Clear context for curious moments
WeirdThings explains unfamiliar words and concepts that surface in daily puzzles and platform games, with the evidence and context that ordinary definitions often leave out.
Discovery log
One chronological list, ordered by each Thing’s verified Event date.
An Arctic hare is a hare adapted to Arctic tundra. In many populations, its coat is white in winter and becomes gray-brown in summer, helping it blend into the seasonal landscape.
“Arctic hares (twice a year)” appeared as a clue in LinkedIn Pinpoint #849 on August 27, 2026. The puzzle connected things that change colors.
Brock is a British word for a badger, but that is not the trick in NYT Connections #1173. In this puzzle, BROCK is wordplay: B + ROCK.
BROCK appeared in NYT Connections #1173 on August 27, 2026, with NEMO, SPUNK and WRAP. The group used wordplay rather than the ordinary dictionary sense of each full string.
Dove gray is a light purplish-gray color. In NYT Connections #1173, the grid word DOVE refers to this color—not the bird or the Dove brand.
DOVE appeared in NYT Connections #1173 on August 27, 2026, alongside ASH, PEWTER and SLATE.
Pewter is a tin-based metal alloy. The word also names a bluish-gray color—the color meaning used in NYT Connections #1173.
PEWTER appeared in NYT Connections #1173 on August 27, 2026, in a group with ASH, DOVE and SLATE.
Spunk can mean courage, spirit or liveliness. In NYT Connections #1173, the word also functions as wordplay: S + PUNK.
SPUNK appeared in NYT Connections #1173 on August 27, 2026, with BROCK, NEMO and WRAP. The group used each full string as a starting letter plus a music genre.
A capon is a castrated male chicken, traditionally raised for meat.
CAPON was the answer to NYT Wordle #1894 on August 26, 2026. It is uncommon in everyday conversation, which made its meaning especially relevant after the puzzle.
Showing 6 of 6 available explanations