1) HAND TROWEL is a thing; HAND SPADE is not.TenPoundHammer wrote:I said "spade" as well and negged it, but am wondering too if it'd be acceptable.jkbrat wrote:Would "spade" be acceptable for "trowel"? The clue's pretty generic -- "...is a hand one of these shovel-like tools used for planting and weeding".
2) spades usually have long handles and are not really practical for weeding
3) the flatter, squarish blade means it's not great for planting, either
4) spades' primary uses are digging and spreading soil
It might be a generic clue for those who don't garden much (10 years here, 50+ crops) but side by side for the uses mentioned, the no-contest winner is the trowel. I daresay you *could* plant using a spade in the same way you might use a steak knife as a bladed screwdriver (yes, a spade does not even rise to the butter knife comparison).
Interestingly, TIL what is found on most fancy clocks are SPADE HANDS.
Jeffrey