I almost got the days wrong today. I thought it was Sunday, but it’s Monday! The weekend is over, alas, and the work week has begun. It’s the end of summer break for my kids, both of whom return to the drudgery of schooling this Wednesday. A part of me wishes summer wouldn’t end; another part is happy to have my house back during the day. A little peace and quiet around here at last!
It’s been a pretty fun summer other than a stretch of health issues I contended with in June, which seems to be a cursed month these past couple of years. Last summer it was COVID-19 (the first time I for sure had it, despite a trio of vaccines and boosters and what-have-you). This year’s ailment was more confounding. But July was better and August is looking even better still. Hopefully August and everything after will be all sunshine and roses. Speaking of which, here’s a song for your Monday from one of my favorite albums of the 90s:
In any case, the sun is shining. The dogs are pining for the trails. The ponderosas are swaying in a soft breeze. Wind is rustling the leaves. The sky is blue and clouds are drifting. You can almost feel your spirit lifting.
It’s time to hit the dusty road.
Let’s do this Wordle first!
How To Solve Today’s Wordle
The Hint: A talkative little river.
The Clue: This word has a double letter.
.
.
.
See yesterday’s Wordle #778 right here.
Wordle Bot Analysis
I actually thought about the show Outlander when I saw this word, because of Jaime Frasier’s ancestral home, Lallybroch, which sounds like brook. It has nothing to do with the word, however, as that actually translates to ‘Lazy Tower.’
In any case, I started my guessing game with whole which only got me one green box and left me with 98 words to choose from. Rainy seemed like it would slash that number down significantly, what with all the new letters, but I was still left with 28 words. Wordle Bot suggested print as a better—more efficient—choice.
From here, grout only hacked that number down to 12, which is still too many. The Wordle Bot trolled me at this point, suggesting trump would make for a better guess. Fake news!
Surveying my choices in my mind’s eye I realized I still had quite a few options. Frock, crock, crook, cross, proof, droop, etc. I thought of many words. Several, however, started with ‘BR’ including brood, broom and brook. Since the ‘K’ was in other words like frock and crock and since several words had double O’s I chose brook, assuming it would narrow my choices better than any other word I could think of.
I got lucky and it was the right word! Huzzah!
Today’s Score
Surprisingly, I walk away from this Wordle with a point! I get zero points for guessing in four, but Wordle Bot actually took five guesses this time around—slate / crony / plumb / brood / brook—which means I get a point for beating the Bot. 1 point total! Huzzah!
Today’s Wordle Etymology
The word “brook” has its origins in Old English. It is derived from the Old English word “brōc,” which meant a small stream or a brook. This Old English term is akin to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Old High German “bruoh” and Old Norse “brúkr.” The word has been used for centuries to refer to a small, natural watercourse, typically smaller than a river.
Over time, the word has remained relatively consistent in its meaning and pronunciation, and it continues to be used in modern English to describe a small, flowing body of water. The etymology of “brook” reflects the linguistic roots and connections that English shares with other Germanic languages.
(Note: You can see how I’d think brook was related to Lallybroch given that the Irish word for brook is broc, whereas in Gaelic broch means north).
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!
As always, I’d love it if you’d follow me here on this blog and subscribe to my YouTube channel and my Substack so you can stay up-to-date on all my TV, movie and video game reviews and coverage. Thanks!
Read the full article here
