what's with the wisecracks?

I don't think I'd ever seen the verb wisecracks split into cracks wise ... until recently. I read it sometime in the last week or two in the Times and didn't think much of it. Then, in today's paper, there was another occurrence, in the continuation of the article on the Oscars. Just so you've got some context: "... in which the M.C., usually a comedian, cracks wise to keep generally unremarkable acceptance speeches consisting of shout-outs to families and agents from driving audiences away."

But don't worry about the death of the conflated word. This headline appeared on page A12: Rename Law? No Wisecrack Is Left Behind.