Crossword Genius

Did turn briefly in subtle comedy (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

drollery

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

'comedy' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'did turn briefly in subtle' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'turn' could be 'roll' (roll is a kind of turn) and 'roll' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for drollery that I've seen before include "Jesting" , "jokes" , "comedy" , "Comical quality" , "Jest; buffoonery" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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.