Crossword Genius

English leaves bride confused to follow springer spaniel (4,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

bird dog

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

'springer spaniel' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both animals as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?

'english leaves bride confused to follow' is the wordplay.
'english' becomes 'e' (abbreviation).
'leaves' indicates named letters should be taken away.
'confused' indicates anagramming the letters.
'to follow' becomes 'dog' (I've seen this before).
'bride' with 'e' taken out is 'brid'.
'brid' with letters rearranged gives 'bird'.
'bird'+'dog'='BIRD DOG'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for bird dog that I've seen before include "animal" , "American retriever" , "Retriever (in US)" , "American talent scout" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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.