Where something rankling might stick crossword

The crossword clue "Where something rankling might stick" sounds odd because it hints at a place where a nagging hurt stays put. The answer "CRAW," names the small pouch in a bird's gullet - in folk speech it also means the human throat. A bitter memory that will not drop away sits there like a sharp stone. Picture a slow burn grudge that drops into that tight tube behind the tongue. Food passes - the grievance remains. Each swallow reminds you of the old wound. The ache does not fade - it waits. Crosswords like to mine this shared territory. A plain clue points to a body part - yet it also points to private sore spots. While you hunt the right word you test your own store of slights and regrets. The grid turns into a quiet bout with yourself. In the end the puzzle shows you back to yourself. "CRAW" is four letters, but it opens a long view into the ways people carry hurt. Life's questions rarely give clean answers - repeatedly they lodge inside the cramped space where we keep what we cannot forget.