How to solve today's Wordle.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesLooking for Mondays Wordle hints, clues and answer? You can find them here:I was on Twitter (ahem, X) earlierreally, saying I was on X earlier sounds like I was using drugsand it struck me that people are awfully nasty and mean-spirited a lot of the time. I wish more people would take Bill and Teds maxim to heart and be excellent to each other. I also like to invoke Elwood P. Dowd from Harvey. He was played by Jimmy Stewart, and my favorite of his many quotations is:Years ago, my mother used to say to me, shed say In this world, Elwoodshe always called me ElwoodIn this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.And so I do, and I try to follow in Elwoods footsteps, and in Bill and Teds, and it really isnt easy, because people can be stupid and infuriating (often while making big, enormous, potentially calamitous decisions for the rest of us) and on social media its hard to ignore. But I try, and all we can do is try.Play Puzzles & Games on ForbesAnd now, dearest Wordlers, lets solve todays Wordle!How To Solve Todays WordleThe Hint: Where the Christmas elf lives when hes not in the North Pole.The Clue: This Wordle has far more consonants than vowels.Okay, spoilers below!...The Answer:Today's WordleScreenshot: Erik KainWordle AnalysisEvery day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordles with Wordle Bot right here. I knew BRICK was going to be a bad opening guess, but I had my reasons for picking it, and while those werent very good reasons (and while I cant share them because of confidentiality) I stuck to my guns. All grey boxes and 897 remaining solutions later, I questioned those guns. SLATE cut that number by 890 and I really thought I might strike gold with SHELL, but I was one letter off. SHELF was the Wordle, and I snagged it in four.Competitive Wordle ScoreToday's Wordle BotCredit: Erik Kain0 points for me and for the Bot since we both guessed in four and tied one another, leaving our monthly totals at . . .Erik: 23 points.Wordle Bot: 7 points.How To Play Competitive WordleGuessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your pointspositive or negative.You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!Todays Wordle EtymologyThe word shelf comes from Old English scylfe or scelf, meaning a ledge or a flat piece of wood or rock projecting horizontally. It likely has Germanic roots, related to Old Norse skjalf (bench) and Middle Low German schelf (shelf or ledge). The original sense was something projecting or protruding, which evolved into the modern meaning of a flat surface for storage or display.Let me know how you fared with your Wordle today on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog where I write about games, TV shows and movies when Im not writing puzzle guides. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.