“The sea is the universal ___”: Jacques Cousteau

As a detective, my first step in solving this crossword clue is to understand the context of the quote and the background of the person who said it. Jacques Cousteau is an acclaimed French oceanographer, conservationist and filmmaker who devoted his life to exploring the depths of the ocean. Knowing this, I can deduce that if Cousteau was referring to the ocean as the universal “SEWER“, he is likely making a metaphorical comparison to the ways in which humans have polluted and destroyed this precious resource through waste and sewage.

When considering alternatives for “SEWER“, such as “connector” or “source”, they did not fit in and made the quote sound meaningless or forced. But “SEWER” fit perfectly and added a layer of meaning to the quote. In conclusion, the process of solving this crossword required analyzing the context and connotations of the words used and considering the most fitting option to make sense of the quote.