Dodging a pellet

Dah-mahsk-oos, Alex repeats the answer "Damascus". I have no idea where that vowel comes from. It's a schwa in English and a short /u/ in Arabic, though in fact the Syrians call it Al Sham. But it's a sign he's feeling like his old self, even though he's obviously not very mobile yet.

I, of course, am waiting with trepidation for them to get to Russian History, but the contestants are avoiding it. When they get to it, there aren't any actual Russian words - Siberia, Japan, Peter the Great, oligarchs, and Catherine (the Great). Whew!