Crossword Genius

Earnest student or heavy drinker out West (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

swot

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

'earnest student' is the definition.
'swot' can be an answer for 'student' (I have seen 'diligent student' mean 'swot' so perhaps 'student' could also mean 'swot'). I am not certain of the 'earnest' bit.

'heavy drinker out west' is the wordplay.
'heavy drinker' becomes 'sot' (I've seen this in another clue).
'out' indicates putting letters inside.
'west' becomes 'W' (abbreviation).
'sot' placed around 'w' is 'SWOT'.

'or' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for swot that I've seen before include "Hard-working student" , "One studying a lot" , "One studying too much" , "Very diligent student" , "Study hard before an exam" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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.