Jeopardy!’s Ken Jennings blurts out slang for body part & fans are in disbelief show ‘finally progressed’ clue language

JEOPARDY! host Ken Jennings has shocked fans by blurting out a NSFW phrase for a private body part rather than the more conservative language the show typically uses.

Viewers immediately took notice of the word being used and quipped the show is “finally progressing” with the lingo used in clues after 60 years on the air.

Ken Jennings hosts Friday’s Jeopardy! gameCredit: Jeopardy!

The host giggles during the interview segment of the gameCredit: Jeopardy!
Returning champion Dave Bond was looking to extend his one-day winnings of $25,000 when he competed on Friday’s game.

The retired grant writer from West Henrietta, New York went up against Zach DeBoer, a graduate student from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Erin Adams, a historian & educator from Springfield, Tennessee.

Dave played aggressively early on and his risk paid off when betting it all on a true Daily Double, the first of the game.

Under the category Scientific Discoveries, host Ken, 50, read the clue: “Identified in the 1970s, these pain-relieving proteins in the brain were named to reflect their similarity to morphine.”

“What are endorphins?” Dave correctly responded – doubling his score to $8,000.

Entering the Double Jeopardy! round, Dave was in the lead with $8,400 while Zach was in second with $6,000 and Erin had garnered $4,800.

Ken then introduced the second batch of categories: LITERARY LANDMARKS, IN THE KITCHEN, GENDERED LANGUAGE, “A” FOR ART, LAKES, 2024 DNC STATE ROLL CALL SONGS.

It was in this round that viewers were surprised by the language the show, and Ken, used for one of the clues.

Fans were surprised that the word ‘boob’ was used in a Jeopardy! clueCredit: Jeopardy!

The clue was for $800 under the ‘A’ is for Art category
Dave chose the category “A” for Art for $800 when Ken read aloud the clue.

“3-word title of a titan in the Prado: She’s reaching for the forbidden fruit, he’s reaching for her boob,” the host read as his voice got higher pitched by the end of the sentence.

Zach correctly buzzed in with “What is Adam and Eve?”

The word “boob” caught many viewers off guard, as in the past the show has used the more formal word, “breast.”

Jeopardy! fans fume over ‘weak’ and ‘unfactual’ final clue & blame Ken Jennings’ pronunciation for player’s brutal loss
“Today I learned you can say boob on Jeopardy!,” one fan said.

Another agreed, adding: “I was so distracted by Ken saying boob that I didn’t even hear the clue!”

“It’s taken about 50 years, but by using “boob” in a clue in reference to a female breast, Jeopardy! has finally progressed to the level of language used by 1970s Match Game,” a third quipped.

“Ken saying the word ‘boob’ was not on my 2024 bingo card,” another wrote.

While one more asked: “I’m of course not at all offended, but I am actually really surprised they use something so informal like boob and not breast or chest, anyone else?”

Heading into Final Jeopardy!, Dave maintained his lead with $16,400.

Jeopardy! 2025 Tournament of Champions

Jeopardy!’s next Tournament of Champions will take place this winter, midway through Season 41 (exact airdate TBA) and it’s shaping up to be another showstopper. Here’s who is officially eligible so far:

Adriana Harmeyer (15 wins and $349,600 total)
Isaac Hirsch (nine wins and $215,390)
Greg Jolin (five wins and $135,002)
Survivor alum Drew Basile (seven wins and $129,601)
Alison Betts (5 wins and $121,500)
Mark Fitzpatrick (five wins and $107,201)
Dr. Amy Hummel (5 wins and $100,994)
Ryan Manton (four wins and $83,179)
Grant DeYoung (four wins and $81,203)
Will Wallace (four wins and $79,998)
Amar Kakirde (four wins and $55,899)
Lisa Ann Walter (winner of Celebrity Jeopardy! 2024)

The prize for winning the ToC is $250,000 and a coveted slot in Jeopardy! Masters.

Jeopardy.com notes: “All 4-time and over winning players starting from 04/10/24 will be eligible for a future Tournament of Champions.”

“Presence on this list does NOT guarantee an invitation to compete. Other eligibility rules apply and final selection is up to the producers’ sole discretion.”

Erin had come from behind to earn a second-place slot with $13,000, while Zach was closely behind with $12,000.

Ken revealed the last clue under the category “TV Characters.”

“On TV in the 1960s & the 2020s, this character has a first name that’s partly from Latin for ‘Death’,” he said.

Only Zach missed the correct response of “Who is Morticia Addams?”

Dave won the game, finishing with $26,400 while Erin ended with $20,000 and Zach stayed in third place with $10,000.

If Dave wins one more game, he is likely to score a spot in the Tournament of Champions however, the post-season cutoff date for 2025 has since passed – meaning Dave would have to wait for the following year.