Alright, let’s talk about this here “put forth” thing in them crossword puzzles. You know, the kind where you gotta fill in them little squares? Yeah, that’s the one. Always giving me a headache, but keeps my brain from turning to mush, I guess.
What does “put forth” even mean? Well, it ain’t as simple as puttin’ somethin’ down on the table, that’s for sure. It’s more like… like when you’re tryin’ to get your point across, you know? Like, you’re “puttin’ forth” an idea, or “puttin’ forth” an effort. Sometimes it’s like you’re “puttin’ forth” a plan, you know, like when I tell my grandson to “put forth” some effort in cleaning his room, otherwise no cookies for him.
Now, these crossword puzzle fellas, they got all sorts of ways to say the same thing. So, “put forth,” it could be a whole mess of different words. I saw some sayin’ there’s like, 10, 20, even 40 different answers! Makes my head spin, it does. But I reckon it just depends on how many letters they give ya in the puzzle.
Let’s see, some of them words they use…
- EXERT – Like when you’re really tryin’ hard, you’re “exertin’” yourself. Like tryin’ to open a jar of pickles that’s stuck real tight, you gotta “exert” all your strength.
- POSIT – Now this one’s a fancy one. Sounds like somethin’ a city slicker would say. But it just means puttin’ somethin’ forward, like an idea. Like when the preacher “posits” his ideas about the good book.
- ASSERT – This one’s like when you’re standin’ your ground. You’re “assertin’” your opinion, like when I “assert” to my grandson he needs to eat his vegetables if he wants dessert.
- CLAIMED – Means you said somethin’ was yours or somethin’ was true. Like when you “claimed” that bingo prize, even though old lady Johnson swore it was hers.
- ISSUED – Kinda like when somethin’s officially put out there. Like when the government “issued” a warning about the weather.
- EXTEND – Like reachin’ somethin’ out. You can “extend” your hand, or “extend” an offer. Like when I “extend” an invitation for Sunday dinner to my neighbor.
- SUGGEST – That’s when you’re just kinda throwin’ an idea out there, not demandin’ it. Like when I “suggest” to my grandson that maybe he should try mowing the lawn for some extra pocket money.
- SPEND – This one can mean usin’ time or money. Like when you “spend” an afternoon at church or “spend” your money at the market.
And there’s more, I tell ya! There’s words like “posited,” “exerted,” seems like they just add “ed” to the end sometimes. Then there’s “proposed,” that’s like when you’re suggestin’ somethin’ serious, like a marriage proposal, not that anyone’s proposin’ to me these days! And “promoted,” that’s like when you’re tryin’ to get folks to believe in somethin’.
So how do you figure out which word to use? Well, that’s the tricky part, ain’t it? You gotta look at them other letters you already got filled in. And you gotta see how many letters they’re givin’ ya for the word. If it’s a short word, maybe it’s “give” or “issue.” If it’s longer, maybe it’s “asserted” or “suggested”. And don’t forget to look at the clue again, sometimes them clues give you a hint, if you read them carefully.
Here’s a little trick I learned… You know, they always tell ya to start at the beginning of the crossword, but I say, heck with that! I always look for them easy ones first. The ones where you just gotta fill in a name or somethin’ you already know. Get them out of the way, and then it’s easier to see what letters you need for the harder ones, like this “put forth” business.
And another thing… don’t be afraid to guess! Sometimes you just gotta throw somethin’ in there and see if it fits. And if it don’t, well, you just erase it and try somethin’ else. It ain’t the end of the world. It’s just a crossword puzzle, not fixin’ the roof after a storm.
So, there you have it. A whole bunch of words that mean “put forth.” And a few tips on how to tackle them crossword puzzles. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go find my glasses and get back to work on this puzzle. That five-letter word for “put forth” is drivin’ me batty!
