Crossword Genius

Cutting fish, worker holds kipper's tail (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

trenchant

'cutting' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'fish worker holds kipper's tail' is the wordplay.
'fish' becomes 'tench' (tench is a kind of fish).
'worker' becomes 'ant' (worker is a type of ant).
'holds' is an insertion indicator.
'tail' suggests the final letters.
The final letter of 'kipper' is 'r'.
'tench'+'ant'='tenchant'
'tenchant' enclosing 'r' is 'TRENCHANT'.

(Other definitions for trenchant that I've seen before include "biting" , "Clear-cut and hard-hitting" , "Acerbic" , "Clear" , "Expressively incisive" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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