Transcript 01/16/2009 - Jon Ryan

[BBTranscriptTeam]

Jon Ryan
New York City, NY

Jon dropped out of Princeton with just three classes needed for his degree in order to become a professional poker player in Atlantic City. Turns out it's harder than it looks on TV; he's now back in school. Meredith says she knows Jon's a smart guy because he's at Princeton.

Topic tree:
- Passing the Buck
- War Heroes
- Wish Me Luck
- Surreal Paintings
- Parrots of the World
- Let It Snow
- British Imports
- Academia
- 2008 Quotes
- Famous Curves
- Poker
- Cry Cry Cry
- Supermarket Sweep
- The Bookstand
- Renaissance Men

$100 - As the beer named for him reminds us, in addition to being a Founding Father, Samuel Adams was also a what?
A - tailor
B - brewer
C - silversmith
D - filthy drunk

Spoiler

B - brewer (8)

$200 - What type of novel gets its name fro mthe amount of money it originally took to buy one?
A - romance novel
B - detective novel
C - dime novel
D - graphic novel

Spoiler

C - dime novel (7)

$300 - Which of these popular foods was once available in a type of packaging called "EZ Squirt"?
A - Jiffy Pop popcorn
B - Vlasic pickles
C - Heinz ketchup
D - Ritz crackers

Spoiler

Jon used to live in Pittsburgh so he knows this one.

C - Heinz ketchup (7)

$500 - A well-known condition marked by bouts of uncontrollable crying, colic primarily affects whom?
A - teenagers
B - babies
C - adults
D - senior citizens

Spoiler

B - babies (9)

Meredith says there's nothing sadder than a colicky baby.

$1K - Due to the appearance of the numbers, what poker hand is slangily known as "snowmen"?
A - pair of fours
B - pair of sevens
C - pair of eights
D - pair of jacks

Spoiler

C - pair of eights (10)

Having reached the $1,000 level Jon has earned the Ask the Expert lifeline. Lucy Danzinger, editor-in-chief of Self Magazine, is the expert.

$2K - Which of these U.S. landmarks is an example of a catenary curve?
A - Gateway Arch
B - Mount Rushmore
C - Statue of Liberty
D - Plymouth Rock

Spoiler

Jon says "A" is the only curve up there.

A - Gateway Arch (21)

$4K - After receiving a marriage license in 2008, what gay TV actor told reporters, "May equality live long and prosper"?
A - T.R. Knight
B - David Hyde Pierce
C - George Takei
D - Neil Patrick Harris

Spoiler

Jon says that the only one associated with Star Wars is "C", so he makes that his final answer.

C - George Takei (13)

$8K - By definition, a scholar who is a "classicist" deals primarily with texts originally written in what languages?
A - French and Spanish
B - Chinese and Japanese
C - Arabic and Hebrew
D - Greek and Latin

Spoiler

Jon says that having friends in the Classics department has paid off here.

D - Greek and Latin (19)

commercial break

Meredith says that one thing about Princeton is that it's expensive. Jon agrees and adds that he's off the parents' payroll so he needs money for tuition.

$16K - Said to be invented by British officers in India during the 1800s, snooker is a forn of what game?
A - tennis
B - soccer
C - lawn bowling
D - billiards

Spoiler

Jon says he thinks the answer is "D" but he also wants to "poll" the audience. The clock stops with 14 seconds remaining.

ATA results:
A - 4%
B - 4%
C - 12%
D - 80%

Jon lets 4 seconds run off the clock and then decides to Double Dip. He makes D his first final answer.

D - billiards (10)

$25K - Due to the way water molecules bond together, most snowflakes have what basic shape?
A - hexagon
B - pentagon
C - decagon
D - octagon

Spoiler

Jon looks a little disconcerted as he looks at the question, giving out a nervous laugh. Finally he decides to Phone A Friend, stopping the clock with 9 seconds left. The only person on his list is his girlfriend's father, Vic, in Princeton, NJ. Meredith says that's a good choice. "I've got a good one for you," Jon begins. He reads the question; Vic breathes a "wow". "That's how I felt," Jon replies. Vic says snowflakes are star-shaped, so Jon wonders if it's "pentagon" since it's a five-sided shape. Time runs out before Vic can respond.

Jon then decides to Ask the Expert with 7 seconds on the clock. Lucy knows that most snowflakes she's seen have six "pointy-things" on them. She hates to give bad advice but she would guess "hexagon". Meredith says that Jon is a gambler by nature and wonders if he'll go for it. He won't. He decides to walk away with $16K. Meredith says that he played it safe and smart.

A - hexagon (0)

commercial break

[MarleysGh0st]

Jon Ryan
New York City, NY

Where Else?

Meredith says she knows Jon's a smart guy because he's at Princeton.

Was it just the Rutgers-Princeton rivalry that had me hoping he'd mess up? Probably not...

Meredith says that Jon is a gambler by nature and wonders if he'll go for it. He won't. He decides to walk away with $16K. Meredith says that he played it safe and smart.

You got to know when to hold'em.
Know when to fold'em.
Know when to walk away.
Know when to run.

[gsabc]

Jon Ryan
New York City, NY
Meredith says she knows Jon's a smart guy because he's at Princeton.

Guess again, Meredith.

$300 - Which of these popular foods was once available in a type of packaging called "EZ Squirt"?
A - Jiffy Pop popcorn
B - Vlasic pickles
C - Heinz ketchup
D - Ritz crackers

Spoiler

Jon used to live in Pittsburgh so he knows this one.

C - Heinz ketchup (7)

You don't have to be from Pittsburgh, Jon. It's kinda hard to squirt crackers.

$25K - Due to the way water molecules bond together, most snowflakes have what basic shape?
A - hexagon
B - pentagon
C - decagon
D - octagon

Spoiler

Jon looks a little disconcerted as he looks at the question, giving out a nervous laugh. Finally he decides to Phone A Friend, stopping the clock with 9 seconds left. The only person on his list is his girlfriend's father, Vic, in Princeton, NJ. Meredith says that's a good choice. "I've got a good one for you," Jon begins. He reads the question; Vic breathes a "wow". "That's how I felt," Jon replies. Vic says snowflakes are star-shaped, so Jon wonders if it's "pentagon" since it's a five-sided shape. Time runs out before Vic can respond.

Jon then decides to Ask the Expert with 7 seconds on the clock. Lucy knows that most snowflakes she's seen have six "pointy-things" on them. She hates to give bad advice but she would guess "hexagon". Meredith says that Jon is a gambler by nature and wonders if he'll go for it. He won't. He decides to walk away with $16K. Meredith says that he played it safe and smart.

A - hexagon (0)

Did they ever say what his major was/is? It sure as shootin' ain't in science. Despite the level, this has to be one of the most basic science questions they've ever asked. Didn't he ever make paper snowflakes as a kid?

And if Lucy hates to give bad advice, why did she agree to be an "Expert"?

[vettech]

$25K - Due to the way water molecules bond together, most snowflakes have what basic shape?
A - hexagon
B - pentagon
C - decagon
D - octagon

I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why this seemed to be giving everyone a hard time. Seriously, the number of sides of a snowflake would be a first grade question on AYSTAFG.

[NellyLunatic1980]

Jon Ryan
New York City, NY

WE®

- Passing the Buck
- War Heroes
- Wish Me Luck
- Surreal Paintings
- Parrots of the World
- Let It Snow
- British Imports
- Academia
- 2008 Quotes
- Famous Curves
- Poker
- Cry Cry Cry
- Supermarket Sweep
- The Bookstand
- Renaissance Men

First ten look OK.

$4K - After receiving a marriage license in 2008, what gay TV actor told reporters, "May equality live long and prosper"?
A - T.R. Knight
B - David Hyde Pierce
C - George Takei
D - Neil Patrick Harris

Jon says that the only one associated with Star Wars is "C", so he makes that his final answer.

Nice try, Jon... but George Takei was in "Star Trek", not "Star Wars".

$16K - Said to be invented by British officers in India during the 1800s, snooker is a forn of what game?
A - tennis
B - soccer
C - lawn bowling
D - billiards

Jon says he thinks the answer is "D" but he also wants to "poll" the audience. The clock stops with 14 seconds remaining.

ATA results:
A - 4%
B - 4%
C - 12%
D - 80%

Jon lets 4 seconds run off the clock and then decides to Double Dip. He makes D his first final answer.

<grumble>®

$25K - Due to the way water molecules bond together, most snowflakes have what basic shape?
A - hexagon
B - pentagon
C - decagon
D - octagon

Jon then decides to Ask the Expert with 7 seconds on the clock. Lucy knows that most snowflakes she's seen have six "pointy-things" on them. She hates to give bad advice but she would guess "hexagon". Meredith says that Jon is a gambler by nature and wonders if he'll go for it. He won't. He decides to walk away with $16K. Meredith says that he played it safe and smart.

Double <grumble>®!

Nihil obstat®

[rgcviper]

"Jon dropped out of Princeton with just three classes needed for his degree in order to become a professional poker player in Atlantic City."

* I never knew one could be a professional poker player, although I guess those guys who play on TV qualify.

"$500 - A well-known condition marked by bouts of uncontrollable crying, colic primarily affects whom?
A - teenagers
B - babies
C - adults
D - senior citizens"

* E - Contestants on this show hoping to win six digits of money (sorry, but look at the results)

"Having reached the $1,000 level Jon has earned the Ask the Expert lifeline. Lucy Danzinger, editor-in-chief of "Self" Magazine, is the expert."

* One of the poorest "experts" I've seen yet. What about some former millionaires like Kevin Smith, or from primetime BAM?

$16K - "ATA results:
A - 4%
B - 4%
C - 12%
D - 80%

Jon lets 4 seconds run off the clock and then decides to Double Dip."

* Double dipping after an 80% spread?? I was throwing things at my TV at this point.

"$25K - Due to the way water molecules bond together, most snowflakes have what basic shape?
A - hexagon
B - pentagon
C - decagon
D - octagon"

* I knew this one before the choices came up. [grumble] Why does the show refuse to give away more than $16K (for the most part) anymore? People won big in Season 1, but it's gone downhill from there ... and fast. I miss the old days ...

Sorry. I just had to rant. I feel a little better now.

[NellyLunatic1980]

* One of the poorest "experts" I've seen yet. What about some former millionaires like Kevin Smith, or from primetime BAM?

What, and force Meredith to recognize that there was a primetime BAM?

[MarleysGh0st]

$4K - After receiving a marriage license in 2008, what gay TV actor told reporters, "May equality live long and prosper"?
A - T.R. Knight
B - David Hyde Pierce
C - George Takei
D - Neil Patrick Harris

Jon says that the only one associated with Star Wars is "C", so he makes that his final answer.

Nice try, Jon... but George Takei was in "Star Trek", not "Star Wars".

Yeah, Meredith missed the opportunity for one of those "No..." fake-outs.

[jarnon]

$25K - Due to the way water molecules bond together, most snowflakes have what basic shape?
A - hexagon
B - pentagon
C - decagon
D - octagon

I learned that snowflakes are six-sided in grade school (in NYC), but it's not taught everywhere.

Too bad he wasted his ATA on the snooker question. The New York audience would have known this.

The expert became the "girl who cried wolf." She got so many previous questions wrong, Jon didn't have confidence when she was right.

I would have expected better of a Princeton alum named Jon.

[slam]

What I really don't understand is how someone who thought he had any possibility at all of becoming a professional poker player wouldn't be willing to use an 80% ATA result?

Another interesting question... What percentage of Princeton grads don't know how many sides a snowflake has?

[peacock2121]

$25K - Due to the way water molecules bond together, most snowflakes have what basic shape?
A - hexagon
B - pentagon
C - decagon
D - octagon

I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why this seemed to be giving everyone a hard time. Seriously, the number of sides of a snowflake would be a first grade question on AYSTAFG.

what she said

[MarleysGh0st]

$25K - Due to the way water molecules bond together, most snowflakes have what basic shape?
A - hexagon
B - pentagon
C - decagon
D - octagon

I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why this seemed to be giving everyone a hard time. Seriously, the number of sides of a snowflake would be a first grade question on AYSTAFG.

what she said

I can't believe you still watch that show, pea!

[earendel]

Jon Ryan
New York City, NY

Jon dropped out of Princeton with just three classes needed for his degree in order to become a professional poker player in Atlantic City. Turns out it's harder than it looks on TV; he's now back in school. Meredith says she knows Jon's a smart guy because he's at Princeton.

Not so smart if he dropped out to be a poker player.

$1K - Due to the appearance of the numbers, what poker hand is slangily known as "snowmen"?
A - pair of fours
B - pair of sevens
C - pair of eights
D - pair of jacks

Spoiler

C - pair of eights (10)

Well at least he learned something during his stint as a gambler.

$4K - After receiving a marriage license in 2008, what gay TV actor told reporters, "May equality live long and prosper"?
A - T.R. Knight
B - David Hyde Pierce
C - George Takei
D - Neil Patrick Harris

Spoiler

Jon says that the only one associated with Star Wars is "C", so he makes that his final answer.

C - George Takei (13)

Star Wars?? Star Wars!!?? Oh well, at least he got the right answer.

$16K - Said to be invented by British officers in India during the 1800s, snooker is a forn of what game?
A - tennis
B - soccer
C - lawn bowling
D - billiards

Spoiler

Jon says he thinks the answer is "D" but he also wants to "poll" the audience. The clock stops with 14 seconds remaining.

ATA results:
A - 4%
B - 4%
C - 12%
D - 80%

Jon lets 4 seconds run off the clock and then decides to Double Dip. He makes D his first final answer.

D - billiards (10)

What was Jon thinking? He thought he knew the answer but then burned two lifelines?? Of course he did bias the audience by telling them what he thought it was, so maybe that's why he discounted their input.

$25K - Due to the way water molecules bond together, most snowflakes have what basic shape?
A - hexagon
B - pentagon
C - decagon
D - octagon

Spoiler

Jon looks a little disconcerted as he looks at the question, giving out a nervous laugh. Finally he decides to Phone A Friend, stopping the clock with 9 seconds left. The only person on his list is his girlfriend's father, Vic, in Princeton, NJ. Meredith says that's a good choice. "I've got a good one for you," Jon begins. He reads the question; Vic breathes a "wow". "That's how I felt," Jon replies. Vic says snowflakes are star-shaped, so Jon wonders if it's "pentagon" since it's a five-sided shape. Time runs out before Vic can respond.

Jon then decides to Ask the Expert with 7 seconds on the clock. Lucy knows that most snowflakes she's seen have six "pointy-things" on them. She hates to give bad advice but she would guess "hexagon". Meredith says that Jon is a gambler by nature and wonders if he'll go for it. He won't. He decides to walk away with $16K. Meredith says that he played it safe and smart.

A - hexagon (0)

commercial break

And the ill-advised use of lifelines comes back to bite Jon - had he not used ATA earlier I suspect it would have bailed him out here. And how's this for irony - the expert actually knows the right answer but can't sell Jon on it.

[MarleysGh0st]

And the ill-advised use of lifelines comes back to bite Jon - had he not used ATA earlier I suspect it would have bailed him out here. And how's this for irony - the expert actually knows the right answer but can't sell Jon on it.

Yesterday's show had another great example of that, with an expert so afraid of giving an incorrect answer that he scared the contestant into burning the Double Dip on a correct one.

I'll say it again: a training course taught by Ogi should be mandatory for all "celebrity" experts.

[earendel]

And the ill-advised use of lifelines comes back to bite Jon - had he not used ATA earlier I suspect it would have bailed him out here. And how's this for irony - the expert actually knows the right answer but can't sell Jon on it.

Yesterday's show had another great example of that, with an expert so afraid of giving an incorrect answer that he scared the contestant into burning the Double Dip on a correct one.

I'll say it again: a training course taught by Ogi should be mandatory for all "celebrity" experts.

Yeah, I didn't quite understand why A.J. Jacobs didn't do a better job of selling the answer. After all, he is more of a trivia expert than most of those they've had on the show, having made his name for reading the Encyclopedia Britannica in a year. (To which I say, "big deal - I read the World Book when I was in grade school").

[MarleysGh0st]

Yeah, I didn't quite understand why A.J. Jacobs didn't do a better job of selling the answer. After all, he is more of a trivia expert than most of those they've had on the show, having made his name for reading the Encyclopedia Britannica in a year. (To which I say, "big deal - I read the World Book when I was in grade school").

That's who he is? I think we've had discussions about that guy on the Bored, and I still had no clue about who he was!

[earendel]

Yeah, I didn't quite understand why A.J. Jacobs didn't do a better job of selling the answer. After all, he is more of a trivia expert than most of those they've had on the show, having made his name for reading the Encyclopedia Britannica in a year. (To which I say, "big deal - I read the World Book when I was in grade school").

That's who he is? I think we've had discussions about that guy on the Bored, and I still had no clue about who he was!

Yeah, that's who he is. He also wrote a book about trying to live strictly according to the Bible for a year.