Okay, so I’ve been trying to get better at crossword puzzles lately. I like to think of myself as a bit of a wordsmith, but those things can be tough! The New York Times one is, like, the gold standard, right? So I’ve been doing those ones a lot.
Anyway, I came across this clue the other day, “gardening tool,” and my mind just went totally blank. I mean, I garden a bit, so you’d think I’d know this stuff. But for the life of me, I couldn’t come up with anything. I started pacing around my living room, muttering to myself. I even went outside and stared at my shed, hoping for some kind of divine inspiration. Nothing.
My Attempts
- First, I tried to just think of every gardening tool I could. “Shovel,” “rake,” “trowel”… nope, none of those fit the number of letters I needed. I was really starting to feel dumb.
- Then, I thought, maybe it’s something more obscure? Like, maybe it’s a “dibber” or a “weeder”? Still no luck. I was starting to think I’d be stuck on this one clue forever. My wife came in at one point and asked why I was scowling so hard at my phone. I grumbled something about crosswords and she just chuckled and walked away. Women, you know.
- Finally, after what felt like hours, I decided to just look it up online. I mean, I wanted to figure it out myself, but I was getting nowhere. And you know what the answer was? “Hoe.” A simple, three-letter word.
I felt like such an idiot! I’ve used a hoe plenty of times in my own garden! I guess my brain just short-circuited or something. It just goes to show, even if you think you know something, your mind can play tricks on you.
So, yeah, that’s my story about how I got stumped by a simple crossword clue. It was a humbling experience, to say the least. But hey, at least I learned something, right? Or at least remembered something that I already knew. Still, I think I need to stick to the easier puzzles for a while. Maybe the ones in the local paper are more my speed. Haha.
