NY Times Crossword
December 10, 2018
Alex Eylar

Consider the five clues below and see if you can come up with a common phrase that reflects both the four words - which are listed in a particular order - and the sentence in the fifth clue.

1. DIRT
2. GRASS
3. BUSH
4. JUNGLE
5. "Now things are getting interesting."

Answer:

THE PLOT THICKENS (as in a plot of land)