It's a long story (4)

I think it could be either:

yarn

saga

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'long story' is the definition.

I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.

(Other definitions for yarn that I've seen before include "Story, and thread or wool, say" , "Long involved story" , "Rope" , "Rambling story" , "Spun thread; long story" .)

I've seen this clue in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the USA Today, The Guardian, The Washington Post, the Universal, the Evening Standard and the Newsday.

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