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Colourful fish and French floor covering for VIPs (3,6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

red carpet

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'floor covering for vips' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?

'colourful fish and french' is the wordplay.
'colourful' becomes 'red' (similar in meaning).
'fish' becomes 'carp' (carp is a kind of fish).
'and french' becomes 'et' ('and' in French).
'red'+'carp'+'et'='RED CARPET'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for red carpet that I've seen before include "Welcoming strip" , "walked over by celebrities" , "base for celebrities" , "for star treatment" , "It is rolled out for VIPs" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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