The Final Jeopardy question (11/22/2012) in the category “Nutrition” was:

The word coined for these substances in 1912 was meant to suggest they were essential to life & contained nitrogen.

Paul Nelson is now a 4-day champ with total winnings of $48,900. Today it’s toodle-oo unless he can beat these two players: Joshua Bartlett, from Albany, NY and Mona Hatfield, from Eufaula, OK.

But maybe not… did you happen to notice how Paul manages to zero in on the Daily Doubles like he has x-ray vision?

Joshua found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Ceremonies.” He was in the lead with $2,800, $1,200 more than Mona in second place. He bet $1,500 but didn’t really know. He took a guess with ‘Inquisition,’ and that was WRONG.

People brought before the Spanish Inquisition were sentenced to this public ceremony whose name means “act of faith.”
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WHAT IS AUTO-DA-FÉ?

Mona finished in the lead with $5,200. Joshua was second with $4,300 and Paul was last with $2,800.

Joshua found the first Double Jeopardy Daily Double in “Toy Story.” He had $7,500, $3,900 more than Paul and Mona who were tied for second place. He bet $2,000 and he was RIGHT.

Founded in 1948, this company got its name from the sound of a slingshot projectile made when hitting a target.
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WHAT IS WHAM-O?

Paul’s x-ray vision wasn’t working too well today but, after a bit of hunting, he did find the last Daily Double in “A Hanseatic League of Their Own.” He was in second place with $8,000, $3,900 less than Joshua’s lead. He bet $1,000, and he was RIGHT.

The decline of the Hanseatic League was in part due to this devastating war that lasted from 1618 to 1648.
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WHAT IS THE THIRTY YEARS’ WAR?

Joshua finished in the lead with $11,900. Paul was next with $10,200 and Mona was in third place with $7,200.

NONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS A VITAMIN?

“The word ‘vitamin’ was coined by Polish biochemist Cashmir Funk who was best known for his work in curing the thiamine deficiency disease termed ‘beriberi.’ Using an extract of rice bran husks to achieve his successful nutritional treatment, Funk coined the term vitamine, thinking that the curative constituent in the food was an amine (a compound containing an amino group) that was vital to life (vital+amine).” (Whole Food Nutrition: The Missing Link in Vitamin Therapy)

Mona wrote down “nitrous oxides.” She lost $4,700 and finished with $2500.

Paul wrote down “nutrients.” That cost $4,200 so he ended up with $6,000.

Joshua had “nitrates” and bet $8,501. That left him with $3,399, and gave the win to Paul once again.

Paul’s 5-day total is $54,900.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day.