Create a niche for oneself with cut that's passé? (5,3)
I believe the answer is:
carve out
'create' is the definition.
(I know that carve out is a more specific form of create)
'with cut that's passe?' is the wordplay.
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'cut' becomes 'carve' (carving is a kind of cutting).
'that's passe?' becomes 'out' (I've seen this in another clue).
'carve'+'out' is 'CARVE OUT'.
'a niche for oneself' is the link.
This may not be correct. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for carve out that I've seen is " Develop (eg, a career) by one's own efforts".)