Vegetables that presaged an earthquake? (6,4) Crossword Clue
Answer: GARDEN PEAS (10 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Vegetables that presaged an earthquake? (6,4)" with 10 letters is "GARDEN PEAS". Garden peas is a playful pun clue where “presaged an earthquake” hints at “peas” sounding like “pieces,” suggesting things breaking apart. The clue cleverly combines wordplay with the literal meaning of vegetables grown in a garden.
Why “Garden Peas” Fits
The clue asks for a phrase defined by vegetables, with wordplay in presaged an earthquake. The answer, GARDEN PEAS, works neatly:
- Vegetables: Garden peas are a familiar edible plant, fitting the surface definition straightaway.
- Presaged an earthquake?: This is a playful pun — “garden peas” sounds like “garden peace,” and peace is the opposite of disruption. A sudden loss of peace can “presage” upheaval, cleverly linking to the earthquake reference.
The clue relies on sound similarity and a punning misdirection, making the answer elegant once spotted.
- Garden peas have been cultivated for thousands of years as a staple vegetable, both for food and for early genetic experiments by Gregor Mendel.
- The phrase here, however, works less literally and more as a homophone/wordplay trick.
- Crossword setters often use vegetables, fruits, or animals in this way to create a comic mislead.
The “peace/peas” pun has long been a favorite in wordplay, appearing in jokes, riddles, and now crosswords.
- In quick crosswords, setters often disguise simple answers in surface readings that seem much stranger or more dramatic.
- Here, the dramatic clue “presaged an earthquake” masks an easy homophone joke pointing towards “peas/peace.”
Spotting sound-alike tricks like this is crucial to breaking open whimsical clues.
