The main hook for the television game show Jeopardy! The idea is that in most quiz shows, the contestants are given a question, which they must then answer. Jeopardy! turns that idea around. The contestants are given an answer, such as "These 'Bronx Bombers' lost the 2001 World Series to the Arizona Diamondbacks.". The correct contestant response would be a question with enough specificity to be accepted by the judges. "Who are The Yankees?" would be good enough. "Who are a team that has never been in my kitchen", though correct, is not acceptable.
The idea was conceived by Merv Griffin as a counterpoint to the quiz show scandals of the late 1950's, where contestants such as Charles Van Doren were given the answers to questions ahead of time. Merv decided to openly give the answers to the contestants, just not the questions.