A ‘Jeopardy!’ Player Lost $3,200 for Mispronouncing Coolio’s ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’

We all make mistakes from time to time, whether it’s a flub at work, a parenting blunder, or — in the case of one recent Jeopardy! contestant — a slight mispronunciation worth $3,200.

During a New Year’s Day episode of the long-running game show, three contestants faced a mash-up clue that read, “A song by Coolio from Dangerous Minds goes back in time to become a 1667 John Milton classic.”

Nick, who was in second place at the time, answered, “Gangster’s Paradise Lost,” which host Alex Trebek accepted as the correct answer. For a moment, he took the top spot — but then Trebek interrupted the game to inform Nick that they were taking the money away.

“Our judges have re-evaluated one of your responses a few minutes ago, Nick. You said ‘gangster’s’ instead of ‘gangsta’s‘ on that song by Coolio, so we take $3,200 away from you. So you are now in second place.”

If you’re questioning the ruling, you’re certainly not the only one, but Jeopardy! is standing by its decision. “It turns out that ‘gangsta’ and ‘gangster’ are both listed separately in the Oxford English Dictionary, each with its own unique definition,” the show explained in a statement. “Nick changed not only the song’s title, but also its meaning — making his response unacceptable.”

We can’t help feeling a little sorry for Nick, but we also can’t help laughing at his reaction…

And everyone else’s…

Would you have gotten the right answer? Let us know @BritandCo!

(photo via Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)