Finished ale off, taking proposal to be too poignant (13)

I believe the answer is:

overemotional

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'poignant' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'finished ale off taking proposal to be too' is the wordplay.
'finished' becomes 'over' (over can mean finished or ended).
'ale off' becomes 'eal' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'taking' indicates putting letters inside.
'proposal' becomes 'motion' (proposal at a meeting).
'to be too' says to put letters next to each other.
'eal' enclosing 'motion' is 'emotional'.
'over'+'emotional'='OVEREMOTIONAL'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for overemotional that I've seen before include "Showing excessive feelings" , "Showing excessive feeling" , "Move alien root (anag.)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.

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