English editor in New York in dire straits (5)

I believe the answer is:

needy

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'english editor in new york in dire straits' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'english editor in new york in' is the wordplay.
'english' becomes 'E' (abbreviation).
'editor' becomes 'ed'.
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'new york' becomes 'ny'.
'in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'e' put inside 'ed' is 'eed'.
'eed' put within 'ny' is 'NEEDY'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for needy that I've seen before include "lacking resources" , "Distressed" , "Poor; indigent" , "Wanting attention" , "Poverty-stricken" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.