Today’s Wordle #781 Hints, Clues And Answer For Wednesday, August 9th

We’re back to Wordle Wednesday, dearest Wordlers and puzzle solvers, and that means a special riddle or logic puzzle to keep you extra sharp.

Today’s is actually very hard, and instead of word-related it’s number-related, so feel free to skip it if it’s just too challenging. Here we go . . .

Today’s puzzle comes by way of Martin Gardener, author of The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems:

A number’s persistence is the number of steps required to reduce it to a single digit by multiplying all its digits to obtain a second number, then multiplying all the digits of that number to obtain a third number, and so on until a one-digit number is obtained. For example, 77 has a persistence of four because it requires four steps to reduce it to one digit: 77-49-36-18-8. The smallest number of persistence one is 10, the smallest of persistence two is 25, the smallest of persistence three is 39, and the smaller of persistence four is 77. What is the smallest number of persistence five?

I’ll elaborate a bit on this since it’s a tricky one. Persistence, here, means that you take each digit and multiply it over and over again until it reaches a single digit. 77 is the smallest persistence 4 number because 7 x 7 = 49 (1) and then 4 x 9 = 36 (2) and 3 x 6 = 18 (3) and 1 x 8 = 9 (4). There are many other 4-step persistences, but this is the smallest.

25 is the smallest persistence of 2 because 2 x 5 = 10 (1) and 1 x 0 = 0 (2). So the question is what is the smallest persistence of 5—the smallest number that must be multiplied in five steps to reach a single digit. If you can figure this out (preferably without Googling) you are one smart cookie. Let me know on Twitter or Facebook if you do!

Okay, Wordle time!

How To Solve Today’s Wordle

The Hint: Romance.

The Clue: This word ends with a consonant.

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See yesterday’s Wordle #780 right here.

Wordle Bot Analysis

I really wanted to follow up my first guess—gnomes—with another fantasy creature, but I started to put ogres in there and realized I’d already used a ‘G’. Instead, I went with power and slashed my opening guesses 121 remaining words down to just 13.

I had a sense of what some of these were (foyer, cover, lover) and chose a word that I believed would rule out as many remaining solutions as possible with calfs. I got lucky, cutting that number down to just 1 and leaving me with an obvious answer: lover.

Today’s Score

Alas, Wordle Bot got the answer in three today. That means I get zero for guessing in 4 and lose a point for the Bot’s win. -1 total. Bleh.

Today’s Wordle Etymology

The word “lover” has its origins in Middle English and Old English. Its etymology can be traced back to several sources:

1. Old English: The word “lufu” in Old English meant “love,” and it was used to describe affection, desire, or strong emotional attachment. The noun “lufere” referred to a person who loves or is loved.
2. Middle English: As the English language evolved, “lufere” transformed into “lover” in Middle English. This term retained its basic meaning of someone who feels love or has a romantic or passionate attachment to another person.

The word “lover” has been used historically to describe various types of relationships, not just romantic ones. In older literature, it could refer to someone who had a strong liking or affinity for something, such as a lover of nature or a lover of books.

Over time, the term “lover” became more closely associated with romantic and sexual relationships, reflecting its usage in modern English. It is important to note that language is dynamic and constantly changing, so word meanings and associations can shift over centuries.

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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