Scotty Euclid: The Blog

Hi friends! It's time for Jeopardy, First Edition, lucky number #13. Will I win enough fake money to cross the $200,000 career winnings mark? As in previous posts, my goal is to share what I've learned about the clues in this game. Notes are in the order they appear in the original video, which you can find  here . Wikipedia is my primary source for much of this material (so take that with a grain of salt). Jeopardy! Round Categories: Mammals, Fairy Tales, Movie Who's Who, Sunshine State, Valleys, Applesauce Applesauce ($200):  So when did that whole apple for the teacher thing start? According to  Dictionary.com , the tradition started in Denmark, Sweden, and the United States. Teachers were underpaid, and parents of students had some responsibility in housing and feeding teachers. Apples were abundant, so apples were frequently gifted. Sunshine State ($400):  Before we start this one, I want to confirm that I was thinking of the right events in history around "Anit...

 Hi friends! This week, I published a new video in the Jeopardy, First Edition, series. Let's take a look at Game #12. As in previous posts, my goal is to share what I've learned about the clues in this game. Notes are in the order they appear in the original video, which you can find  here . Wikipedia is my primary source for much of this material (so take that with a grain of salt). Jeopardy! Round Categories: Americana, Labor, European Landmarks, Sports, Horror Films, Women's Wear Americana ($300):  Here's the first verse and the chorus to "Yankee Doodle": Yankee Doodle went to town / A-riding on a pony, / Stuck a feather in his cap / And called it macaroni. // Yankee Doodle keep it up / Yankee Doodle dandy, / Mind the music, and the step, / And with the girls be handy. The full version on Wikipedia has 16 verses! Americana ($400):  Revenuer is the correct answer to this clue, referring to an agent of the Treasury Department responsible for laws against ill...

Hi friends! This week, I published a new video in the Jeopardy, First Edition, series. Let's take a look at Game #11. As in previous posts, my goal is to share what I've learned about the clues in this game. Notes are in the order they appear in the original video, which you can find  here . Wikipedia is my primary source for much of this material (so take that with a grain of salt). Jeopardy! Round Categories: Dickens, Pennies, Begins with "I", Chicago, "Key" Notes, Filthy Folks Pennies ($300):  The Lincoln Memorial was removed from the "tails" side of the penny in 2009, when the Lincoln Bicentennial cents were minted. (2009 would have been Lincoln's 200th birthday.) Technically, the half-completed U.S. Capitol dome would be a correct answer today, since it appeared on one of the four bicentennial designs in 2009. Since 2010, we've used the shield on the back of the penny, making this clue obsolete. "Key" Notes ($100):  I had nev...

Hi friends! It's been a while, but I've published a new video in the Jeopardy, First Edition, series. Let's take a look at Game #10. As in previous posts, my goal is to share what I've learned about the clues in this game. Notes are in the order they appear in the original video, which you can find  here . Wikipedia is my primary source for much of this material (so take that with a grain of salt). Jeopardy! Round Categories: Art and Artists, U.S. Coins, Exotic Cities, Television, Automobiles, Lost and Found U.S. Coins ($100):  From 1838-1861, the U.S. Government minted gold coins at Dahlonega, Georgia and used the mint mark "D", so "What is Dahlonega?" should be a correct answer, too. Gee, I wonder why the mint closed down in 1861? The mint would burn down in 1878. Price Memorial Hall at North Georgia College sits on the same foundation as the old mint. (For the record, coins were first minted in Denver in 1906, so there's no ambiguity about the...

Two weeks ago, I posted about a math toy that my wife purchased. I also posted three puzzles related to this toy. The second puzzle is reprinted below: Recently, my wife bought the following wooden toy from a clearance bin at Target. It's a set of six dials, rainbow-colored, that are connected by a wooden axle. The dials are shaped like decagons, and each side of the dial is painted as follows: The red dial: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 The orange dial: The following mathematical operators, in this order: +, -, x, +, -, x, +, -, x, +. Note that there are consecutive plus signs on the dial. The yellow dial: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 The green dial: The = sign appears on all sides The blue dial: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 The purple dial: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Spin the dials so that you form ten mathematical statements, one on each of the ten sides of the toy simultaneously. What is the maximum number of correct mathematical statements that you can display at the same tim...

I still remember the first issue of Games  magazine I ever purchased. It was the October 1993 issue, and I purchased it on an Amtrak trip layover at Chicago's Union Station. Looking at the cover puzzle, I knew I could have some success. The puzzle showed 16 candy bar wrappers without their names, and the reader's job was to identify the candy bars. As a 12-year-old with a sweet tooth, I knocked out the puzzle on the second leg of our train trip. Part of what impressed me was that something as everyday as candy bars could be made into an entertaining and visually-appealing puzzle. I would later learn that  Games  always seemed to have a knack for finding a puzzle everywhere. I would go on to subscribe to Games  through the 1990s, giving up the subscription when I entered college (a 4-year degree in mathematics was puzzle enough for me). I'd also go on to purchase the "best of" books: Games Big Book of Games  (1984), Games Big Book of Games II: 10 Great Years ...