• QFTCICR25 Game 10, Rounds 9-10: Wordle, wet challenge

    From msb@msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) to rec.games.trivia on Mon Jul 27 05:47:25 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2025-11-24,
    and should be interpreted accordingly.

    On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
    both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
    Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
    based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
    the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
    the correct answers in about 3 days.

    All questions were written by members of the Cellar Rats, and are
    used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may have
    been retyped and/or edited by me. The posting and tabulation of
    current-events questions is independent of the concurrent posting
    of other rounds. For further information please see my 2026-03-10
    companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian Inquisition
    (QFTCI*)".


    ** Game 10, Round 9 - Leisure - Wordle

    The questions are about words that might be used in the popular
    game Wordle. They all are common words 5 letters long. We give
    you some clues and you give us the word.

    1. Contains 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. It is a
    punctuation sign or a part of the body

    2. Contains a "U" and 2 pairs of identical letters. Tasty.

    3. Contains 4 vowels, all different, and one consonant. Strong
    opening word for Wordle. A French word for goodbye.

    4. 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. A chemical element.

    5. Contains 3 identical consonants. Think about Ancient Egypt.

    6. Contains 3 vowels and 2 consonants all different. A strange
    or interesting object in a collection.

    7. Contains 3 identical consonants. A flower that is a source
    of opiates.

    8. Contains 4 different vowels and a D in the middle. Related to
    one of the five senses.

    9. Contains 4 different consonants, including an F and a J, and
    one vowel. A long narrow inlet.

    10. Contains a Z and a J, and one of these letters is repeated.
    Music description.


    ** Game 10, Round 10 - Challenge - Water

    * A. Naval Battles

    A1. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Hampton Roads.

    A2. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Salamis.


    * B. Physical Characteristics of Water

    B1. Within 10, what is the boiling point of water in the Kelvin
    system of temperature measurement?

    B2. To the nearest whole number and within 2 kg or 5 pounds,
    how much does a cubic foot of water weigh?


    * C. Paintings Inspired by Water Scenes

    C1. Some of Monet's most famous paintings are of the water
    lilies in his garden. What is the name of the town in
    which Monet's house and garden were located?

    C2. Who painted "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", an iconic Japanese
    painting that depicts the unpredictable and often raging
    seas near Mt. Fuji?


    * D. Novels with Water in the Title

    D1. Who wrote "Ring of Bright Water"?
    D2. Who wrote "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame"?


    * E. Classical Music Inspired by Water Themes

    E1. Who wrote the collection of orchestral movements known as
    the "Water Music"?

    E2. Who wrote the symphonic poem called "The Water Goblin"?


    * F. Obscure Water Sports

    F1. In what country did the sport of canoe polo or kayak polo
    originate?

    F2. Picigin ["piss-ig-in"] is a sport played in shallow water
    at the beach, with players trying to keep a small ball from
    touching the water. In what country did it originate?
    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto | "Any story that needs a critic to explain it, msb@vex.net | needs rewriting." -- Larry Niven

    My text in this article is in the public domain.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Erland Sommarskog@esquel@sommarskog.se to rec.games.trivia on Mon Jul 27 10:52:17 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
    ** Game 10, Round 9 - Leisure - Wordle

    1. Contains 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. It is a
    punctuation sign or a part of the body

    Colon

    2. Contains a "U" and 2 pairs of identical letters. Tasty.

    Yummy

    3. Contains 4 vowels, all different, and one consonant. Strong
    opening word for Wordle. A French word for goodbye.

    Adieu

    4. 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. A chemical element.

    Boron

    5. Contains 3 identical consonants. Think about Ancient Egypt.

    Mummy

    7. Contains 3 identical consonants. A flower that is a source
    of opiates.

    Poppy

    8. Contains 4 different vowels and a D in the middle. Related to
    one of the five senses.

    Audio

    9. Contains 4 different consonants, including an F and a J, and
    one vowel. A long narrow inlet.

    Fjord

    10. Contains a Z and a J, and one of these letters is repeated.
    Music description.

    Jazz

    ** Game 10, Round 10 - Challenge - Water

    * A. Naval Battles

    A2. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Salamis.

    Troy

    * B. Physical Characteristics of Water

    B1. Within 10, what is the boiling point of water in the Kelvin
    system of temperature measurement?

    373

    B2. To the nearest whole number and within 2 kg or 5 pounds,
    how much does a cubic foot of water weigh?

    28

    C2. Who painted "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", an iconic Japanese
    painting that depicts the unpredictable and often raging
    seas near Mt. Fuji?

    Seas near Fuji-san? There are a couple of lakes by the foot of the
    mountain, but the sea is some 30-40 km away.

    * E. Classical Music Inspired by Water Themes

    E1. Who wrote the collection of orchestral movements known as
    the "Water Music"?

    Schubert

    F2. Picigin ["piss-ig-in"] is a sport played in shallow water
    at the beach, with players trying to keep a small ball from
    touching the water. In what country did it originate?

    Brazil

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Dan Tilque@dtilque@frontier.com to rec.games.trivia on Mon Jul 27 10:42:56 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    On 7/26/26 22:47, Mark Brader wrote:

    ** Game 10, Round 9 - Leisure - Wordle

    The questions are about words that might be used in the popular
    game Wordle. They all are common words 5 letters long. We give
    you some clues and you give us the word.

    1. Contains 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. It is a
    punctuation sign or a part of the body

    colon


    2. Contains a "U" and 2 pairs of identical letters. Tasty.

    yummy


    3. Contains 4 vowels, all different, and one consonant. Strong
    opening word for Wordle. A French word for goodbye.

    adieu


    4. 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. A chemical element.

    boron


    5. Contains 3 identical consonants. Think about Ancient Egypt.

    mummy


    6. Contains 3 vowels and 2 consonants all different. A strange
    or interesting object in a collection.

    7. Contains 3 identical consonants. A flower that is a source
    of opiates.

    poppy


    8. Contains 4 different vowels and a D in the middle. Related to
    one of the five senses.

    audio


    9. Contains 4 different consonants, including an F and a J, and
    one vowel. A long narrow inlet.

    fjord


    10. Contains a Z and a J, and one of these letters is repeated.
    Music description.

    jazzy



    ** Game 10, Round 10 - Challenge - Water

    * A. Naval Battles

    A1. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Hampton Roads.

    French


    A2. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Salamis.

    Greeks



    * B. Physical Characteristics of Water

    B1. Within 10, what is the boiling point of water in the Kelvin
    system of temperature measurement?

    373


    B2. To the nearest whole number and within 2 kg or 5 pounds,
    how much does a cubic foot of water weigh?

    62



    * C. Paintings Inspired by Water Scenes

    C1. Some of Monet's most famous paintings are of the water
    lilies in his garden. What is the name of the town in
    which Monet's house and garden were located?

    C2. Who painted "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", an iconic Japanese
    painting that depicts the unpredictable and often raging
    seas near Mt. Fuji?


    * D. Novels with Water in the Title

    D1. Who wrote "Ring of Bright Water"?
    D2. Who wrote "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame"?


    * E. Classical Music Inspired by Water Themes

    E1. Who wrote the collection of orchestral movements known as
    the "Water Music"?

    Handel


    E2. Who wrote the symphonic poem called "The Water Goblin"?


    * F. Obscure Water Sports

    F1. In what country did the sport of canoe polo or kayak polo
    originate?

    USA


    F2. Picigin ["piss-ig-in"] is a sport played in shallow water
    at the beach, with players trying to keep a small ball from
    touching the water. In what country did it originate?

    Brazil
    --
    Dan Tilque
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From msb@msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) to rec.games.trivia on Mon Jul 27 23:22:29 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    Mark Brader:
    C2. Who painted "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", an iconic Japanese
    painting that depicts the unpredictable and often raging
    seas near Mt. Fuji?

    Erland Sommarskog:
    Seas near Fuji-san? There are a couple of lakes by the foot of the
    mountain, but the sea is some 30-40 km away.

    Considering that the place is over 10,400 km from here, 30-40 km is
    relatively near, isn't it? And anyway, Mr. Fuji is in the painting.
    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto | This is Programming as a True Art Form, where style msb@vex.net | is more important than correctness... --Pontus Hedman

    My text in this article is in the public domain.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Dan Tilque@dtilque@frontier.com to rec.games.trivia on Mon Jul 27 20:49:44 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    On 7/27/26 10:42, Dan Tilque wrote:
    On 7/26/26 22:47, Mark Brader wrote:



    -a-a-a B2. To the nearest whole number and within 2 kg or 5 pounds,
    -a-a-a-a-a-a-a how much does a cubic foot of water weigh?

    62

    I just realized I forgot the unit. 62 lbs.

    That'll probably cost me.
    --
    Dan Tilque
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@gromit82@hotmail.com to rec.games.trivia on Mon Jul 27 23:05:43 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    On 7/27/2026 12:47 AM, Mark Brader wrote:

    ** Game 10, Round 9 - Leisure - Wordle

    The questions are about words that might be used in the popular
    game Wordle. They all are common words 5 letters long. We give
    you some clues and you give us the word.

    1. Contains 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. It is a
    punctuation sign or a part of the body

    colon

    2. Contains a "U" and 2 pairs of identical letters. Tasty.

    yummy

    3. Contains 4 vowels, all different, and one consonant. Strong
    opening word for Wordle. A French word for goodbye.

    adieu

    4. 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. A chemical element.

    boron

    5. Contains 3 identical consonants. Think about Ancient Egypt.

    mummy

    6. Contains 3 vowels and 2 consonants all different. A strange
    or interesting object in a collection.

    curio

    7. Contains 3 identical consonants. A flower that is a source
    of opiates.

    poppy

    8. Contains 4 different vowels and a D in the middle. Related to
    one of the five senses.

    audio

    9. Contains 4 different consonants, including an F and a J, and
    one vowel. A long narrow inlet.

    fjord

    10. Contains a Z and a J, and one of these letters is repeated.
    Music description.

    jazzy

    ** Game 10, Round 10 - Challenge - Water

    * A. Naval Battles

    A1. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Hampton Roads.

    United States

    A2. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Salamis.

    Persia

    * B. Physical Characteristics of Water

    B1. Within 10, what is the boiling point of water in the Kelvin
    system of temperature measurement?

    373

    B2. To the nearest whole number and within 2 kg or 5 pounds,
    how much does a cubic foot of water weigh?

    1000 pounds

    * C. Paintings Inspired by Water Scenes

    C1. Some of Monet's most famous paintings are of the water
    lilies in his garden. What is the name of the town in
    which Monet's house and garden were located?

    Arles

    * E. Classical Music Inspired by Water Themes

    E1. Who wrote the collection of orchestral movements known as
    the "Water Music"?

    Handel

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    gromit82@hotmail.com
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Pete Gayde@pete.gayde@gmail.com to rec.games.trivia on Mon Jul 27 23:59:21 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    Mark Brader wrote:
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2025-11-24,
    and should be interpreted accordingly.

    On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
    both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
    Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
    based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
    the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
    the correct answers in about 3 days.

    All questions were written by members of the Cellar Rats, and are
    used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may have
    been retyped and/or edited by me. The posting and tabulation of current-events questions is independent of the concurrent posting
    of other rounds. For further information please see my 2026-03-10
    companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian Inquisition
    (QFTCI*)".


    ** Game 10, Round 9 - Leisure - Wordle

    The questions are about words that might be used in the popular
    game Wordle. They all are common words 5 letters long. We give
    you some clues and you give us the word.

    1. Contains 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. It is a
    punctuation sign or a part of the body

    Colon


    2. Contains a "U" and 2 pairs of identical letters. Tasty.

    Yummy


    3. Contains 4 vowels, all different, and one consonant. Strong
    opening word for Wordle. A French word for goodbye.

    Adieu


    4. 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. A chemical element.

    Boron


    5. Contains 3 identical consonants. Think about Ancient Egypt.

    Mummy


    6. Contains 3 vowels and 2 consonants all different. A strange
    or interesting object in a collection.

    Curio


    7. Contains 3 identical consonants. A flower that is a source
    of opiates.

    Poppy


    8. Contains 4 different vowels and a D in the middle. Related to
    one of the five senses.

    Audio


    9. Contains 4 different consonants, including an F and a J, and
    one vowel. A long narrow inlet.

    Fjord


    10. Contains a Z and a J, and one of these letters is repeated.
    Music description.

    Jazzy



    ** Game 10, Round 10 - Challenge - Water

    * A. Naval Battles

    A1. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Hampton Roads.

    United States


    A2. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Salamis.


    * B. Physical Characteristics of Water

    B1. Within 10, what is the boiling point of water in the Kelvin
    system of temperature measurement?

    B2. To the nearest whole number and within 2 kg or 5 pounds,
    how much does a cubic foot of water weigh?


    * C. Paintings Inspired by Water Scenes

    C1. Some of Monet's most famous paintings are of the water
    lilies in his garden. What is the name of the town in
    which Monet's house and garden were located?

    Giverney


    C2. Who painted "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", an iconic Japanese
    painting that depicts the unpredictable and often raging
    seas near Mt. Fuji?


    * D. Novels with Water in the Title

    D1. Who wrote "Ring of Bright Water"?
    D2. Who wrote "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame"?


    * E. Classical Music Inspired by Water Themes

    E1. Who wrote the collection of orchestral movements known as
    the "Water Music"?

    Handel


    E2. Who wrote the symphonic poem called "The Water Goblin"?

    Dvorak



    * F. Obscure Water Sports

    F1. In what country did the sport of canoe polo or kayak polo
    originate?

    Canada


    F2. Picigin ["piss-ig-in"] is a sport played in shallow water
    at the beach, with players trying to keep a small ball from
    touching the water. In what country did it originate?

    France; Brazil



    Pete Gayde
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Erland Sommarskog@esquel@sommarskog.se to rec.games.trivia on Tue Jul 28 10:53:10 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
    Erland Sommarskog:
    Seas near Fuji-san? There are a couple of lakes by the foot of the
    mountain, but the sea is some 30-40 km away.

    Considering that the place is over 10,400 km from here, 30-40 km is relatively near, isn't it? And anyway, Mr. Fuji is in the painting.

    I checked the map, and I realised that I was a little off. I reached
    the foot of the mountain by train from Tokyo, but I did not travel
    due west as I thought.

    The sea is about 20 km south from Fuji, and you should be able to see
    the mountain from the sea shore on a really clear day. But on my
    first trip to Japan, I had several sunny days when I was in the area,
    but I never saw the mountain. For my second trip, I decided to play
    safe and actually got there.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From tool@tool@panix.com (Dan Blum) to rec.games.trivia on Wed Jul 29 21:44:52 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> wrote:

    ** Game 10, Round 9 - Leisure - Wordle

    1. Contains 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. It is a
    punctuation sign or a part of the body

    colon

    2. Contains a "U" and 2 pairs of identical letters. Tasty.

    yummy

    3. Contains 4 vowels, all different, and one consonant. Strong
    opening word for Wordle. A French word for goodbye.

    adieu

    4. 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. A chemical element.

    boron

    5. Contains 3 identical consonants. Think about Ancient Egypt.

    mummy

    7. Contains 3 identical consonants. A flower that is a source
    of opiates.

    poppy

    8. Contains 4 different vowels and a D in the middle. Related to
    one of the five senses.

    audio

    9. Contains 4 different consonants, including an F and a J, and
    one vowel. A long narrow inlet.

    fjord

    10. Contains a Z and a J, and one of these letters is repeated.
    Music description.

    jazzy

    ** Game 10, Round 10 - Challenge - Water

    A1. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Hampton Roads.

    USA

    A2. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Salamis.

    Persian Empire

    B1. Within 10, what is the boiling point of water in the Kelvin
    system of temperature measurement?

    685

    B2. To the nearest whole number and within 2 kg or 5 pounds,
    how much does a cubic foot of water weigh?

    32 pounds

    C1. Some of Monet's most famous paintings are of the water
    lilies in his garden. What is the name of the town in
    which Monet's house and garden were located?

    Giverny

    C2. Who painted "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", an iconic Japanese
    painting that depicts the unpredictable and often raging
    seas near Mt. Fuji?

    Hokusai

    E1. Who wrote the collection of orchestral movements known as
    the "Water Music"?

    Handel

    F1. In what country did the sport of canoe polo or kayak polo
    originate?

    Canada

    F2. Picigin ["piss-ig-in"] is a sport played in shallow water
    at the beach, with players trying to keep a small ball from
    touching the water. In what country did it originate?

    Brazil
    --
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Dan Blum tool@panix.com
    "I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."

    --
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Dan Blum tool@panix.com
    "I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From msb@msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) to rec.games.trivia on Thu Jul 30 04:10:45 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia

    Mark Brader:
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2025-11-24,
    and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information
    please see my 2026-03-10 companion posting on "Questions from the
    Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".


    Game 10 is over and JOSHUA KREITZER hsa won by a hair the width of
    1 point. Hearty congratulations!


    ** Game 10, Round 9 - Leisure - Wordle

    The questions are about words that might be used in the popular
    game Wordle. They all are common words 5 letters long.

    So I did not accept a 4-letter word.

    We give you some clues and you give us the word.

    In the original game, this was the easiest round in the game and
    tied for easiest of the entire season with the "mythical creatures"
    round from Game 5.

    1. Contains 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. It is a
    punctuation sign or a part of the body

    COLON. 4 for everyone -- Erland, Dan Tilque, Joshua, Pete,
    and Dan Blum.

    2. Contains a "U" and 2 pairs of identical letters. Tasty.

    YUMMY. 4 for everyone.

    3. Contains 4 vowels, all different, and one consonant. Strong
    opening word for Wordle. A French word for goodbye.

    ADIEU. 4 for everyone.

    4. 3 consonants and 2 identical vowels. A chemical element.

    BORON. 4 for everyone.

    5. Contains 3 identical consonants. Think about Ancient Egypt.

    MUMMY. 4 for everyone.

    6. Contains 3 vowels and 2 consonants all different. A strange
    or interesting object in a collection.

    CURIO. 4 for Joshua and Pete.

    7. Contains 3 identical consonants. A flower that is a source
    of opiates.

    POPPY. 4 for everyone.

    8. Contains 4 different vowels and a D in the middle. Related to
    one of the five senses.

    AUDIO. 4 for everyone.

    9. Contains 4 different consonants, including an F and a J, and
    one vowel. A long narrow inlet.

    FJORD. 4 for everyone.

    10. Contains a Z and a J, and one of these letters is repeated.
    Music description.

    JAZZY. 4 for Dan Tilque, Joshua, Pete, and Dan Blum.


    ** Game 10, Round 10 - Challenge - Water

    This was the hardest round in the original game.

    * A. Naval Battles

    A1. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Hampton Roads.

    Confederate States of America, United States of America. 4 for
    Joshua, Pete, and Dan Blum.

    This is the 1862 battle between the Monitor and the Virginia (formerly
    the Merrimack), the first two ironclad ships to meet in combat.

    A2. Name *either* of the two combatant forces in the naval
    Battle of Salamis.

    Greece, Persia. 4 for Dan Tilque, Joshua, and Dan Blum.


    * B. Physical Characteristics of Water

    B1. Within 10, what is the boiling point of water in the Kelvin
    system of temperature measurement?

    373 (accepting 363-383) kelvins. 4 for Erland, Dan Tilque,
    and Joshua.

    B2. To the nearest whole number and within 2 kg or 5 pounds,
    how much does a cubic foot of water weigh?

    28 (accepting 26-30) kilograms, 62 (accepting 57-67) pounds.
    3 for Dan Blum.

    I did not accept answers without a unit. This means nobody came within
    the allowed leeway, but one entrant came within twice that amount and
    was scored "almost correct".


    * C. Paintings Inspired by Water Scenes

    C1. Some of Monet's most famous paintings are of the water
    lilies in his garden. What is the name of the town in
    which Monet's house and garden were located?

    Giverny. 4 for Pete and Dan Blum.

    C2. Who painted "The Great Wave off Kanagawa", an iconic Japanese
    painting that depicts the unpredictable and often raging


    Katsushika Hokusai. 4 for Dan Blum.


    * D. Novels with Water in the Title

    D1. Who wrote "Ring of Bright Water"?

    Gavin Maxwell.

    D2. Who wrote "Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame"?

    Charles Bukowski.


    * E. Classical Music Inspired by Water Themes

    E1. Who wrote the collection of orchestral movements known as
    the "Water Music"?

    George Frideric Handel. 4 for Dan Tilque, Joshua, Pete, and Dan Blum.

    E2. Who wrote the symphonic poem called "The Water Goblin"?

    Dvorak. 4 for Pete.


    * F. Obscure Water Sports

    F1. In what country did the sport of canoe polo or kayak polo
    originate?

    Great Britain.

    F2. Picigin ["piss-ig-in"] is a sport played in shallow water
    at the beach, with players trying to keep a small ball from
    touching the water. In what country did it originate?

    Croatia.


    Scores, if there are no errors:

    GAME 10 ROUNDS-> 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 BEST
    TOPICS-> Lit Ent Sci Geo Can His Lei Cha SIX
    Joshua Kreitzer 20 36 12 36 -- -- 40 16 160
    Dan Blum 24 24 12 40 12 12 36 23 159
    Dan Tilque 12 4 8 36 28 20 36 12 144
    Pete Gayde 0 12 0 36 -- -- 40 16 104
    Erland Sommarskog -- -- 6 36 0 8 32 4 86
    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto | Keep out of eyes--if this occurs, rinse with water. msb@vex.net | (Directions seen on shampoo bottle)

    My text in this article is in the public domain.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From James Dow Allen@user4353@newsgrouper.org.invalid to rec.games.trivia on Mon Aug 3 17:11:30 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.trivia


    msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) posted:

    ** Game 10, Round 9 - Leisure - Wordle
    ...

    3. Contains 4 vowels, all different, and one consonant. Strong
    opening word for Wordle. A French word for goodbye.

    Have I mentioned that I am a champion nitpicker? And also, for a while,
    a pretty good Wordle player.

    I do not think asking a lot of vowels as the first guess is best. It's
    more important to start eliminating consonants. I decided that SLATE
    was the best start, and later read the same opinion from a Wordle expert.

    Just now I wrote at length on this topic but erased it all when I realized it was boring and probably of interest only as evidence of my autistic disorder. :-)
    I will mention that long ago Donald Knuth presented a solution to Mastermind using the "Knuth algorithm": -- Select a clue which minimizes the
    maximum number of hits on any response.

    BUT Knuth's Mastermind heuristic does NOT guarantee optimality.
    Mastermind with 5 slots and 7 colors may be slightly beyond the threshold
    where fun changes to headache, but you can play at this website
    . . . https://fabpedigree.com/james/mmind/mmind.htm
    and the computer will never score worse than 6, despite that Knuth sometimes needs 7.


    Cheers,
    Jamie


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2