Saturday is here and another lovely October weekend. It’s the last weekend of beautiful leaves so I definitely need to hit the dusty trail with my doggies. The aspens are gorgeous but fading fast. Winter is coming.
In any case, not much else to report around here. Let’s do this Wordle!
How To Solve Today’s Word
The Hint: Expression of amused disdain.
The Clue: This word has far more consonants than vowels.
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See yesterday’s Wordle #853 right here.
Wordle Bot Analysis
After each Wordle I solve I head over to the Wordle Bot homepage to see how my guessing game was.
This was a difficult Wordle for me for whatever reason. I thought clean would be a pretty good opener but I was left with all grey boxes and 367 possible solutions. Yikes!
Hoist did a good job narrowing that down, leaving me with just five words, but flubs was, well, a flub. I only shaved off two and by my fourth guess I had three words remaining. I guessed spiky but apparently my luck ran out before I even started. Finally, on guess 5 I guessed smirk for the win. Oy vey!
Today’s Score
Big miss for me today. -1 for guessing in 5 and -1 for losing to the Bot who guessed in just 4. -2 total! Boo!
Today’s Wordle Etymology
The word “smirk” has its origins in Old English. Let’s break down its etymology:
- Old English: The term “smircan” was used in Old English, which meant “to smile.” It’s worth noting that the connotation of this word was not necessarily negative during this period.
- Middle English: As the language evolved, the term became “smirken” in Middle English. During this period, the word began to take on a more specific meaning, often referring to a smile that was self-satisfied or smug.
- Modern English: In contemporary usage, “smirk” typically refers to a smug, conceited, or insincere smile. The negative connotation associated with the word is more pronounced in modern times than in its Old English origins.
The evolution of “smirk” from a general term for smiling to a word with a more specific and sometimes negative connotation is a good example of how the meanings of words can shift over time.
Play Competitive Wordle Against Me!
I’ve been playing a cutthroat game of PvP Wordle against my nemesis Wordle But. Now you should play against me! I can be your nemesis! (And your helpful Wordle guide, of course). You can also play against the Bot if you have a New York Times subscription.
Here are the rules:
- 1 point for getting the Wordle in 3 guesses.
- 2 points for getting it in 2 guesses.
- 3 points for getting it in 1 guess.
- 1 point for beating me
- 0 points for getting it in 4 guesses.
- -1 point for getting it in 5 guesses.
- -2 points for getting it in 6 guesses.
- -3 points for losing.
- -1 point for losing to me
You can either keep a running tally of your score if that’s your jam or just play day-to-day if you prefer.