Alright, alright, lemme tell ya ’bout this “cooper’s tool” thing. I ain’t no fancy scholar or nothin’, just a plain ol’ person tryin’ to make sense of it all, like that New York Times crossword puzzle folks keep talkin’ about.
Seems like on April 21, 2024, them city slickers puttin’ together the crossword, they asked about a “cooper’s tool”. Now, I ain’t seen a cooper in ages, not since old man Fitzwilliam down the road passed on, God rest his soul. He used to make barrels, ya know? Big wooden ones for holdin’ all sorts of stuff – water, pickles, even that moonshine he used to make.
So, what kinda tools did old Fitzwilliam use? Well, I remember seein’ him with these drawknives. Yep, drawknives, that’s what they called ’em. Looked like a handle on each end with a blade in the middle. He’d use ’em to shave down the wood, makin’ it all smooth and curvy so them barrel staves would fit together just right. He had different kinds too, one was kinda rounded, for hollowin’ out the insides I reckon.
- Drawknife
- Hollowing Knife
Now, this crossword puzzle, they was lookin’ for a short word, somethin’ like three to five letters. I heard tell they was lookin’ for one answer and that’s what they got. Can’t be talkin’ about no whole toolbox full of stuff, just one thing. So, it couldn’t be “barrel maker’s tools” or somethin’ long like that. Gotta be somethin’ short and sweet, like one of them tools old Fitzwilliam used. They found about forty answers in their big ol’ books and computer things, but just needed the one.
I ain’t got no fancy book learnin’, but I got some common sense. And common sense tells me that if you’re talkin’ ’bout a cooper, you’re talkin’ ’bout barrels. And if you’re talkin’ ’bout barrels, you’re talkin’ ’bout shapin’ wood. And if you’re talkin’ ’bout shapin’ wood, you’re talkin’ ’bout a drawknife. Seems simple enough to me.
This here “cooper’s tool” ain’t just some random thing, it’s what makes the barrels barrels. It’s important, ya see? Just like how a hammer is important to a carpenter, or a needle is important to a seamstress. Without the right tool, you can’t get the job done. And old Fitzwilliam, he sure knew how to get the job done. He was a master cooper, that’s for sure.
Now, I hear tell this crossword puzzle is a real brain teaser. Folks get all worked up tryin’ to figure it out. But me, I just look at it plain and simple. Don’t try to get too fancy with it. Just think about what makes sense. And when it comes to a cooper’s tool, a drawknife makes the most sense to me. It’s the main tool, the one they use the most. Without it, ain’t no barrels gettin’ made.
So, if you ever see that “cooper’s tool” clue in the crossword again, don’t go gettin’ all flustered. Just remember what old Fitzwilliam used, and you’ll be just fine. And if you happen to find an old drawknife lyin’ around, well, you hold onto it. It’s a piece of history, ya know? A reminder of a time when things were made by hand, with skill and care. And that’s somethin’ worth rememberin’, I reckon.
This whole cooper’s tool NYT crossword clue thing got me thinkin’ ’bout how much things have changed. Nowadays, most folks don’t even know what a cooper is. They get their stuff from the store, all wrapped up in plastic and cardboard. But back in the day, things were different. You had to make your own stuff, or you had to know somebody who could. And that’s where the coopers came in. They were important folks, skilled craftsmen who made things that people needed. And their tools, well, those tools were their livelihood. Without them, they couldn’t do their job.
So, there ya have it. My take on the “cooper’s tool” puzzle. Hope it makes sense to ya. If not, well, that’s alright too. Just remember to keep it simple, like them old tools used to be.
