If you haven’t yet cracked the code, the answer to today’s Wordle puzzle (#588 – January 28, 2023) is “flirt.” Etymonline supplies the interesting origin and development of the word into its common usage. Per the source, its first known use dates back to the 1550s, but it originally meant to “turn up one’s nose” or “sneer” at something or someone. Sometime later evolved to mean a quick “flick” with the fingers.
Towards the close of the 16th century, the word came to mean “to move in short, quick flights.” This is likely what influenced the evolution of “flirt” to become a moniker for “casual amorous interest,” because one of the most overtly flirtatious gestures used by the ladies of the era was a short jerk of the hand to flick a fan open or closed. Although uncertain, Etymonline also suggests that it’s possible for the word to have been influenced by Old French “fleureter,” which meant to utter sweet nothings or to “touch a thing in passing.” I could also be a diminutive of “fleur,” or flower, and a metaphor for bees moving from petal to petal.
This week in Wordle has been chock-full of interesting discoveries like this one, and if you’re keen on acquiring knowledge like we are, we bet you’ve had a good ride. We look forward to what tidbits tomorrow’s Wordle answer holds, but if you’re eager to keep busy until then, here are some other games that are similar to Wordle.
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