Stuck on the Fancy term for a long prison sentence crossword clue from NYT Crossword published on January 25 2020? We’re here to help you solve it.
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The Verified Answer for Fancy term for a long prison sentence is:
- DURANCEVILE
Useful hints for “Fancy term for a long prison sentence” Crossword Clue
Hint 1: Clue Explanation
▼Funny how the mind works; as this entry filled in on crosses, I settled on “Durante” at the beginning, as in Jimmy Durante, who I mistakenly mixed up with James Cagney, the antagonist of “Public Enemy” (remember the grapefruit scene?). Getting CBS put me back on track, but DURANCE VILE remained a mystifying run of letters. It turns out that this is a great Old English phrase, pronounced as one would think, rooted in words for “lasting” and “horrible,” that’s begging for a comeback. It’s rife in literature, including a joking reference in a letter from Friedrich ENGELS to Victor Adler.