Old-fashioned contraction

TWAS

["Here’s a helpful hint for the clue **\"Old-fashioned contraction\"**:\n\n*\"Poetic way to say 'it was' in a classic tale.\"*\n\nThis hint:\n- References the archaic nature of the word (\"poetic,\" \"classic tale\").\n- Gently points to the meaning (\"it was\") without giving away the contraction itself.\n- Avoids repeating the original clue while making it slightly easier to infer."]

The clue **"Old-fashioned contraction"** leads to the answer **"'TWAS"** through the following breakdown: 1. **Old-fashioned**: The term suggests an archaic or outdated word or phrase, which fits "'twas" as it is an old-fashioned contraction of "it was." 2. **Contraction**: This directly indicates that the answer is a shortened form of two words combined with an apostrophe. "'Twas" is a contraction of "it was," commonly used in older English or poetic contexts. The wordplay is straightforward, relying on the solver recognizing "'twas" as a well-known but antiquated contraction. There are no additional puns or cultural references beyond the linguistic hint. The clue effectively guides the solver by combining a definition ("old-fashioned") with a grammatical indicator ("contraction").