NY Times Crossword
August 9, 2018
Patrick Merrell

The answers to the clues below are familiar phrases beginning with NO. However, the phrase has been parsed differently and the NO is set off by a comma - changing the meaning of the phrase. For example, the expression "No harm done" would have a very different meaning if it were to answer the question "Is everything all right?" as "No, harm done."

Can you think of a familiar expression beginning with NO and set the NO off with a comma so that the changed expression answers the question in the clue?

1. Can I write both a poem and an essay?
2. Is that snack bar known for good burgers?
3. Should you call that stopover between Liverpool and Belfast a peninsula?

Answers:

1. No, rhyme or reason
2. No, great shakes
3. No, Man is an island