Do You Have the Question?

Pop Culture alert! Do you know what has a 50th anniversary today? On March 30 in 1964 the most popular * quiz show on American TV debuted.

The category is: WORDS

The answer is: danger of loss, harm, or failure

The question is: What is JEOPARDY?

Did you bet more than $1.00? Yay! You’re today’s winner!

It’s a little used word outside of trivia affectionados. The word jeopardy brings to mind the “Perils of Pauline” heroine-victim on the train tracks. Or the small business losing to the big conglomerate. (Watched “You’ve Got Mail” lately?)

Today’s word originally comes from Middle English Jeopardie which in turn is from the Old French jeu parti meaning “a divided game; an even chance.”

Dictionary.com says a second definition is the “danger or hazard of being found guilty.”

In the sense of being an even chance at a game, it seems to me jeopardy refers to the old street games with three cups and the coin hidden under one of them.Everybody knows that you were always in jeopardy of losing that one.

And when talking about the court system, people jeopardize their life every time they choose crime over honesty.

So, in honor of my favorite TV game, I will be announcing a new venture for EJG Research in the coming weeks. It involves my leisure-time passion, trivia.  You’ll need to get on the mailing list to find out how you can get a free Ebook!

* not just my opinion.  TV Guide ranked Jeopardy! the number one game show in 2013.