In vain ... or how to read the answers to 17-, 25-, 49- and 58-Across

FRUITLESSLY

"Here’s a helpful hint for the clue: "Without success, and the first letters of four fruity answers in this puzzle spell out part of this word." This hint guides the solver by: 1. Reinforcing the definition ("without success"). 2. Hinting at the wordplay involving the first letters of fruit-related answers. 3. Avoiding direct repetition of the original clue while making the connection clearer."

This clue is a clever example of a crossword puzzle's self-referential wordplay. Here's how it works: 1. "In vain" – The straightforward definition part of the clue, which directly hints at the answer "FRUITLESSLY," meaning without success or result. 2.