Yesterday, I am pleased to report, was something of a respite from the heat. Not rain, sadly, but rainclouds, big and heavy and grey filling the sky, providing shelter from the hot-headed sun. Perhaps more than a light sprinkle will grace us soon. We need it badly.
I’ve been to the rainiest place in the United States—or at least the rainiest place in the lower 48 states excluding Hawaii: Forks, Washington which gets something like 10 feet of rain per year. That’s a lot! I learned, once we’d already arrived, that this was the setting for the Twilight books and films, which is pretty fitting given how grey and misty it is there. Perfect for vampires and werewolves.
The rainiest place on earth, however, is Mawsynram, Meghalaya in India in the northwestern portion of that country. If you love rain, you can’t do better than the 39 feet per year this soggy locale receives. In 1985, over 83 feet of rain fell, which is a staggering amount. When you look for pictures, you get this:
But other contenders have laid claim to the rainiest place on earth title. Cherrapungi, a village in Eastern India, briefly held the record as the rainiest place, though in June of 2022 Mawsynram, Meghalaya recorded a record rainfall of 1003mm (nearly 40”) of rain in just 24 hours. In July, 2020 the Indonesian province of Papua recorded 39 ft, 10” of rain, making it ever so slightly wetter.
Regardless of which town or province is the wettest, I think I speak for everyone here in the dry Southwestern United States when I say, “Can we get some?”
Alright, let’s do this Wordle!
How To Solve Today’s Wordle
The Hint: How is a raven like a spinning wheel?
The Clue: This word ends in a consonant.
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See yesterday’s Wordle right here.
Wordle Bot Analysis
Not bad guessing today. I got fairly lucky with gleam, though really it’s a pretty decent opener on any given day (for the most part). I really had no idea what the word could be at this point so I figured I ought to test out some more vowels and went with foist. Hoist is another good option but I like to mix it up, and lucky for me today because I got an ‘F’ just like that.
Maybe that was a fluke, which seemed like a good third guess, but sadly left me with two greens and a yellow. Fortunately, only one word remained and eventually I thought of it: flyer!
Today’s Score
Total wash today. Zero points for guessing in 4 and zero points for tying Wordle Bot for a grand total of zero points. Huzzah for me!
Today’s Wordle Etymology
The word “flyer” has an interesting etymology that traces back to Old English and Middle English.
In Old English, the word was “flēogere,” which referred to a creature or thing that flies. This word was derived from the Old English verb “flēogan,” meaning “to fly.” The “-er” suffix was commonly used to form agent nouns, indicating someone or something that performs the action of the verb. So, “flēogere” meant “one who flies” or “that which flies.”
Over time, as the English language evolved and went through Middle English, the term “flēogere” changed to “flyer” in spelling and pronunciation. The meaning remained essentially the same, referring to something that flies.
Today, the term “flyer” is still used in various contexts. It can refer to a person or animal that flies, such as a pilot or a bird, but it is also used to describe a promotional leaflet or advertisement, especially one that is handed out to people on the street or distributed in public places. The latter sense likely evolved from the notion of these leaflets “flying” around to reach a broader audience.
Finally, unlike ‘flier’, flyer can also refer to part of the spinning wheel that twists the yarn when spinning fabric.
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 Erik
- 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 Erik
You can either keep a running tally of your score if that’s your jam or just play day-to-day if you prefer.
I’d love it if you gave me a follow on Twitter or Facebook dearest Wordlers. Have a lovely day!
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Read the full article here
