Crossword Genius

Animated chap starts to notice inner strength — eating this veg? (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

spinach

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

'eating this veg?' is the definition.
'spinach' can be an answer for 'veg?' (spinach is a kind of vegetable). I am unsure of the remainder of the definition.

'animated chap starts to notice inner strength' is the wordplay.
'animated' indicates an anagram.
'starts to' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letters of 'notice inner strength' is 'nis'.
'chap'+'nis'='chapnis'
'chapnis' is an anagram of 'SPINACH'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for spinach that I've seen before include "Some greens" , "Leafy vegetable" , "leaves on plate?" , "Popeye's vegetable" , "Popeye the Sailor's vegetable of choice" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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