Dear Wall Street Journal:

[yendi]

No, the NY Post did not "bring [soduku] across the Atlantic last spring." Nor, for that matter, is Soduku a "Japanese puzzle" in anything but name.

(That said, the rest of the story is rather interesting, for those interested in soduku. Assuming that the reporter got the rest of his facts right, that is).

Comments

[trochee.livejournal.com]

the majority spelling seems to be "sudoku". is there a reason you prefer soduku?

What's the origin of the word anyway?

[trochee.livejournal.com]

Never mind: asked a Japanese-fluent co-worker, and he says it's su+doku. And Wikipedia agrees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudoku):

The name Sudoku is the Japanese abbreviation of a longer phrase, "suji wa dokushin ni kagiru (数字は独身に限る)," meaning "the digits must remain single"

[yendi]

I tend to transpose the u and the o when I write the word out, is all (and spellcheck doesn't catch it either way).

But this way makes it sound like I'm asking a question of a Sith lord.

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

*Groan* That actually took me a second.

[yendi]

Thing is, I wasn't even really trying for a pun. It's just one that snuck up on me.

[trochee.livejournal.com]

"so, dooku -- what number would you put here!", said Obi-wan, swinging the light saber to attention.

on the other hand,
Sue Dokku sounds like a character from a Scott McCloud comic.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Now, if the New York Post had brought bukkake across the Atlantic, then we'd be impressed.

[gardenfey.livejournal.com]

*snerk*

[yendi]

I've heard that the New York Post Big Book of Bukkake is coming out this June.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Allllll right, I'm going to pretend I was never here, mmkay? Walking away now....

[litch.livejournal.com]

magic squares were popular in mideviel europe before anyone ever came up with the word japan

[leonardpart6.livejournal.com]

No, the NY Post did not "bring [soduku] across the Atlantic last spring."

Thank you. I've been playing the game since Games magazine published it under the name "Numbers." Drives me nuts to see this referred to as a "new sensation."*

As for the article, it's only interesting in terms of acting as free advertising for Sudoku-based companies. A fluff piece built to fill on a slow news day.

*no relation to INXS. Sadly.