It’s Wordle Wednesday and that means that along with solving today’s Wordle, you can score extra points (of personal satisfaction) by solving the riddle I give you each Wednesday.
Let’s do it!
Today’s Riddle:
An old man dies, leaving behind two sons. In his will, he orders his sons to race with their horses. Whoever owns the slower horse will receive the inheritance.
The two sons race, but since they’re both holding their horses back, the race is a draw—over and over again. So they go to a wise man and ask him what they should do. The wiseman tells them and the brothers race again—this time at full speed.
What did the wise man tell the two brothers?
I’ll post the answer here on this blog in tomorrow’s Wordle column. In the meantime, please do send me a message on Twitter or Facebook if you think you know the answer.
Alrighty then, Wordle time!
How To Solve Today’s Word
The Hint: Something only one who has power can give.
The Clue: This word begins with a consonant.
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See yesterday’s Wordle #850 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.
Pretty much the opposite time with today’s Wordle compared to yesterday’s, which I got in just two guesses! Today I just couldn’t catch a break, though I suppose I might have to blame myself for not guessing as strategically as possible. I just kept trying to place the ‘R’ and the ‘E’ and for three entire guesses just shuffled around yellow boxes and never got another letter. That’s both unlucky and probably stupid on my part.
Store left me with 211 remaining solutions. Bread only cut that down to 60. Liner left me with four. I guessed perch and at least finally I had green boxes and added ‘C’ to my lineup. There was only one word left at this point and even then it took me a bit to figure that out. Finally, I guessed mercy for the win. Lord have mercy!
Today’s Score
I got 3 points yesterday. Today I slice of two. I lose 1 for guessing in five and 1 for losing to the Bot, who guessed in four. Ouch!
Today’s Wordle Etymology
The word “mercy” has its origins in Old French and Latin. Here’s a brief overview of its etymology:
- Latin: The Latin word “misericordia” is the primary source for the word “mercy.” “Misericordia” is derived from two Latin words: “miser” (meaning “wretched” or “pitiable”) and “cor” (meaning “heart”). Therefore, “misericordia” in Latin originally referred to having a compassionate or pitiable heart, feeling sympathy or compassion for those who are suffering.
- Old French: In the evolution of the word, “misericordia” was borrowed into Old French as “merci” in the 12th century. Old French was the language of the Norman conquerors of England, and it influenced the development of the English language.
- Middle English: In Middle English, which was spoken in England from the 12th to the 15th century, “merci” evolved into “mercy.” The sense of the word also shifted from a quality of the heart to an act of compassion, forgiveness, or forbearance shown to someone in need or deserving of it.
So, the word “mercy” ultimately comes from the Latin “misericordia,” which reflects the concept of having a compassionate heart and showing kindness, compassion, or forgiveness to others.
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.
Read the full article here
