Crossword Genius

Barely rate jerk in Upper Chamber (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

attic

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

'upper chamber' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'barely rate jerk' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'jerk' could be 'tic' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'tic' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'at' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'in' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for attic that I've seen before include "Dusty room" , "Area at the top of the house" , "Tacit (anag.)" , "Classical" , "Athenian - garret" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.