Crossword Genius

Impossible for a knight to occupy dilapidated condo (2,3,2)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

no can do

'impossible' is the definition.
('no can do' can mean something is impossible)

'a knight to occupy dilapidated condo' is the wordplay.
'knight' becomes 'N' (chess abbreviation).
'to occupy' indicates putting letters inside (inserted letters occupy or enter the word).
'dilapidated' indicates anagramming the letters.
'a'+'n'='an'
'condo' with letters rearranged gives 'nocdo'.
'an' going within 'nocdo' is 'NO CAN DO'.

'for' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for no can do that I've seen before include "That's out of the question!" , "Unable to help" , "off-putting response" , "That's not possible" , "Nothing manageable" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.