Daddy Cool, not so free from stress (8)
I believe the answer is:
painless
'free from stress' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'daddy cool not' is the wordplay.
'daddy' becomes 'pa' (synonyms).
'cool' becomes 'in' ('in' can mean fashionable or cool).
'not' becomes 'less' (I've seen this in other clues).
'pa'+'in'+'less'='PAINLESS'
'so' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for painless that I've seen before include "Needing little effort" , "Easy - without suffering" , "Involving little effort; not hurting" , "Trouble-free" , "Not causing suffering, like spaniels" .)