Crossword Genius

French boy crushes fruit flat (4-1-5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

pied-a-terre

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

'flat' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'french boy crushes fruit' is the wordplay.
'french boy' becomes 'pierre' (I am not sure about the 'french' bit.).
'crushes' indicates putting letters inside.
'fruit' becomes 'date' (date is a kind of fruit).
'pierre' going around 'date' is 'PIED-A-TERRE'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for pied-a-terre that I've seen before include "Small secondary flat or house" , "bijou accommodation" , "Lodging kept for occasional use (French)" , "Small home kept for occasional use" , "Dwelling for occasional use" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app