Ferret and small marsupial let out to lunch (6)
I believe the answer is:
rootle
'ferret' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with contact as well as being verbs in their base form.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'small marsupial let out to lunch' is the wordplay.
'small marsupial' becomes 'roo' (short for kangaroo; 'small' suggests an abbreviation).
'out to lunch' indicates an anagram (out to lunch can mean mad).
'let' anagrammed gives 'tle'.
'roo'+'tle'='ROOTLE'
'and' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for rootle that I've seen before include "grub" , "Dig with snout" , "Dig (as pig for truffles)" , "Search the ground as pigs do" .)