Where dog waits for food scraps to be given illegally? (5-3-5)
I believe the answer is:
under-the-table
'given illegally?' is the definition.
The answer and definition are different parts of speech. However, past participle verbs and adjectives occasionally mean the same thing.
'where dog waits for food scraps' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'food' could be 'table' (table is a kind of food) and 'table' is found within the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
'to be' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for under-the-table that I've seen before include "Not above board" , "Transacted in secret -- sozzled" , "Hush-hush" , "Illicit; hopelessly drunk" .)