Crossword Genius

Big diversion, getting round desert (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

gobi

'desert' is the definition.
(I know that Gobi is a desert)

'big diversion getting round' is the wordplay.
'diversion' indicates an anagram.
'getting' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'round' becomes 'o' (o is a circular letter).
'big' anagrammed gives 'gbi'.
'gbi' placed around 'o' is 'GOBI'.

(Other definitions for gobi that I've seen before include "Desert, mostly in Mongolia" , "Desert, cauliflower in Indian cuisine" , "The . . . . Desert is a barren plateau of S Mongolia and N China" , "very dry place" , "vast arid expanse" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.
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