Adamant poet slyly kicks basics (4,3,8)
I believe the answer is:
meat and potatoes
'basics' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'adamant poet slyly kicks' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'kicks' could be 'toes' (toe can mean to kick someone with one's toe) and 'toes' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for meat and potatoes that I've seen is " Key elements".)
I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution?
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