He can cut quite a figure in the garden (9)
I believe the answer is:
topiarist
'garden' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'he can cut quite a figure in the' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'he' could be 'ari' and 'ari' is found within the answer.
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found within the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for topiarist that I've seen before include "One who can produce sculpture" , "Gardener" , "One who shapes shrubs ornamentally" , "Bush trimmer" .)