lean towards that as an answer if you didn't know it. But one could be a fan of classical guitar or ballroom dancing and those both seem like reasonable distractors for an activity associated with Spain that someone could be a fan of.

But I am not sure how knowing Spanish would help that much. The term comes from a word meaning having an affection for something. It wouldn't seem to give any clue relating to bullfighting. Yet Mere asks if she knows Spanish as if that might help her somehow. I know about as much Spanish as the cast member. Does knowing Spanish help you answer this if you didn't know it already?

[earendel]

Meg McElroy
New York City, NY
8th grade teacher

Meg has been teaching for nine years. Meredith says that 8th grade can be a difficult year. Meg keeps them in line by setting the ground rules early.

I root for teachers even if they're WEs®.

Question #9 (Biblical Quotes - Level 10)
Which of these historic monuments features a Biblical quote from Leviticus 25:10?
A - Washington Monument
B - Gateway Arch
C - Liberty Bell
D - Statue of Liberty

Meg came here to have fun but money helps to have fun so she's going to happily walk away at this point.

Spoiler

Answer: C (Liberty Bell)
Value: unrevealed
Bank: $8,300

I admire her attitude and she didn't play a bad game, either (she actually went for it on the first question instead of burning a lifeline as so many have). I'm also glad she made it to the "Biblical Quotes" category.

[MarleysGh0st]

I root for teachers even if they're WEs®.

That's fine. But it goes with pointing out the Where Else® business that there are many, many teachers Elsewhere®.

[SportsFan68]

Question #1 (Hall-of-Famers - Level 4)
In 2011, a news article by the Associated Press used the headline "Reba, Shepard, Braddock enter" what?
A - LPGA Hall of Fame
B - Culinary Hall of Fame
C - Country Hall of Fame
D - NASA Hall of Fame

You go, girls!

Question #2 (TV Themes - Level 3)
"Our whole universe was in a hot, dense state" is the opening line of the theme song of what popular sitcom?
A - Modern Family
B - How I Met Your Mother
C - The Big Bang Theory
D - 30 Rock

I've never seen even one second of this, but it has to be the Big Bang Theory.


Question #6 (Taking Stock - Level 2)
What is the mainstay food of the national chain that shows DNKN as its Nasdaq symbol when it went public in 2011?
A - hamburgers
B - tacos
C - donuts
D - pizza

Something's always cookin down at Dunkin Donuts!

Question #7 (Night Time - Level 7)
Roughly how many fortnights are in a decade?
A - 50
B - 110
C - 190
D - 260

Well, this shouldn't take a fortnight to figure out. Lessee -- 26 fortnights in a year, so times ten is 260.

[SportsFan68]

Question #1 (Hall-of-Famers - Level 4)
In 2011, a news article by the Associated Press used the headline "Reba, Shepard, Braddock enter" what?
A - LPGA Hall of Fame
B - Culinary Hall of Fame
C - Country Hall of Fame
D - NASA Hall of Fame

You go, girls!

Question #2 (TV Themes - Level 3)
"Our whole universe was in a hot, dense state" is the opening line of the theme song of what popular sitcom?
A - Modern Family
B - How I Met Your Mother
C - The Big Bang Theory
D - 30 Rock

I've never seen even one second of this, but it has to be the Big Bang Theory.


Question #6 (Taking Stock - Level 2)
What is the mainstay food of the national chain that shows DNKN as its Nasdaq symbol when it went public in 2011?
A - hamburgers
B - tacos
C - donuts
D - pizza

Something's always cookin down at Dunkin Donuts!

Question #7 (Night Time - Level 7)
Roughly how many fortnights are in a decade?
A - 50
B - 110
C - 190
D - 260

Well, this shouldn't take a fortnight to figure out. Lessee -- 26 fortnights in a year, so times ten is 260.

[earendel]

Question #2 (TV Themes - Level 3)
"Our whole universe was in a hot, dense state" is the opening line of the theme song of what popular sitcom?
A - Modern Family
B - How I Met Your Mother
C - The Big Bang Theory
D - 30 Rock

I've never seen even one second of this, but it has to be the Big Bang Theory.

You should. It's one of the funniest shows on TV - IMO of course.