Special Report

26 Real 'Jeopardy!' Clues About Guns in America

John Harrington

Published: May 30, 2023 2:00 pm

“Jeopardy!” is a television game-show institution with a unique premise: Contestants are given  clues in the form of answers and must identify the person, place, thing, or idea described in the form of a “What is?” or “Who is?” question. 

Since the beloved syndicated show premiered in 1984, there have been nearly 453,000 clues provided to contestants, according to the fan-created website J! Archive. The clues are revealed under sometimes whimsical category names such as “Julius Caesar Salad” (words derived from Julius Caesar) or the more straightforward, like “The Old West.” 

As indicated by its fan-driven online archive, no game show has the cultural hold on the public like “Jeopardy!” The show was even the target of pop-music lampooner “Weird Al” Yankovic. Now in its 39th season, it is one of the longest-running game shows of all time. It has enjoyed public and critical acclaim since its inception and won 39 Daytime Emmy Awards. 

In the course of its primetime run, the show has provided clues about firearms in any number of categories. 24/7 Tempo reviewed J! Archives to identify more than 30 clues about firearms in categories including historical events, wordplay, literary figures, and even geology. (Can you answer these real “Jeopardy!” clues about U.S. history?)

Click here to see if you can guess these real ‘Jeopardy!’ clues about guns in America

Our list references significant firearms throughout history; the part they played in settling the American frontier; people on both sides of the law associated with a particular firearm; weapons of choice of for fictional pop-culture figures; and how gun-related terms have been mainstreamed into the American vernacular – for instance, “a smoking gun” means proof of guilt. (Can you answer these real “Jeopardy!” questions about words?)

THE OLD WEST $100:

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rifle

ANIMALS & THE LAW $200:

Goldfish (CC BY 2.0) by Martin Howard

fish

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WEAPONS $200:

rifle

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ORGANIZATIONS $200:

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National Rifle Association

MUSICALS IN OTHER WORDS $300:

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Annie Get Your Gun

WEAPONS $400:

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lock, stock & barrel

THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR $400:

dragoons

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OHIO BIO $400:

Annie Oakley

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THE OLD WEST $400:

24/7 Wall St.
The Law for Carrying Firearms in Public in Every State

The Gun that won the West - Wi... (CC BY 2.0) by vasse nicolas,antoine

Winchester

WHICH CABINET DEPARTMENT? $500:

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Treasury

REVERSIBLE COMPOUND WORDS $600:

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a gunshot and a shotgun

24/7 Wall St.
Can You Answer These Real Jeopardy! Questions About Words?

LET’S ROCK & ROLL! $600:

flint

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“AIR” INCLUDED $600:

crosshairs

I BEG YOUR PARDON $600:

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Patty Hearst

DIAL M FOR MURDER $600:

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machine gun

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PUSH BY SAFIRE $800:

a smoking gun

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OF THE LAW $800:

a shotgun

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ALPHANUMERIC TERMS $800:

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an AK-47

HODGEPODGE $1,000:

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a musket

HUNTING & FISHING $1,000:

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The beginning of this clip sum... (CC BY 2.0) by Yun Huang Yong

archery

24/7 Wall St.
The Law for Carrying Firearms in Public in Every State

THE SECRET OF HOMONYM $1,000:

.410 Double, Loading (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Surv1v4l1st

bore

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GEOLOGY $1,200:

Kentucky pattern flintlock pistol (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Michael E. Cumpston

flint

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FIREARMS IN SHOW BIZ $1,600:

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Velvet Revolver

WORD ORIGINS $2,000:

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blunderbuss

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HOUSE PROUD $0:

shotguns

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LITERARY FIREARMS $0:

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James Bond