I was on the plane bored and unable to fall asleep, when I noticed the man next to me playing Wordle. It was not the daily one, but some spin-off with infinite rounds. You play until you get the word wrong. His streak was 94.

He was pretty good and usually got the right word within four attempts. There was something odd about his strategy though: he began every round with “Zesty” and “Brain”. Always the same two words. I felt immediately that there was some fantastic story underlying these peculiar choices. After a while, I could not help myself.

“Excuse me,” I interrupted. “I couldn’t help but notice that you use the same words every round.”

He turned to me, surprised.

“Yes,” he replied in a French accent. “I like the words.”

“Is there a story behind them?”

“Nope. I just like how they sound.”

We sat in silence for the rest of the flight.

Humans have a tendency to attribute stories or meanings to random events. This has led us to some fascinating results – religion, for example – but can be disappointing when the truth is revealed.

I so wished he had an interesting story.