June has come to an end. Tomorrow, July will dust off its Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops and jostle into summer’s sweltering cantina. On this last and final day of my birth month, I offer up five interesting facts about June.
- June’s birthstone is pearl, symbolizing purity and innocence, which is at least a little ironic given that June is also a month of Geminis and Cancers, hardly the most pure of the Zodiac signs (that would go to Pisces).
- June is named after the goddess Juno, the ancient Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth, making it quite obviously the best month to be born! The month’s flower is the rose, symbolizing love and beauty.
- Some rather big and important historical events have taken place in June including D-Day, when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy and landed the first major blow against Nazi Germany in Europe in 1944. Hundreds of years earlier, in 1215, English nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, one of the most important documents in the development of modern Western democracy.
- June is the month for many groups including LGBTQ / Pride Month, Indigenous History Month (in Canada) and many others. Juneteenth is also celebrated in June, commemorating the emancipation of the slaves.
- The summer solstice marks the beginning summer every June—if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, however, the winter solstice ushers in the start of winter.
Farewell June!
Okay, let’s do this Wordle.
How To Solve Today’s Wordle
The Hint: Good for both hats and drinks.
The Clue: This word has way more consonants than vowels.
The Answer:
.
.
.
STRAW!
Wordle Bot Analysis
I started off a little rough today, with money offering up no green or yellow boxes at all, though it certainly ruled out plenty of letters! From here, brail gave me an ‘R’ and an ‘A’ in yellow, but still left me with far too many options.
Sugar seemed a sweet enough third guess, and it certainly narrowed the field, leaving me with just a handful of choices left. I couldn’t decide. Should I guess scrap or perhaps strap? In the end, I thought it would be ironic if I guessed those and then, in the end, it came down to my “last straw.” So I guessed straw for the win!
Today’s Score
My competitive Wordle score is in the red today, sadly. I get 0 points for guessing in four and -1 for losing to the Bot who, as you can see above, got to the finish line in three. Oh well!
Today’s Wordle Etymology
The word “straw” has Old English origins and can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word “strēan” or “strawō” which meant “stalk” or “stem.” This word ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *stere- which meant “to spread out” or “to stretch.”
In Old English, the word was spelled as “streaw” and referred to the dried stalks of grain plants such as wheat, barley, or oats that were left after the grains had been harvested. These stalks were commonly used as a material for thatching roofs, bedding, or making baskets, among other uses.
Over time, the spelling of the word changed to “straw,” and its meaning expanded to include various uses and applications. Today, “straw” refers to the dry, hollow stem of cereal plants or other similar plants, but it is also commonly associated with the long, thin tubes used for drinking, typically made from plastic or paper.
The term “straw” has also given rise to idiomatic expressions like “the last straw” or “straw in the wind,” which have metaphorical meanings unrelated to the literal plant material.
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