Crossword Genius

Had to deal with getting up and coffee without the kick! (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

decaf

'coffee without the kick' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'had to deal with getting up' is the wordplay.
'had' becomes 'd' (in contractions e.g. 'I'd', 'you'd' etc).
'to deal with' becomes 'face' (facing is a kind of dealing with).
'getting up' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'face' backwards is 'ecaf'.
'd'+'ecaf'='DECAF'

'and' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for decaf that I've seen before include "Less stimulating coffee?" , "Non-alcoholic drink" , "Type of coffee" , "Style of coffee" , "Coffee without the kick?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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.