by Halimeda Glickman-Hoch and Robyn Speer, based on an idea by Bryce Herdt

Each clue suggests an object whose shape corresponds to the clue's letter. The objects are:

• A is for

  E

  I

  A1F

  A2F

  E

  L

  , with lovers au pair
• B is for

  G

  L

  B1A

  B2S

  S

  E

  S

  , for seeing what's there
• C is for

  O

  C1P

  E

  N

  P

  A

  R

  E

  N

  T

  H

  E

  S

  I

  S

  , start before end
• D is for

  B

  D1A

  D2R

  N

  A

  D3C

  L

  E

  — hang on, little friend
• E is for

  S

  H

  E

  L

  V

  I

  E1N

  G

  , keeps things off the ground
• F is for

  P

  I

  F1P

  E

  F2W

  R

  E

  N

  C

  H

  , which jerks things around
• G is for

  W

  I

  D

  D

  G1E

  R

  S

  H

  I

  G2N

  S

  , the other direction
• H is for

  I

  -

  B

  E

  H1A

  M

  , holds a load under flexion
• I is for

  Q

  U

  I

  I1L

  L

  , which has writing to share
• J is for

  F

  I

  J1S

  H

  H

  O

  O

  J2K

  , a dangling snare
• K is for

  R

  E

  K1F

  L

  K2E

  C

  T

  I

  O

  N

  , let it bounce and go on
• L is for

  V

  A

  L1C

  U

  U

  M

  , which makes smut be gone
• M is for

  A

  R

  M1C

  H

  E

  S

  , above open space
• N is for

  H

  O

  N1W

  E

  T

  N2R

  U

  S

  S

  , above the trolls' place
• O is for

  X

  O1Y

  L

  E

  M

  , slurps up from the land
• P is for

  M

  A

  I

  P1L

  B

  O

  P2X

  — deliver me, man
• Q is for

  K

  Q1N

  O

  Q2B

  — oh, that turns me on!
• R is for

  D

  R

  I

  R1F

  L

  O

  O

  N

  , the balloon Pokémon
• S is for

  S1Y

  I

  N

  -

  S2Y

  A

  N

  G

  , male and female domains
• T is for

  U

  M

  B

  R

  E

  L

  L

  T1A

  , which stops sun and rain
• U is for

  U1J

  U

  M

  P

  R

  O

  P

  E

  , which you turn just in sync
• V is for

  N

  I

  V1B

  , which lays down your ink
• W's

  Z

  I

  G

  W1Z

  A

  G

  , across Charlie's sweater
• X is for

  C

  R

  O

  S

  S

  S

  T

  I

  T

  X1C

  X2H

  , makes pixel art better
• Y is for

  T

  U

  N

  I

  N

  G

  F

  O

  R

  Y1K

  , which flutters just so
• Z is for

  L

  I

  G

  Z1H

  T

  Z2N

  I

  N

  G

  , with charges that flow

Change these letters to the initial letters of the things they look like in the couplets, and it says: DECRYPT LFZHPGTSZCEVOZ THRICE MORE.

Repeat the process three more times to get the answer, HANKEL FUNCTION.