The world before Wordle

A whirlwind tour of popular trends and shiny fads across four decades

- REHANA MUNIR

I like the origin story of the Omicron-era fad, Wordle. It involves language, love, patience (releasing just one word a day is admirable, if only a bit sadistic), generosity and unexpected -success-a heart-warming parable for our cold virtual age. The game itself-strategically guessing a five-letter word from scratch-leaves me cold. Starter words, like starter dough, are not unworthy pandemic obsessions. I'm glad they exist, creating ripples in a stagnant social pool. They descend, disrupt and depart, leaving the next bling thing in their wake, adding a necessary lightness to an invariably painful public discourse.

I gotta have faith, faith, faith