Hot stuff very quietly eaten by earl? (6)
I believe the answer is:
pepper
'hot stuff' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I cannot see how they can define each other.
'quietly eaten by earl?' is the wordplay.
'quietly' becomes 'pp' (musical abbreviation for pianissimo).
'eaten by' indicates putting letters inside (inserted letters get eaten).
'earl?' becomes 'peer' (earl is a kind of peer).
'pp' put within 'peer' is 'PEPPER'.
'very' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for pepper that I've seen before include "Pungent condiment" , "Hot spice" , "A hot table condiment" , "Pungent seasoning and vegetable" , "Condiment or vegetable" .)