REELS (corrected version, I hope)

[L oki]

Sorry, for some reason the transmission eliminated all paragraphing in my
previous message. It's still readable, but just for clarity, here it is
again with paragraphing (I hope) restored. ~okl.

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I compose Cryptic Crossword puzzles, and had the following clue in a
puzzle:
>>1. Dances with weed whacker cords (5)

My editor is doubtful about it, and wrote:
>>REELS: Weed whacker cords COME on REELS, but ARE they REELS?

I responded:
>This was the one I referred to in the vocab about "I was surprised to
>find what a lawnmower blade is called." A reel sounds like a strange
>term for a blade, but I figured it would probably carry over to a weed
>whacker, too, and be easier to guess. Maybe lawnmower blades
>reminded mechanics of film reels?

American Heritage Dictonary:
"reel1  n. ... 4. A set of curved lawn-mower blades that rotate around a
bar parallel to the ground, cutting grass while moving against a
stationary straight blade."

I ask this group, did I misuse the word, or is it too obscure?

~Owen Lorion

(For those who might be unfamiliar with Cryptic clues, they consist of
two parts, giving two independent clues for the same answer, but
camouflaged as a single phrase.)

(At my editor's suggestion, I've already changed the clue to "Dances with
winds (5)".)






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