Good evening. ICYWW, the word “dude” can trace its origins back to the 1800s, when it was coined in reaction to a particular fad among certain young men in New York City (the hipsters of the time), according to a book published by three language scholars in 2023.

As reported by NPR:

• This crowd had a particular way of dressing—usually over-the-top and fancy—and were perceived by many as fake or trying-too-hard.
• Eventually, these men became known as "dudes," likely in reference to Yankee Doodle, who, as the old war song goes, was an unsophisticated American who "stuck a feather in his cap" in an attempt to parade as a kind of European "dandy" in high society.

The word’s meaning morphed over time, as it traveled from poets to surfers to suburban moms and wove its way deep into the fabric of society.

Like they say in The Big Lebowski: “The Dude abides.”

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Each of the following events happened on August 6. Your challenge is to put them in the order in which they occurred by year, earliest to latest. Answers at the bottom!

• A) After a thousand years, the Holy Roman Empire comes to its official end with Emperor Francis II abdicating his title as Holy Roman Emperor. This move follows the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine by Napoleon and the subsequent secession of several empire member states.
• B) The NY Times publishes a front-page obituary for Agatha Christie sleuth Hercule Poirot—an honor rarely, if ever, accorded a fictional character. Christie had announced plans to kill him off in her next book.
• C) President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, guaranteeing Black Americans the right to vote.
• D) The US becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry in wartime, when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in an attempt to hasten the end of WWII. ~80,000 people are killed, with another 35,000 injured—while at least another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout.

Hint: Ironically, the ending is first

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And bad puns aside, today’s Conjoiner sequence is only guaranteed to make it better (warning: this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA).

The first clue of today’s sequence is: “A key pipe or conduit for conveying H20”...

Note: A (potentially important) clue for today’s Conjoiner can be found at the bottom of our AM send. Just search “🍩 Going into labor“ in your inbox.

Mini

Click the link below…then stand back because you’ll want to avoid the first clue’s answer.

• Play today’s puzzle here.

Sudoku

The feeling of playing today’s sudoku has been compared to a sunset walk on an empty beach with a temp that’s like baby bear’s porridge—not too hot, not too cold. It’s that satisfying.

• Play today's puzzle here.

Click to play any (or all) of the three GOATWars’ challenges below, then pick the GOAT through a series of head-to-head matchups. This data-driven process was developed to create definitive best-of-all-time lists using a more objective approach than random bloggers just publishing controversial opinions for clicks.

• 📱 THE BEST MOBILE GAMES OF ALL TIME
• 🌹 THE GREATEST ‘BACHELOR(ETTE)’ VILLAINS OF ALL TIME
• ⌚ THE BEST… MEN’S LUXURY WATCHES OF ALL TIME | WOMEN’S LUXURY WATCHES OF ALL TIME

🍟 BEST FAST FOOD MASCOTS OF ALL TIME

1. Ronald McDonald (McDonald’s)
2. Colonel Sanders (KFC)
3. The Taco Bell Chihuahua (Taco Bell)

Explore the full list.

A, D, C, B

• A) 1806: After a thousand years, the Holy Roman Empire comes to its official end with Emperor Francis II abdicating his title as Holy Roman Emperor. This move follows the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine by Napoleon and the subsequent secession of several empire member states.
• D) 1945: The US becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry in wartime, when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in an attempt to hasten the end of WWII. ~80,000 people are killed, with another 35,000 injured—while at least another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout.
• C) 1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, guaranteeing Black Americans the right to vote.
• B) 1975: The NY Times publishes a front-page obituary for Agatha Christie sleuth Hercule Poirot—an honor rarely, if ever, accorded a fictional character. Christie had announced plans to kill him off in her next book.