Beginning to dry after stockings covered in water? (5)
I believe the answer is:
hosed
'covered in water?' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are past participle verbs, I don't understand how one could define the other.
'beginning to dry after stockings' is the wordplay.
'beginning to' suggests taking the first letters.
'after' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'stockings' becomes 'hose' (hose refers to stockings, tights etc).
The first letter of 'dry' is 'd'.
'd' after 'hose' is 'HOSED'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for hosed that I've seen before include "swilled down with water" , "washed" , "wearing tights?" , "Watered with a flexible pipe" .)