Guy Loses $3.2K on Jeopardy Over 'Gangsta' Pronunciation

Nick Spicher went on to win anyway
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 3, 2018 10:20 AM CST
Guy Loses $3.2K on Jeopardy Over 'Gangsta' Pronunciation
The clue.   (Jeopardy)

A tip for future Jeopardy contestants: Pronunciation is key. So Nick Spicher learned on Monday's episode when he was penalized $3,200 for mispronouncing the answer to a "Before & After" clue. After Alex Trebek read out "a song by Coolio from 'Dangerous Minds' goes back in time to become a 1667 John Milton classic," Spicher responded, "Gangster's Paradise Lost," when the correct answer was "Gangsta's Paradise Lost," per TMZ. Jeopardy explains "gangsta" and "gangster" have separate definitions in the Oxford English Dictionary, so Spicher "changed not only the song's title, but also its meaning—making his response unacceptable." Spicher, who fell out of the lead, finished a champion with more than $15,000 in winnings. (Spelling is important, too.)

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