Jeopardy! Gave Fans Two Unforgettable Contestant Moments This Week, And One Calls Back To Ken Jennings’ Most Infamous ‘Hoe’-ment

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The classic game show “Jeopardy!” has remained largely consistent for about four decades, maintaining its status as an all-time great among game shows. Despite this continuity, it remains fresh and exciting, as demonstrated by the ongoing Season 41 in the 2025 television lineup. This week alone has provided us with two moments that we won’t forget easily. Not only did we witness what might be one of the most remarkable coincidences ever on “Jeopardy!”, but there was also a delightful reference back to one of Ken Jennings‘ most popular moments as a contestant.

Champion Reveals Unbelievable Connection To Final Jeopardy! Clue

This week kicked off with quite a bang! Emily Croke clinched victory on June 23 by correctly answering the Final Jeopardy! question: “In 1896, the Vassar-educated wife of this man wrote, ‘Thousands of dollars may be paid for a copy of Shakespeare.'”. The answer was Henry Clay Folger. Home viewers watched as Croke took home the win and moved on to the following day’s competition.

What audiences didn’t see was Ken Jennings’ post-game interview with the champ, where Emily Croke revealed that the “Vassar-educated wife” referenced in the clue was Emily Folger, or — as revealed on Jeopardy!’s Instagram page:

That was my great-great-great aunt Emily.

Remarkably, not only did Emily Croke have a connection to the couple hinted in the riddle, but she was specifically named after a distant relative. The odds of this very clue arising during her debut game are quite low. It’s fascinating that Croke demonstrates such extensive knowledge about her ancestry (I can hardly claim the same for my own great-great-great aunt’s achievements).

There’s a puzzling possibility that everything is just a simulation, but that’s not all there was to it in terms of excitement.

Or, more casually:

It’s sort of mind-blowing that we might be living in a simulation, but it didn’t stop the fun from continuing.

Ken Jennings Hilariously References His Viral Playing Moment

In his current role as host of “Jeopardy!”, Ken Jennings has certainly built up quite a reputation, including being one of the show’s top winners. However, it’s important to note that even someone as knowledgeable as him had an awkward moment on the show back in 2004 when he answered a clue incorrectly by saying, “What is a hoe?” This humorous incident resurfaced during the game played on June 25th.

Under the heading “This Is Not a Drill,” the $400 clue stated: “A device used for removing weeds at their roots by means of an angled blade is referred to as a Cape Cod version of this.” It’s quite obvious what the answer should be. Contestant Micah Fritz quickly responded with:

What is a hoe?

Unfortunately, what Ken Jennings was aiming for was the answer “What is a weeder?”, but it was the former champion’s reaction that had everyone in stitches. Ken Jennings shared his thoughts with Micah Fritz:

It seems like ‘What is a hoe?’ is never correct out here.

This term for a long-handled gardening tool can also mean a person who indulges immorally.” What Alex Trebek was actually seeking was “Rake,” not “Hoe.

Not too long past, the authors cleverly teased Ken Jennings with some top-tier internet trolling by incorporating a viral incident into a riddle. They altered a common picture to display the message “Who is a hoe?” on a man carrying a sandwich board.

It appears as though this situation might function as a warning to potential future “Jeopardy!” contestants, urging them never to guess, “What is a hoe?,” but I suspect that the writers are strategically holding back and waiting for an opportune moment to introduce the gardening tool into their realm of trivia.

Keep a sharp eye out, dear Jeopardy! fans, as it could prove beneficial to refresh your knowledge about extended family lineage. Look up the broadcast schedule in your region for when the game show airs, and from this fall onwards, you can stream both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune the following day with a Hulu or Peacock subscription.

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2025-06-26 19:38