Tuesday, March 15, 2022

The Ides of March

I got Wordle in three today, with no prizes for astuteness. My two starter words produced four green tiles. No anagram-solving was involved. All I had to do was think of the missing letter and slot it in. It took me an unconscionable length of time to do so. I even wondered if it could be a word I don’t know. I resorted to a dictionary for the first time. I found a couple of letters which at least produced a pronounceable group -- I mean, obviously it wasn’t “x” or “q” – but that didn’t help. I finally gave up and started moving around the kitchen making my breakfast, and then I thought of it. When Helen came to escort me on my walk, I tried her and she got it at once. She doesn't do Wordle.

 

I don’t think I’m spoiling anything for anybody if I tell you that it’s a word you’ll certainly know.

 

Lynne sent me a comment on yesterday’s post which for some reason doesn’t appear, although it was forwarded to my mailbox. She says she got yesterday’s “smelt” in two, having started with “shite”. I think that’s pretty astute – one green and two browns. I couldn’t have done that.

 

So, I walked around the garden. Helen came early. And then had my Tuesday bath.

 

And pressed forward with the Baby Surprise. I’ve now used two of my five graduated colours. I think I’m going to come out about right, yarn-wise.

 

Judy (comment yesterday), it is one of the oddest facts known to nature that men and women have the buttons on their shirts on opposite sides. Has it always been so? Is it so all over the world? Is there a Wikipedia article on the subject? I can remember how surprised I was when I discovered this fact in my teens. EZ says, for the Surprise, to put the buttonholes on both sides and then, when the sex is known, sew the buttons over the holes on one side or the other.

 

It is odd, perhaps, for a woman who seemed so scornful of “Blind Followers”, that she revelled so in the puzzle she was setting in the pattern for the Surprise.

 


10 comments:

  1. I have a vague memory that women had to do their own buttons up, whereas the boys never grew up enough to learn to do their own and had some slave-type person to do them. (Or should that be perdaughter?)

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  2. Anonymous8:04 PM

    My mother had an explanation that involved men needing to reach inside their outer garments with their right hands, to get access to a sword or dagger carried on their left hip. She had many Just So stories, and I never researched this one to see how well founded it was.

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  3. =Tamar8:31 PM

    Buttons were randomly left or right until around 1860. In the 19th century, many peculiar things were dreamed up and claimed to be historical. Nobody really knows why button placement became codified, but people make up all kinds of stories. My theory is that somebody famous liked their buttons a particular way, and everybody copied them.

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  4. I got the Wordle in three today too. I think it was because the letters are among the very commonest - and we have got used to the idea of a letter appearing twice now. The Quordle continues to be the bigger challenge.

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  5. I had forgotten that which side the buttons go on is gendered. I too, don't know the origin of it. You could break the tradition and put them whichever way you want.
    Wordle in three here too. I tried Quordle a few times and realized it wasn't fun so stopped. I have an app on my phone that has five, six and seven letter words in the wordle format. That is enough brain exercise for me each day.

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  6. I never knew about left and right buttons as I often wore my brothers hand me down shirts! I never worry about it with baby things either. I know there is some saying “Women are always right.” but is that the button or the buttonhole?

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  7. =Tamar12:53 AM

    Women are: Right on top.

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  8. Most woman are right-handed, so they carried their babies on their left side to have the right hand free. And it is easier to open a button when the buttonhole is on the same side as the hand.
    For men, it was important not to get tangled the handle of the dagger or sword in the button band. They also could keep their fighting hand warm by putting it in their outer garment - like Napoleon.
    These are the explanations I was told. We will never really know, like with many other things.
    Hilde in Germany

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  9. Anonymous10:41 AM

    Wasn't it also EZ that said don't worry about it too much since a baby won't care? I think somebody influential said it. Helpful advice since babies grow so quickly we don't need to be slowed down by pondering this fact too long. Chloe

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