Crossword Genius

Ginger Spice with battered car - it's very old (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

geriatric

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

'ginger spice with battered car it's' is the wordplay.
'ginger spice with' becomes 'geri' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'battered' is an anagram indicator.
'car'+'it'='carit'
'carit' with letters rearranged gives 'atric'.
'geri'+'atric'='GERIATRIC'

'very' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for geriatric that I've seen before include "past it" , "Relating to old people" , "treatment of the elderly" , "Oldie" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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