Frazz by Jef Mallett for June 11, 2024

Hush your mouth! At midnight I play Wordle, then Connections, then read my favorite comics. THEN I’m ready for bed!

Getting picky about somebody else’s hobbies is like getting picky over their taste in food, clothing, TV shows, etc. They’re all matters of personal preference. De gustibus non est disputandum.

No, like brushing your teeth. You did it because you needed to.

Wordle is interesting if you win.

My siblings and I have a competition we started on January first. We do the Wordle and it’s French equivalent (Le Mot) every day. We share our score say W=4 and M=3 as the total number of tries in both, so 7 in this case. The day’s lowest total gets one point. I’m currently in second place. My brother is in the lead (the rest of us think he cheats). We live far apart, it’s a nice way to keep in touch.

My Mickey Mouse watch used to wind itself…until Mick’s minute hand broke off!!

My wife and I have a “Wordle date” every day after we get home from work. Then we play Connections. It’s just a nice little ritual to get us into “us” space after along day.

I know curators whose job it is, is to wind large clocks in their care. I think it only needs to be done once or twice a week, if they don’t all the visitors and staffers notice.

They also created self winding watches. You could also wind them, useful if you take your watch off when you sleep. Otherwise, the movement of the wearer would keep them wound. No batteries needed.

Caulfield talks about winding as if discussing historical artifacts and habits. Too bad he has never experienced the changes that began in the 50’s-60’s. He would find some of them fascinating.

[By the way, the term stem winder also is a euphemism for a rousing speech of the old style, or something remarkable or note worthy. Also applied to tornadoes and temperamental diatribes of truly angry persons.]

Started out as a teenager in the 50’s with a WestClox Scotty stem winder pocket watch and a braided belt loop to keep it safe. That watch still works . . . to a point. Second hand ticking along and hands moves. Keeps fairly accurate time. Just hard to pull stem to set time. But not bad for over 70 years.

A decade later I had a Gruen wristwatch with a clear dial so I could see the springs and works ticking. Fascinating and amazing. [Fortunately, the outcomes of my earlier ‘youthful experiments’ convinced me not to try to take it apart.]

My first truly ‘advanced’ watch was a Bulova Accutron from around 1965-68. Great watch, with transparent face that showed the tuning fork and electronics. Wasn’t much to see, but was a pleasure to have something that marked a milestone in timekeeping history. Later Dad left me his RR Accutron, the first model ever to be approved for use by railroads. Those still work and have passed to our sons.

So, Caulfield really missed the fun part of time keeping pieces. Bet he’s never even seen a pair of men’s trousers with a watch pocket at the belt line.

Just wondering, did you go to a Catholic high school? Latin was always offered to us as a language elective.

One can still buy digital watches for those with dial-phobia.

I can understand enjoying wordle. I don’t understand why people still post their wordles.

I’ve done just fine without Wordle all my life. Thank you.

I play Quordle and Octordle. Regular Wordle is too easy for me.

Wordle, Connections, Strands, Colorfle (a color puzzle that can be frustrating but in a good way), Framed (name that movie), Worldle (geography – this is the most valuable in terms of learning), Factle, Factle Sports (both trivia). Also, the NY Times ‘Mini’ crossword which is done with speed in mind.

Wow, i remember those days. And if you didn’t wind it, it would lose track of the days and time. It wasn’t that long ago. Now i’ve got a watch thats a computer. When they say time slips away, they used to be right.

I’ve played Wordle each night before bed for years, and I still do. Guilty as charged.

Not bragging (too much), but I graduated with a degree in English and spent almost two decades as a newspaper writer (a few at the GR Mess with you, Jef). Did Wordle for about a month and just got bored with it. But the ADD — squirrel — might have been a contributor.

I still wind my watch! :)

Weekdays, after I am ready for the day (after dressing, breakfast and such) I sit at my computer and start with some games: TriPeaks, Wordle, Hurdle, and maybe Spider Solitaire. Hurdle is an interesting variation of multiple wordles.