Google Wax: The Worthies
Like I say, addictive.
Where I should be finalising a book proposal, preparing for a freelance seminar, polishing a script, making puzzles and every other task known to a beleaguered writer, I’m Googling EQUIP and ALOFT to register 613 hits.
And then LITHE and KORMA for 558.
FETED and PRAWN gives you 505.
Just a few more than VELDT and NAVVY. [Did you mean NAVY asks the Google gatekeepers?]
I can tell you that QUOLL, a catlike marsupial that skirts your campfire in northern Tasmania, is Google gold when it comes to a low-hit rate. Combine the critter with most things (ODDER for 240 hits, or WRYLY for 73) is a whacker’s paradise.
But then, QUOLL is hardly a common word. Not outside Australia, anyway.
So my next theory for low scores – alternative spellings. I dabbled with OCHRE and VEINY (1000) and FETED (509). But when you Americanise things to OCHER, and add a more Australian idea like DAGGY, you enter the Eden of 220.
But my lowest tallies for my misspent hour across the working week read like so:
FETED and VEINY, 219.
RHOMB and FETED, 189.
TEXTA and UDDER, 99.
And the best? TEXTA and CIVET, 56. The chief hit relates to endangered species, namely the Malabar civet and some Israeli snail with the zoological alias of Helix texta. What are the blooding chances?!
But I’m not done yet. Off to Sydney today on a mix of work and family time, armed with growing list of rare Google species, I hope. Combine the right two, and I may end up with that evasive grail of a single integer. See how far I get with THRIP and BEVEL and EXUDE and LUCRE….