Crossword Genius

Brittle BBC boss in first of exacting years (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

edgy

'brittle' is the definition.
(both can mean nervous)

'bbc boss in first of exacting years' is the wordplay.
'bbc boss' becomes 'DG' (short for director-general of the BBC).
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'first of exacting' becomes 'e' (1st letter of 'exacting').
'years' becomes 'y' (abbreviation).
'e'+'y'='ey'
'dg' put within 'ey' is 'EDGY'.

(Other definitions for edgy that I've seen before include "Visibly nervous" , "Nervous and tense, irritable" , "Uneasy" , "Apprehensive" , "Extremely" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.