Crossword Genius

He can't have been in uniform all that long (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cadet

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'have been in uniform all that long' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'he can't' is the wordplay.
'he' becomes 'Cad'.
'can't' becomes 'et' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'cad'+'et'='CADET'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cadet that I've seen before include "officer of the future" , "not the heir" , "Police force trainee" , "Officer in training" , "young soldier" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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