Crossword Genius

Clap about engineers turning up fuel (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

derv

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

'fuel' is the definition.
(I know that derv is a type of diesel fuel)

'clap about engineers turning up' is the wordplay.
'clap' becomes 'vd' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'about' is an insertion indicator.
'engineers' becomes 're' (Royal Engineers).
'turning up' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'vd' placed around 're' is 'vred'.
'vred' written backwards gives 'DERV'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for derv that I've seen before include "Fuel for lorries" , "Vehicle diesel-oil" , "Lorry fuel" , "Diesel engine fuel oil" , "Type of fuel" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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.