And The Hill finds out what exactly that meant: The word was "fetus."
According to the Times, the connection to the leaked Supreme Court opinion was "entirely unintentional and a coincidence." We're told "today’s original answer was loaded into Wordle last year." And: "At New York Times Games, we take our role seriously as a place to entertain and escape, and we want Wordle to remain distinct from the news."
That's a good policy! But I'd say, in that light, "fetus" should never have been chosen as the answer. It's never going to be good entertainment and escape.
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"According to the Times, the connection to the leaked Supreme Court opinion was 'entirely unintentional and a coincidence.'"
If by 'entirely unintentional and a coincidence' you mean entirely intentional, not a coincidence, and at the express order of the White House then we'd be getting somewhere.
Who honestly believes these people anymore, not even their readers could be this gullible.
I did the Wordle this morning before they changed it, so I got "fetus" (it took me four guesses). I was amused, given the current SCOTUS controversy, then surprised (pleasantly!) that the NYT hadn't removed that word.
They shouldn't have changed it, and shouldn't have apologized for it.
So I guess 'child' would have been worse?
Huh? Did they change it back? I just did it and the answer was fetus.
Dang. My first letters today were ‘abort’.
That's a good policy! But I'd say, in that light, "fetus" should never have been chosen as the answer. It's never going to be good entertainment and escape.
Interesting how the emotions of women who are bent on killing "fetuses" and letting planned parenthood sell the baby parts are upset by an "outdated" word.
Banning abortion after 15 weeks is the moderate position here.
The people freaking out about Roe and flailing at everything and losing their shit over the word "fetus" like this are the cranks and weirdos.
So they aborted 'fetus'? And they thought that wouldn't draw attention?
It's a five letter word game. It is a five letter word. As long as it is not innately offensive and not obscure, I am not seeing the problem. Unless they have sanitized everything, which this being the NYT I would not put past them. Their readership appears to include a large number of the fragile and unstable.
If you want a word that will cause much grief in Wordle, JAZZY is pretty terrible. NINJA also has its non-charms.
Totally believeable. Its the New York Times. They take their games seriously dammit!
So the Gray Lady aborted today's Wordle. Seems appropriate. They're all in on abortion.
Not sure what "today's Wordle" means, but I did Wordle this morning (5/9/22), and the correct word wasn't "fetus." So if "fetus" is tomorrow's word (5/10/22), and the NYT changed it, why is this a story? Or is this just another mainstream-media effort to keep the so-far-feeble leftist outrage over the opinion leak going for another day or so?
Wordle 324 6/6
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
⬜🟨🟩⬜🟩
🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Probably a good call.
Apropos of Wordle: Why isn't "uncanny" the opposite of "canny?"
We live on a clown planet.
Seriously- the NYTimes thinks its readers are no more mature than 5 year olds, and they are probably correct.
Idk if this is O/T, but it’s a JP lecture on our ethical lens in Western societies… the development on the foundation of a book.
THE Book.
https://youtu.be/tB3qqb3U0Kc
Well, they changed it to something easy because...
Wordle 324 2/6
������⬛⬛
����������
...and I'm pretty much a lifetime 4.00 average guy. Fetus would have given me two yellow hits on my typical start word.
With the NYT, if you are on your 6th guess and there's two good choices, always go for the less "controversy associated" one, even if calling it controversy is a stretch.
I'd say, in THAT light, "human" should never have been chosen as the answer. It's never going to be good entertainment and escape.
I'd say, in THAT light, "woman" and "mommy" and "truth" should never be chosen as the answer. It's never going to be good entertainment and escape.
"It's never going to be good entertainment and escape."
So you're saying that "fetus" is just no fun? And never was? Why is that?
Penis is always available no matter what's in the news.
Fetus, as entertainment, no. Escape, avoid, evade, as a technical term of art for social distance, yes.
Good decision. I'm confident that next 9/11 we can rule out 'World', 'Trade', 'Center' and 'Tower'.
I'll guess Times readers never want to see 'trump'. Other examples?
For similar reasons tomorrow’s word “RIOTS” is also being skipped.
I'd say, in that light, "fetus" should never have been chosen as the answer. It's never going to be good entertainment and escape.
Concur, which is why I take their proclamation to be BS.
Don't Say 'Fetus'!
A new slogan for a new epoch.
"fetus" should never have been chosen as the answer. It's never going to be good entertainment and escape.
Oh pish-posh. Can't have true entertainment and escape without a(n un) healthy dose of politics.
Funny. I had just now finished Wordle and opened my computer to see what else is going on in the world at this hour. Turned to Althouse and saw this post. Hilarious. Who would have thought that 'fetus' would be a good word to use for an entertainment site? It's a word, sure, but...man. Had that gone through and been used today, the only sound you would have heard today would have been the sound of a million heads exploding.
Oh, and for those of you who have not yet played Wordle today, the word is
I don't believe them, the "entirely unintentional and a coincidence" nonsense. If Everdeen Mason said it to my face, it'd be different, I suppose. But the NYT has elected to become an advocate for a certain politics, for 'social change', etc etc, explicitly an actor in the national dramatics, and I'm suspicious of everything they utter in their editorial voice or voices.
Am mildly curious to know how many people don't refresh their browsers at least daily.
Fetus is not a bad word.
Are they checking for NUKED?
The replacement:
Wordle 324 2/6
⬜🟨🟨⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Let me guess that Left Bank of the Charles’ starting word was Aisle. That was mine, and I got it on the second word also.
I have created crossword puzzles and even had one of mine accepted by the NYT and published there. There has always been a "Breakfast Rule" for puzzle constructors, meaning don't use words that may upset someone who is sitting down to breakfast, solving the crossword, just trying to start their day in a pleasant manner. It's not an absolute restriction on them, but it does mean that if you use such a word, the definition should be as upbeat as possible, and/or the editor may make some changes to use a different word, or your otherwise-acceptable puzzle may be rejected.
At xwordinfo.com you can put in a word and see if it has been in a NYT puzzle, and if so, how often and how was it clued.
FETUS has been used only six times, the most recent being in 2020. Considering its consonant-vowel alternating pattern (very helpful in constructing a puzzle), that's a very low number FETES has been used 62 times, even though it probably is used less often in ordinary communication by most Americans.
ABORT has been used 97 times. It has never been used directly in reference to the medical procedure, usually in reference to ending a mission. Occasionally the "mission" reference is not used, and a term such as "Cancel early" is used.
In reference to the breakfast rule, CANCER has been used only 8 times since 1950, and only the first time with an indirect reference to the disease: "Target of the Damon Runyon fund". All others refer to the zodiacal sign or the Tropic of Cancer.
Given the number of words in a typical crossword, and the restrictions placed by crossing entries, the numbers above are all quite small. Some words, even uncommon ones not often seen outside crosswordese areas,appear many times more. Check out ETUI. Sometimes a vowel-rich word ending with I is necessary.
Is it time yet for blowthewhistle on daily wordle >>> to sideline all newscoverage
Have they ever done "moist"? That's a REAL trigger word.
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