Most of us look back on the coronavirus lockdowns with regret, but Josh Wardle, the New York based software engineer who used the time to invent Wordle, just might be an exception.
Wardle's initial aim was simply to create a game "for me and my partner to enjoy," though after its release in October 2021 it swiftly became a global sensation.
Such was Wordle's popularity that Wardle was able to sell it in January 2022 to The New York Times for an undisclosed low seven figure sum.
Speaking to Newsweek Joel C. Wallenberg, a senior lecturer in language change at the University of York in the U.K., argued Wordle's popularity is a reflection of the inherent human interest in language.
He said: "Language always seems to be fascinating to people. This is perhaps because producing and understanding language is a fantastically complex process, and we are only aware of the tiniest bit of that process while it's going on; most of what we do when we speak, we do unconsciously.
"But it may be that people have an inkling that they're doing something very involved and impressive when they speak, even if they don't know the details or why it should be that way.
"Language games poke at how conscious (or unconscious) we are of our own linguistic processes, and maybe give us a little more insight into them than we had before. That might be one reason why humans, maybe universally, have always invented and enjoyed language games."
The answer to today's puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so scroll down with caution if you want to work it out for yourself.
'Wordle' #826, Clues for Saturday, September 23
Newsweek has put together five clues to help you solve today's Wordle puzzle.
Hint #1: The answer contains two vowels.
Hint #2: There are no repeated letters.
Hint #3: Can be associated with Christmas.
Hint #4: There is no 'I' in team. The same applies to Saturday's Wordle puzzle.
Hint #5: Today's answer is also a name.
'Wordle' #826, Answer for Friday, September 23
The answer to today's Wordle puzzle is "Carol."
Well that was a fun one! Admittedly not the toughest Wordle we've yet faced, as a fairly common word with two vowels, but still a good brainteaser. Congratulations if you worked it out but please don't be put off if not, a new Wordle challenge will be released on Sunday, and Newsweek will be back once again with another round of hints and tips.
What Does 'Carol' Mean?
The Cambridge dictionary defines "carol" as "a happy or religious song, usually one sung at Christmas."
For example: Silent Night is my favourite Christmas carol.
