Hard to crack misleading words by Times puzzle setter (6)
I believe the answer is:
sphinx
'puzzle setter' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'hard to crack misleading words by times' is the wordplay.
'hard' becomes 'h' (abbreviation used in pencil classifications).
'to crack' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters crack into others).
'misleading words by' becomes 'spin' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'times' becomes 'x' (p times n is p x n).
'h' going within 'spin' is 'sphin'.
'sphin'+'x'='SPHINX'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sphinx that I've seen before include "Giza attraction" , "Riddling monster, top half a woman, bottom half a lion" , "mythical monster" , "Inscrutable figure" , "Stone figure with human head and lion's body" .)