Crossword Genius

Some ladies kiss sloppily (3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lax

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

'some' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Perhaps you can see a link between them that I don't see?

'kiss sloppily' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'kiss' could be 'x' (X can represent a kiss) and 'x' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'la' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'ladies' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for lax that I've seen before include "Sloppy" , "Not strict enough" , "Negligent" , "Slack, loose" , "Slapdash" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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