"Wordle," a strangely compelling word game (Part 1)

The Game Room
1981

Wordle 263 4/6*

:black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square:
:black_large_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::yellow_square::black_large_square:
:green_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::yellow_square::yellow_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

Fast play today another 4.

Erase
Chump
Might
Month

1982

I wouldn’t play that game.

1983

Wordle 263 3/6

:yellow_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::white_large_square::green_square::green_square::white_large_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

I almost always use the same first word for the main game. A few times a day I play an unlimited game and get creative on the first word.

TRACE
LINTS
MONTH

1984

Wordle 263 3/6*

:green_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square:
:green_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

MERIT
MATCH
MONTH

1985

Wordle 263 4/6

:black_large_square::green_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::yellow_square:
:black_large_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square:
:black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::yellow_square::black_large_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

COURT
IMPLY
WEANS
MONTH

1986
Wordle 263 3/6* 3/9/2022

:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square:
:yellow_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

SWEET → An inauspicious start, but it allows me to use a word I’ve been wanting to try for a while…
TRAIN → Need an O or U in there, or both… where should the T go? Couldn’t find a way to use both vowels, so I tried
MONTH

There were a few words that used O & U both, but I couldn’t think of one that used both N & T with the latter in a position I hadn’t already ruled out.

1987

One of the alleged benefits to puzzles is using your brain in different ways is claimed to help fight Alzheimer’s. So dancing, speaking a second language, etc. have been claimed to help. Regarding Wordle, I have seen it claimed using too many strategies, set words, etc. undermines this benefit. This claim seems slightly ridiculous if the benefit is small to begin with. But there you go.

I try to start with different words each time (but may have inadvertently repeated them once or twice). Maybe it ups my average score - not by much.

1988

Wordle 263 4/6*

:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square:
:yellow_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

BEARD
QUILT
THONG
MONTH

1989

So for the other 11 months you… ?

1990

Kinda pleased with myself on this one.

Wordle 263 3/6

:blue_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::blue_square:
:black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::blue_square::blue_square:
:orange_square::orange_square::orange_square::orange_square::orange_square:

TRAIN
SPENT
MONTH

1991

Wordle 263 4/6*

:black_large_square::black_large_square::black_large_square::green_square::black_large_square:
:black_large_square::black_large_square::yellow_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::black_large_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

IRATE
SLOTH
MOUTH
MONTH

1992

The answer has made for some funny phrases. For example, this is probably from the ghostbuster’s calendar on the wall.

Wordle 263 4/6

:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::yellow_square:
:yellow_square::green_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

PLAID
GHOST
TOUCH
MONTH

1993

The other gonad gets the other months

1994

I did okay with tomorrow’s.

Wordle 264 3/6

:green_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square:
:green_square::green_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::white_large_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

1995

Symmetry today.

Wordle 263 4/6

:black_large_square::green_square::black_large_square::green_square::black_large_square:
:black_large_square::green_square::black_large_square::green_square::black_large_square:
:green_square::green_square::black_large_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

PORTS
LOFTY
MOUTH
MONTH

1996

Wordle 263 5/6

:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::white_large_square::green_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::white_large_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

ADIEU
FUDGY
POOTS
WORTH
MONTH
Not a particularly good showing. But I just had to share because I found it hilarious that I got away with “poots.”

1997

Wordle 263 4/6

:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::green_square::white_large_square:
:white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::green_square::green_square:
:white_large_square::green_square::white_large_square::green_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

I used nearly the same guesses as Aspenglow:
IRATE, SLOTH, COUTH, MONTH

This game should be used as a tool by teachers of English as a second language, because it reinforces knowledge of patterns common in the construction of English words. (For example, if a consonant has to precede a final “th,” as was true today, there are only so many consonants that work.)

1998

Tomorrow’s Wordle, Today

Wordle 264 4/6

:white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::white_large_square::green_square:
:white_large_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::yellow_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::white_large_square::white_large_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

Wordle 264

BRACE
WHOLE
LATTE
LAPSE

1999

Wordle 264 4/6

:black_large_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::yellow_square:
:yellow_square::yellow_square::yellow_square::black_large_square::black_large_square:
:yellow_square::black_large_square::green_square::yellow_square::green_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

CLAMP
PLANT
APPLE
LAPSE

This answer is apt. I completely spaced out and reused two yellow letters in the same spots in my second guess.

Combined with hitting three letters on my first word, my research words only netted 7 out of 10 letter checks and 8 out of 10 position checks. And then even my first attempt to win was goofy, though in my defense I did feel good about APPLE.

I’m happy to get out of this one with a 4. My lapse may have cost me a stroke, but I still managed to save par.

2000

Wordle 264 2/6*

:yellow_square::yellow_square::green_square::yellow_square::yellow_square:
:green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square::green_square:

SEPAL
LAPSE

I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep and for some reason SEPAL was running around my brain.