Wednesday, 20 November 2024

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Thursday, November 21 (game #263)

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #263) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… You're getting warm

NYT Strands today (game #263) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • MINE
  • ROOM
  • BARE
  • POKE
  • MANE
  • FINE

NYT Strands today (game #263) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

Watch the flames dance

NYT Strands today (game #263) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #263) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 263 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #263, are…

  • POKER
  • CHIMNEY
  • BROOM
  • FLUE
  • HEARTH
  • SCREEN
  • MANTEL
  • SPANGRAM: FIREPLACE

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

This will date me, but does anyone else remember those wonderful Busytown and Lowly Worm books by Richard Scarry? I loved these as kids, poring over the illustrations in search of all of the different named objects and characters. Playing Strands sometimes feels like a similar exercise. "Today's theme, children, is FIREPLACE. Now name as many words as you can that are related. Yes, CHIMNEY, that's a good one. Oh well done, you got BROOM!"

That is the point of Strands, I guess, but equally it's more challenging when the puzzle is a little more creative – for instance when it involves pairs of things, or phrases, or logic in some way. Just naming things is a lot easier, and Strands is not a difficult game at the best of times. We're 250-plus games in now, and I don't think I've ever failed one. Contrast that with Connections, where I fail regularly, and you can see the problem.

Anyway, there's no major problem with today's game, it's just a little straightforward to hold the attention for longer than a few minutes. Maybe that's no bad thing, given how busy we all are, though.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 20 November, game #262)

  • LITTER
  • BONE
  • COLLAR
  • KIBBLE
  • BALL
  • LASER
  • CATNIP
  • SPANGRAM: PETSUPPLIES

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/gfRvKTe

Reddit is down – live updates on the huge outage

Reddit suffered a major outage on Wednesday, plunging its millions of devoted users into discussion darkness, with no place to drop their hot takes, memes, and AMA.

As of 4PM ET, the popular website was returning a mostly blank page with an upstream error at the top

Down Detector put Reddit at the top of its outage list.

Reddit Down Detector

(Image credit: Future)

Reddit appeared to be recovering by 4:13PM but the instability remains.

Reddit down

(Image credit: Future)

Some pages, like the all-important Popular, remain blank.

Reddit down

(Image credit: Future)

On the bright side, you can still peruse some of Reddit's homepage.

Today, perhaps coincidentally, was also the day of US News Anchor Katie Couric's first-ever Reddit AMA. It launched at 2PM ET, though we're not pointing any fingers.

Post by @katiecouric
View on Threads

Reddit Down Detector

(Image credit: Future)

Reddit appeared to be recovering by 4:13PM but the instability remains.

Reddit down

(Image credit: Future)

Some pages, like the all-important Popular, remain blank.

Reddit down

(Image credit: Future)

On the bright side, you can still peruse some of Reddit's homepage.

https://ift.tt/31CRdqL

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, November 20 (game #262)

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #262) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… For our furry friends

NYT Strands today (game #262) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • TREE
  • CALL
  • PALS
  • PANT
  • BIKE
  • SEAL

NYT Strands today (game #262) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

Re-tail therapy?

NYT Strands today (game #262) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 2nd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #262) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 262 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #262, are…

  • LITTER
  • BONE
  • COLLAR
  • KIBBLE
  • BALL
  • LASER
  • CATNIP
  • SPANGRAM: PETSUPPLIES

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

I own a dog and a cat, or rather they own me, given that I spend my money on food, treats and other assorted PETSUPPLIES for them. And what do I get in return? Well, actually, from the dog, a lovely chocolate labrador, I get unconditional love. From the cat, meanwhile, I get… well, I get the honor of buying it food and treats and assorted PETSUPPLIES, and the sense that I should be very happy with that and nothing more.

Anyway, this is a subject I'm all-too familiar with, so finding all of the answers was not a great problem. I spotted LITTER and BONE while I was hunting for hints to use in this column, then once I knuckled down and tried properly I got the likes of COLLAR and KIBBLE with no issues. It was one of the easier Strands puzzles (and few are that hard, to be honest).

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 19 November, game #261)

  • KNIFE
  • TONGS
  • FORK
  • SPOON
  • SKEWER
  • SPORK
  • CHOPSTICKS
  • SPANGRAM: UTENSILS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/IzLmZDs

Monday, 18 November 2024

Quordle today – hints and answers for Tuesday, November 19 (game #1030)

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1030) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1030) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1030) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1030) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1030) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• N

• P

• P

• F

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1030) - the answers

Quordle answers for game 1030 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1030, are…

  • NINJA
  • PENCE
  • PAINT
  • FOIST

I very nearly failed for the second day in a row here, with the culprit this time being FOIST. Actually, the culprit was my brain, which should have spotted that FOIST, JOIST and MOIST were all valid answers to -OIST (with HOIST having been ruled out already), and that I should therefore have played something like JUMBO in order to rule out two of them. I didn't, so wasted three guesses on getting that one right then had to solve the remainder with no room to spare.

Fortunately I did that today, and in fact guessing JOIST earlier gave me the J I needed for NINJA, arguably an even harder word, what with its repeated N, uncommon J and uncommon format. I will try harder tomorrow!

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Daily Sequence today (game #1030) - the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence answers for game 1030 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1030, are…

  • FILMY
  • SWAMP
  • DIVER
  • PIXIE

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #1029, Monday 18 November: ASCOT, BRINK, WEIRD, HOMER
  • Quordle #1028, Sunday 17 November: STATE, BRAWN, SWORE, URBAN
  • Quordle #1027, Saturday 16 November: NOTCH, BENCH, BUSED, FOUND
  • Quordle #1026, Friday 15 November: PURER, TRUSS, TORCH, FORUM
  • Quordle #1025, Thursday 14 November: EXALT, TASTE, CRONY, CLOUT
  • Quordle #1024, Wednesday 13 November: YEARN, ELBOW, SURGE, PINEY
  • Quordle #1023, Tuesday 12 November: CHORD, ATTIC, OLIVE, EIGHT
  • Quordle #1022, Monday 11 November: COPSE, REGAL, GRUNT, GOODY
  • Quordle #1021, Sunday 10 November: GROIN, FAULT, FERRY, SUITE
  • Quordle #1020, Saturday 9 November: FLUME, THERE, ATOLL, SANER
  • Quordle #1019, Friday 8 November: DELAY, NAVAL, MOLAR, SWARM
  • Quordle #1018, Thursday 7 November: REPAY, SYNOD, LOATH, PITHY
  • Quordle #1017, Wednesday 6 November: SASSY, DRUID, THREW, SLOSH
  • Quordle #1016, Tuesday 5 November: BEGET, AMUSE, STONY, LOUSY
  • Quordle #1015, Monday 4 November: CHILL, TACKY, GRAPH, PLAZA
  • Quordle #1014, Sunday 3 November: QUIRK, HEART, ELBOW, KNOWN
  • Quordle #1013, Saturday 2 November: SWUNG, FLOOR, PARER, CRUST
  • Quordle #1012, Friday 1 November: FIFTY, GULCH, RECUT, TWEET
  • Quordle #1011, Thursday 31 October: TWINE, RIGID, BELCH, AMEND
  • Quordle #1010, Wednesday 30 October: SLOOP, BRINE, BROOD, FLUID
https://ift.tt/gfrxkad

Sunday, 17 November 2024

Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, November 18 (game #1029)

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1029) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1029) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1029) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1029) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1029) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• A

• B

• W

• H

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1029) - the answers

Quordle answers for game 1029 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1029, are…

  • ASCOT
  • BRINK
  • WEIRD
  • HOMER

Arrggghhh! What a disaster. Yes, I lost my streak today, courtesy of some really slapdash play by me when I was in a rush. A couple of the words were tricky, admittedly, but I still should have done better.

Three of the four words gave me problems; ASCOT is a common word in Quordle, even if not in general life, and I should have guessed that before TACOS, which is a plural and therefore won't be an answer. D'oh! I guess my stomach got the better of me there.

HOMER, meanwhile, was a word that gave me all kinds of trouble in Wordle when it appeared early on in the game's run, and here I needed two stabs at it, going for HOVER first. That left me a 50/50 between BRING and BRINK, with no way for me to know which it was. And here my luck ran out – I went for BRING, but the answer was BRINK and I lost for the first time in a couple of months.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Daily Sequence today (game #1029) - the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence answers for game 1029 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1029, are…

  • VILLA
  • TESTY
  • AMISS
  • ODDER

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #1028, Sunday 17 November: STATE, BRAWN, SWORE, URBAN
  • Quordle #1027, Saturday 16 November: NOTCH, BENCH, BUSED, FOUND
  • Quordle #1026, Friday 15 November: PURER, TRUSS, TORCH, FORUM
  • Quordle #1025, Thursday 14 November: EXALT, TASTE, CRONY, CLOUT
  • Quordle #1024, Wednesday 13 November: YEARN, ELBOW, SURGE, PINEY
  • Quordle #1023, Tuesday 12 November: CHORD, ATTIC, OLIVE, EIGHT
  • Quordle #1022, Monday 11 November: COPSE, REGAL, GRUNT, GOODY
  • Quordle #1021, Sunday 10 November: GROIN, FAULT, FERRY, SUITE
  • Quordle #1020, Saturday 9 November: FLUME, THERE, ATOLL, SANER
  • Quordle #1019, Friday 8 November: DELAY, NAVAL, MOLAR, SWARM
  • Quordle #1018, Thursday 7 November: REPAY, SYNOD, LOATH, PITHY
  • Quordle #1017, Wednesday 6 November: SASSY, DRUID, THREW, SLOSH
  • Quordle #1016, Tuesday 5 November: BEGET, AMUSE, STONY, LOUSY
  • Quordle #1015, Monday 4 November: CHILL, TACKY, GRAPH, PLAZA
  • Quordle #1014, Sunday 3 November: QUIRK, HEART, ELBOW, KNOWN
  • Quordle #1013, Saturday 2 November: SWUNG, FLOOR, PARER, CRUST
  • Quordle #1012, Friday 1 November: FIFTY, GULCH, RECUT, TWEET
  • Quordle #1011, Thursday 31 October: TWINE, RIGID, BELCH, AMEND
  • Quordle #1010, Wednesday 30 October: SLOOP, BRINE, BROOD, FLUID
  • Quordle #1009, Tuesday 29 October: CLIFF, BURNT, SNAKY, POLYP
https://ift.tt/Cdv06xj

Saturday, 16 November 2024

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, November 17 (game #259)

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #259) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Would you look at that?

NYT Strands today (game #259) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • STACK
  • LEAP
  • PALE
  • MACE
  • PACE
  • MEND

NYT Strands today (game #259) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

Sightseeing favorites

NYT Strands today (game #259) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: right, 3rd row

Last: left, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #259) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 259 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #259, are…

  • TOWER
  • CASTLE
  • BRIDGE
  • FORT
  • PALACE
  • MONUMENT
  • ARCH
  • SPANGRAM: LANDMARKS

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

Cameras at the ready? Then off you go in search of LANDMARKS. These days you'll need to take a selfie in front of them, thus proving to the world that you were there, because that's the important thing, right? And do make sure you share it with everyone too, rather than enjoying the CASTLE, PALACE or MONUMENT for its own aesthetic value.

I'm not sure why this Strands triggered me to this extent – probably I'm just grumpy this morning – but I have no such problems with the puzzle itself, which is just fine. Not very difficult, admittedly, once I'd got started. But that was itself a simple task, given that TOWER sat prominently on the left side of the grid. An easy day.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 16 November, game #258)

  • DROLL
  • LAUGHABLE
  • AMUSING
  • WITTY
  • COMIC
  • RIOTOUS
  • SPANGRAM: THATSFUNNY

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/s3XUy9O

Friday, 15 November 2024

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, November 16 (game #258)

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #258) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… "Oh, you!"

NYT Strands today (game #258) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • ROLL
  • TROLL
  • SCOOT
  • LAUGH
  • WITS
  • BETS

NYT Strands today (game #258) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

LOL!

NYT Strands today (game #258) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: top, 3rd column

Last: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #258) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 258 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #258, are…

  • DROLL
  • LAUGHABLE
  • AMUSING
  • WITTY
  • COMIC
  • RIOTOUS
  • SPANGRAM: THATSFUNNY

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: Perfect

This is a relatively mundane edition of Strands, but there's nothing wrong with that. It all makes sense – which isn't always the case! – and offers a reasonable challenge unless you get lucky with your first word. That's because the theme hint, '"Oh, you!"', is rather cryptic; you may well need to use a hint to get going. I didn't, because I found DROLL by accident when looking for hint words, and then spotted LAUGHABLE by design, based on what I thought the concept here might be. I was correct, and followed up with the likes of AMUSING and WITTY before getting the spangram. Business as usual, really.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 15 November, game #257)

  • KALE
  • ICEBERG
  • ROMAINE
  • WATERCRESS
  • RADICCHIO
  • SPANGRAM: SALADGREENS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

https://ift.tt/mgBARKp