Cambridge Dictionary: Wordle frustration inspires word of the year

CNN
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Infinite permutations of five letter words have taken the internet by storm in 2022 as an online puzzle game Wardle It dominates social media, pop culture and even the Cambridge profile the dictionary Word of the year.

Homer has been searched on the Cambridge Dictionary website more than 79,000 times this year, with 65,401 searches made in one day – May 5.

the reason? That was the day he was Wardle The answer, to the frustration of non-US users unfamiliar with the term as they tried to secure a win by guessing the word within the game’s six-guess limit.

The Cambridge Dictionary said in a press release Wednesday that “homer” is an informal American-English term for baseball. Others may know him as a Simpsons character or an ancient Greek poet.

“Many players outside of the United States have never heard this word,” the press release added. “A large number of players have vented their frustration and annoyance on social media, but many have also turned to the Cambridge Dictionary to find out more.”

One person tweeted on May 31: “Still mad at Homer.” It’s been weeks now. Angry.”

Many other American-English words appeared on Wordle and later rose in searches on the Cambridge Dictionary website—which the dictionary’s news release called the “Wordle effect.”

The American spelling of the word “humor” saw an increase in traffic, with nearly 30,000 searches performed the day Wordle’s answer was, while unusual words like “caulk” and “bayou” were also searched thousands of times.

Cambridge Dictionary’s choice of word of the year illustrates the popularity of a simple game that can be shared online when the restrictions of the global pandemic have limited social interactions for millions.

“Perhaps no wonder people enjoy the focus and mental challenge of a simple word game that can be a shared experience with family and friends, whether they are physically together or not, in a time of volatile and protracted recovery from a global pandemic,” Wendalyn Nicholls of Cambridge Dictionary said in the statement.

“Even complaints about word choice seem to be part of the fun.”

After Wordle’s viral popularity, it was bought by the New York Times and led the best quarter ever for net subscriber additions to its games divisions, CEO Meredith Kopit Levien He said in the earnings statement in May.