Approximately

Once upon a time, in a small Italian village nestled upon the mountains, lived a wise old man named Giuseppe. Giuseppe was famous in the village for his incredible accuracy in predicting time, seasons, and weather conditions.

One day, a young traveler came to Giuseppe with a question. He asked the old man how long it would take for him to reach his destination across the mountains. Giuseppe thought for a while and replied, “Orso.”

The young traveler was confused by the answer and asked what it meant. Giuseppe explained that “Orso” was the name of a giant bear that lived in the mountains. The beast was so fearsome and unpredictable that even Giuseppe could not predict its movements with precision. All he could do was give an approximation to the traveler, which would be around the time Orso was likely to be inactive or less aggressive.

From that day forward, the name Orso became synonymous with the word “approximately” in the village. And years later, when a clever Italian crossword constructor needed a four-letter answer for the clue “Approximately,” he picked ORSO as a tribute to old Giuseppe and the legendary mountain bear.