Should we change lanes?
By Rose · August 27, 2026

I unscramble words like I ride a bike: haphazardly. That I’m also slow at both has been good on the road, reducing the number of Munich cycling accidents I would likely “build” (the verb used in German when you cause an accident) at higher speeds, if not the number of people angrily waving their fists in my wake. But it’s not been great for the TongueTied Daily. Normally I’m blithe about failing to find the word in all six languages in the minute allotted – because I know that I wouldn’t have managed Polyglot status even with more time. My French is spotty, my Italian even more so, and I’m completely untrained in Dutch and Danish, the two languages I’ve thrown in for fun.
Yesterday, however, I was reasonably certain I would have eventually found my way to pédaler (French), pedalare (Italian), and perhaps even fietsen (Dutch) if I'd had another minute or two. I’m absolutely certain I would have gotten radfahren (German). Instead, I solved the word in only two languages, and was left angrily shaking my fist in the puzzle’s wake.
The 60-second limit has been a matter of internal debate on the TongueTied team for some time, with Eric arguing for more time and Ezra and me resisting. I’m now starting not just to see but to feel Eric’s point. As we move from 2-against-1 towards an even split (I'm torn), maybe you’d like to weigh in. Should we offer TongueTied Daily players more than 60 seconds, and how should this be indicated if you share your result?
Please vote quickly but carefully, and ideally wearing a helmet.
