Today's Wordle Answer #588 - January 28, 2023 Solution And Hints

Today's answer is a verb that describes the act of only showing something casual interest or fleeting attention, or a noun that describes someone who does such. If you're here, it's safe to say that's not your disposition to Wordle puzzles — like us, you play to win, and we respect that. If today's triumph is proving a tad tougher than usual, we're here to help you crack the code in time to preserve your streak. We'll supply a few clues that should point you in the right direction, and if you'd rather just cut to the chase, you can skip to the second section for the reveal.

Like yesterday, we're only dealing with a single vowel in the answer word. This time it's the letter I, and it's the third letter in the sequence. There are no repeated letters, and the word rhymes with "dirt." It's most popularly used in the context of amorous or romantic interest, but you could also use it to describe any frivolous dabbling with an activity or idea. Accompanied by the preposition "with," it also describes coming really close to experiencing something or reaching a goal but not quite doing so.

If you haven't yet cracked the code, the answer to today's Wordle puzzle (#588 – January 28, 2023) is "flirt." Etymonline supplies the interesting origin and development of the word into its common usage. Per the source, its first known use dates back to the 1550s, but it originally meant to "turn up one's nose" or "sneer" at something or someone. Sometime later evolved to mean a quick "flick" with the fingers. 

Towards the close of the 16th century, the word came to mean "to move in short, quick flights." This is likely what influenced the evolution of "flirt" to become a moniker for "casual amorous interest," because one of the most overtly flirtatious gestures used by the ladies of the era was a short jerk of the hand to flick a fan open or closed. Although uncertain, Etymonline also suggests that it's possible for the word to have been influenced by Old French "fleureter," which meant to utter sweet nothings or to "touch a thing in passing." I could also be a diminutive of "fleur," or flower, and a metaphor for bees moving from petal to petal. 

This week in Wordle has been chock-full of interesting discoveries like this one, and if you're keen on acquiring knowledge like we are, we bet you've had a good ride. We look forward to what tidbits tomorrow's Wordle answer holds, but if you're eager to keep busy until then, here are some other games that are similar to Wordle.