1 EAGLETON NOTES: Wordle

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Tuesday 22 February 2022

Wordle

A few weeks ago I mentioned 'Wordle' in one of my posts here. YP explains more about it in his post here.

I play it each day and so far have been reasonably successful and enjoyed it. I've never been unable to find the word but to be fair that's probably not a great accolade because I only know one person who had not had a 100% achievement record. 

I compare results and the words we have used each day with friends in New Zealand, Sweden and the UK. One of us, not me, seems to be just slightly better than the rest who are all pretty much the same standard.

However this game seems to have sparked international rows since it was taken over by the NY Times a few weeks ago, with claims that words have been Americanised,  simplified, 'properfied' (my own word for removing such abhorrent words as, 'wench, 'slave, and 'lynch') and that some were far too esoteric and unusual such as 'caulk' I have to say that the last one mystified me because I got it in 4 lines and thought it was a perfectly ordinary household word.

No doubt that’s the case, but just at this moment it’s difficult to imagine anything more exciting than five squares turning green – the most satisfying five-letter word of all.

40 comments:

  1. I am also loving it right now Graham. I often attempt the puzzle just after the new word of the day has appeared at midnight. Does that make me "sad"? I laughed the other day when some players claimed that "SWILL" did not exist. It was just a made-up word!

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    1. YP, I usually do mine with my breakfast. I think we enjoy it then why not? There are more people now with a lack of vocabulary than we care to admit.

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  2. My wife and I play every day. I had not heard of the controversy surrounding certain words, and caulk is without a doubt an every day word. I am sad to report, substandard colonials that we are, we are not at 100%. Our score is a mere 99.3%. I hope you will not choose to remove me from your list of bloggers!

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    1. David, in most things a success rate of 99.3 would be regarded as well above excellent. If I were to fail tomorrow my success rate would be 32:1 but so far it's 33:0. I have had a 6/6 though.

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  3. I'd rather play train signalling simulations.

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  4. I played this for the first time yesterday and had another go today. I see that I may get hooked, as others seem to have done.

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    1. JayCee, I'm not sure how long it will be before I get bored. I tried Sudoko years ago. I managed a 'Difficult' and decided that was as far as I could be bothered going. At least Wordle only occupies a few minutes over breakfast or coffee.

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  5. Oh dear, once again I am out of sync with the majority 🥳. Do not play, have never played, do not intend to. Multiple devices already consume more of my waking hours than they probably deserve.

    But I cannot begrudge anyone else the mental exercise and enjoyment, or the obviously very lucrative offer that the game designer accepted. And of course the NYT are going to "dumb it down" to get the most people playing regularly, I'm just waiting for the screams of anguish when it becomes a paid-for app.

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    1. Jayne, my view is that if I enjoy it, fine, and if I don't then I ignore it. If NYT start pay to play I think people will just migrate to one of the copies if they can be bothered.

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  6. Each to their own. I did have a go a few weeks ago. It's much easier than that word game that one fills in on a grid. I stick with FreeCell when I want to pass a bit of time.

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    1. Adrian, I used to play FreeCell on my laptop years ago but it must be a decade or more since I last tried it.

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  7. I haven't tried it. I do play several varieties of Solitaire on the computer and so that is probably enough wasted time each day for me! :)

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    1. Ellen, you've reminded me of my youth and all the journeys and holiday days I spend with a pack of cards playing Solitaire. It's over a decade since I played it on a laptop.

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  8. You got me hooked, Graham. I've forgotten about it some days but it's working its way into my routine, I think! Today, like you, I got it in three :) It took me over a week to figure out how to share the results like in your picture above, though! (on FB) The other day there was one word I could not figure out, I've forgotten what it was now, it but it was a word not in my vocabulary. (English not being my 1st language, that's bound to happen from time to time... Luckily at least the game does not count the words one tries that are not in THEIR vocabulary!!)

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    1. Monica, I always admire your English vocabulary which is certainly as good as mine and, given your wider knowledge of non-UK English, probably better than mine for games like this. I have only managed one word which was not it their vocabulary. There may be more coming now that they have cut out some words.

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  9. I agree, seeing all green is good.
    My first try, not reading the directions well, I thought gray meant yes. ugh. After that, the words are too easy, IMHO. I don't get what the big wordle whoop is about. Jigsaw puzzles online are more fun.

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    1. Maywyn, I had no idea that there were jigsaw puzzles on line. I have a large collection of jigsaws to be done because I've kept of collecting them but have done none at all this winter.

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    2. I did not know there were jigsaws online either and I don't think I'd like that at all. I really enjoy my jigsaw puzzles and frequently give them a love pat as they near completion. I keep one in work on one of my kitchen counters and frequently stop to fit a piece as I pass by during the day. I have quite a collection also and I find they are equally challenging the second or third time around as are beloved books in repeat readings.

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    3. Jill, I, too, find that most jigsaws are pretty much as hard the second time around.

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  10. It's always a surprise each time you look at your guesses.

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  11. I've never played but this game seems to be popular with many of my work colleagues. I imagine it could become addictive. X

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    1. All I would say, Jules, is that if you don't want to get addicted then don't do the first one! I had no intention to continue!

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  12. Despite saying I would never play wordle, I do :)
    caulk is an ordinary word, sissy was not what I ever expected.
    It's a great bit of fun

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  13. Sounds like an addictive game. I've never tried it yet but you have aroused my curiosity.

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  14. Just tried it and got it. Does make you think.

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    1. Diane, I smiled when I saw that you've tried it. I hope you dip in again if you enjoy it.

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  15. Heaps of my friends on social media play it, I'm trying not to get into it myself in case I get a wee bit addicted cos I'm trying to limit my time online still.

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    1. Amy, I only play one oner game on line so I'm not too concerned about adding this one to the list,

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  16. Graham, while I know many folks besides yourself and those who commented that are fans of (addicted to?) this word game, I have been able to successfully resist trying it. Knowing my obsessive nature makes me fear it would soon become more time-consuming (addictive) than I am willing to admit.

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    1. Beatrice it is good when we know our foibles - both strengths and weaknesses. I, unfortunately, was born with the inability to concentrate needed to be obsessive.

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  17. Like Beatrice, I too am an addictive personality. I simply do not have time for another obsession in my life right now. I admit I did try it once and didn't "get it!" so I know if I dip into the game again, I'll be a lost soul trying to find enough hours in the day for my compulsions.

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    1. Jill, it's interesting that you didn't "get it" and by the sound of it a very good thing.

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    2. Graham, I pride myself on my crossword ability and not being able to solve the Wordle was a blow to my ego.

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  18. My husband recently came across Wordle and it has become his routine to tackle it at breakfast time too. I was rather surprised to note a friend (in his late 40's) comment that he had never heard of the word "caulk", though as the daughter of a boatbuilder I probably heard it from a young age. Glad to hear your journey home from Glasgow was uneventful considering the predicted storms. Hopefully there will be a bed for you at the re-arranged appointment. We got off very lightly here as far as wind was concerned but the journey down the A9 on Fri 18th to Blairgowrie for my sister's 50th birthday celebration was "interesting" to say the least,due to heavy snowfall that day! Strangely, the worst part was from Inverness itself - the first 40 or so miles driven at 30 or 40mph with only one lane visible on dual carriageway sections. At Slochd where I'd expected it to be much worse the roads were mainly black with just flurries of snow. We woke up to blue skies and sunshine, though cold, on the Saturday, so it was pleasant to have a wander round the charity shops bagging a few bargains and then have lunch out. Another sister was returning from a holiday in Cuba on the Friday morning and spent an hour circling Manchester Airport, the pilot being unable to land due to the stormy weather. There was talk of diverting to Belfast or East Midlands which would have scuppered her plans for driving up to join us that evening, but luckily he managed a rather bumpy landing with his last 10 minutes worth of fuel ! We are making the same trip this weekend for a 21st birthday in Perth, so fingers crossed for no new storms or snow until we are home please !

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    1. Well, Jane, you had some adventures. I specifically chose Saturday 19 because of the anticipated good weather and the fact that the ferry was anticipated to sail. I was fortunate. I hope all goes well next weekend.

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  19. My son introduced me to Wordle and the cute backstory of how the developer created it for his partner. We share our results each day and discuss the choice of word and whatever controversy we think will ensue. I like that you have to wait another 24 hours to get the next puzzle. I do think the game has lost some appeal since the NY Times has bought it .. rhyming words a couple of days apart, repeated double letters .. my interpretation is they are trying to be too much for too many, to justify the purchase.

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    1. Hi Carol. Good to hear from you. I often wonder how you're doing. Yes. It's beginning to irritate me. Yesterday I managed it in 3 but I wasted more brain power than I should have done and finished it just before midnight. I'm having problems with today's too. It's a question of balance between enjoyment and difficulty.

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