Wordle #1342: Hints, Clues, and Answer – Thursday, February 20th

Looking for Wednesday’s Wordle hints, clues and answer? You can find them here:

ForbesToday’s ‘Wordle’ #1341 Hints, Clues And Answer For Wednesday, February 19thBy Erik Kain

Once again, we have reached the Day of Thor. Every Thursday, I reveal the answer to the Wordle Wednesday puzzle (a riddle or brain-teaser I give out each Wednesday before we solve the Wordle).

This was yesterday’s puzzle:

The Royal Messengers

A royal messenger leaves the castle at dawn, riding his horse at a steady speed of 8 miles per hour. His mission is to deliver an urgent letter to a village 40 miles away.

However, after 2 hours, the king realizes he forgot to include an important detail in the letter. He sends a second rider to chase the messenger, galloping at 12 miles per hour.

Will the second rider catch up with the first in time to amend the message?

The answer is NO. By the time the second rider has traveled 36 miles, the first rider will have reached the village. The correct solution to preventing the village’s total destruction at the hands of the Dark Lord will not arrive in time, and the villagers will unwittingly welcome the armies of hell into their homes. Whether the King will realize his mistake and fortify his castle before the dark tide overwhelms his people remains to be seen. Stay tuned to next week’s riddle in order to find out more!

I’ll post the answer in tomorrow’s Wordle guide. Feel free to message me with your answer on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook in the meantime.

Now let’s solve this Wordle!

How To Solve Today’s Wordle

The Hint: Both an insect and a cannabis cigarette. And a fish, actually. Not to mention Geralt of Rivia’s horse!

The Clue: This Wordle begins and ends with a consonant.

Okay, spoilers below!

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The Answer:

Wordle Analysis

Every day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordles with Wordle Bot right here.

FLAME is a dramatic opening guess even though ‘F’ is not that common a letter. Sometimes using less common letters yields great results. With 116 words remaining, this one could have gone any which way. Thankfully, SCOUR did the trick, slashing that down to just 1: ROACH for the win!

Competitive Wordle Score

I get 1 point for guessing in three and 0 for tying the Bot. I’ll take it!

How To Play Competitive Wordle

• Guessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.
• If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.
• Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your points—positive or negative.
• You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!

Today’s Wordle Etymology

The word roach has different etymologies depending on its meaning:

1. For the insect (cockroach) – Roach is a shortened form of cockroach, which comes from the Spanish cucaracha. The Spanish word likely derives from Latin blatta, meaning “an insect that shuns the light.”
2. For the fish (European roach, Rutilus rutilus) – The origin is uncertain, but it may come from Old French roche or roge, referring to a type of fish.
3. For a cannabis cigarette end (slang) – The origin is debated, but it may derive from the Mexican Spanish roach in la cucaracha, a song associated with marijuana use, or it may refer to the small, remaining “roach” resembling an insect’s body.

Let me know how you fared with your Wordle today on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog where I write about games, TV shows and movies when I’m not writing puzzle guides. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.