‘Jeopardy’ contestant knew Adirondacks, but not how to say it
The Adirondacks were featured during an episode of the television game show “Jeopardy” that aired Thursday evening.
“Become a 46er by hiking Whiteface, Haystack and 44 other peaks in this range of upstate New York,” the answer read.
“Jeopardy” is a long-running quiz show that dates back to 1964. The current iteration of the show has been airing since 1984. The show presents prompts in the form of an answer to a question, and contestants have to answer in the form of a question.
Contestant Christina Tang-Bernas was the first to reply with the question on Thursday — “What is the Adirondacks?” — but Tang-Bernas pronounced the name wrong, saying “Ideronderacks” instead of “Adirondacks.”
Host Alex Trebek asked the contestant to repeat her answer, but Tang-Bernas again pronounced the name wrong, and returning champion Devin Rossiter ultimately picked up the cash.
“Adirondacks, not ‘Ida,’ sorry,” Trebek told Tang-Bernas.
Neither Tang-Bernas nor Rossiter prevailed, however. A third contestant, Palm Springs project engineer Burt Thakur, ended the episode with $20,400.
The Adirondacks — and Lake Placid specifically — has been featured on “Jeopardy” multiple times throughout its 37 seasons. In 2016, Lake Placid was featured with the answer: “What could be more serene than a visit to this resort in the Adirondacks, the USA’s first winter Olympics host?” In 2019, Jeopardy aired another answer: “The third winter Olympic site, & the first one in the U.S., it’s not far from Saranac Lake & Tupper Lake, N.Y. & Long Lake, N.Y.”
The response to the Adirondacks’ appearance on “Jeopardy” Thursday was mixed. Some locals poked fun at Tang-Bernas’ flub while others expressed either confusion over or criticism of the answer, because of the use of the word “range.”