What is the nature of a shaggy dog story as presented in a long crossword?

A shaggy dog story is typically long and often involves elaborate and meandering plots.

It could be diverse, maybe a historical drama or a fictional adventure. It really depends on the topic and the creative team behind it.

Typically, there is a shaggy dog, of course. And usually some kind of adventure or journey that the dog goes on. There might be encounters with other animals like in the previous stories, where the dog meets squirrels, mice or rabbits. Also, the long shaggy fur often plays a role, either getting dirty, wet or tangled.

A shaggy dog story is a kind of humorous tale that often has a long and complicated setup but ends up with an anticlimactic or unexpected and often unimpressive conclusion.

Once upon a time, there was a shaggy dog named Max. Max lived in a small village. He was known for his long, unruly fur. One day, Max decided to go on an adventure. He wandered into the forest. There, he met a squirrel who was gathering nuts. The squirrel was a bit scared of Max at first because of his size, but Max just wagged his tail friendly. Max continued his journey and found a stream. He tried to catch a fish in the stream but ended up getting all wet. His long fur was dripping water everywhere. He then went back to the village, looking like a drowned rat but still happy from his adventure.

Shaggy dog stories are long, rambling tales that often have an unexpected or anticlimactic ending. They are known for their elaborate setups and humorous twists.

Well, the meaning of a shaggy dog story is that it's a type of humorous narrative. It typically has a long and winding plot. As for the origin, it has been around for quite a while. It might have emerged from oral storytelling traditions. These stories are designed to build up expectations and then deflate them at the end. For example, you might think a story is leading to a grand adventure or a great discovery, but in the end, it just fizzles out in a rather silly or unexpected way. It's all about the journey in these stories rather than the destination.

A 'shaggy dog story' typically is a tale that goes on and on, and when it's over, you think, 'That was a waste of time!' It usually doesn't have a meaningful or coherent resolution.

A shaggy dog story usually has a long and elaborate build-up that leads to an anticlimactic or unexpected ending. It often involves a lot of detail and seems to be going somewhere significant, but the final outcome is kind of disappointing or funny in an odd way.

Basically, a shaggy dog story is one where you invest a lot of time listening or reading, but the conclusion is anticlimactic or kind of odd. It might leave you thinking, 'That was a lot of effort for not much payoff!'