Crossword Genius

He's right beside the tree (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

oliver

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'he's' is the definition.

'right beside the tree' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'right' could be 'r' (common abbreviation) and 'r' is found within the answer.
'tree' could be 'olive' (olive is a kind of tree) and 'olive' is found within the answer.
No letters remain.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for oliver that I've seen before include "First name of Dickens boy Twist" , "Fictional boy who famously asked for more" , "Hardy, maybe" , "Roland companion; Bath biscuit" , "Dickens-based musical" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app