By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune Columnist
Most mornings, my wife, Suzanne, and I eat breakfast together, then perform a literary ritual. I engage in planned readings for the day, usually of topics with a Kentucky connection. Suzanne attacks her daily “Wordle” game, which, for those of you not aware, has recently swept the country with its popularity.
Simply explained, Wordle asks the participant to guess a five-letter word (their choice), with the object being to figure out the word in as few attempts as possible. Success in three tries is considered very good, and Suzanne averages about 3.5. Not bad.
Suzanne shows off her Wordle t-shirt (Photo by Steve Flairty)
If I can pull myself away from my reading for a few moments, I’ll try to help her, but usually with mixed success. Honestly, she probably doesn’t need Steve’s help. I might better help Suzanne by supplying her with some Kentucky-related words… perhaps ones coming from that morning’s readings.
So here are a few words that might be familiar to Kentuckians and adaptable to improve Suzanne’s Wordle scores, and possibly other Wordle players in the Commonwealth. I’ll underline the suggestions to make those five-letter words show easier.
How about the word craft, as in “I’m looking to buy a craft at the Kentucky Artisan Center, in Berea?” Perhaps the craft might be a colorful plate having a decal with a Kentucky symbol showing proudly.
There are Wordle possibilities from Louisville’s Churchill Downs, too. Proceeded by the playing of a bugle, the Kentucky one is the most famous derby in the world, where occasionally a filly runs; here’s hoping your horse is on the right track and your mint julep tastes good. And don’t forget that every horse needs a skillful rider to win the prize.
Kentucky likes its basketball, often called “hoops.” Our fans hope their team will hit a three, and on the other end of the court, they’d be happy to see our team steal the ball from the opponent while using a full-court press.
And then there are some expressions many Kentuckians use that are of the Wordle type. Let’s “sit a spell” and consider them while on our front porch. We are told that things will come to pass “Lord willing and the creek doesn’t (or don’t) rise.” Farmers working out in the dirt all day might ask someone, “Ya gotta knife?” which means having a pocketknife to use in cleaning dirt from under one’s fingernails. If it has been a while since you have seen someone, “while” is called “a month of Sundays.” So …Wordle you think of that?
Some things are symbols of our state. There is the “fried” in chicken, and the gravy with the KFC biscuits is wonderful. You can pull out the “spoon” and “bread” in spoonbread for Wordle use, and you can visit the hotel where the bread is served as a feature, the Boone Tavern in Berea. Our state tree is the tulip poplar. The state rock is the agate; we know that “united we stand,” and the state gemstone is the freshwater pearl. You might take a shot in Wordle at using the word “rifle” in “The Kentucky Long Rifle.”
Allow me to close by wishing these Kentucky samplings will become your “Wordles to live by.”
As always, I’m excited about attending the annual Kentucky Book Festival, with its signature event being the over 150 authors appearing to sign their books this Saturday, October 29.
Michael Embry (Photo provided)
The event is at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, in Lexington, and the hours are 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. I’ll not be appearing with a book this year — have done so seven times previously — but along with seeing the books available, will be visiting to catch up with old friends and fellow writers, a reunion of sorts.
I plan to be present at noon for the author session with Jon Meacham and David Blight. The two will be discussing insights from their books. Meacham’s offering is And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle, and Blight’s is Frederick Douglass: American Prophet.
Novelists Silas House and Barbara Kingsolver, both of whom I interviewed for articles in the past, will be there. Northern Kentuckian Ron Ellis will bring his newest book, Yonder: Tales from an Outdoor Life and will participate in a panel discussion with other noted outdoors writers. Michael Embry, Frankfort, is making his eleventh appearance at the KBF, bringing his novel, Reunion of Familiar Strangers, a part of the John Ross Boomer Lit series.
That said, there will be a host of other very good writers at the gathering, and I’m looking forward to checking out their works, too. A couple of hours in a literary environment with mostly Kentuckians is good for the soul. See ya there.
