Crossword Genius

Impudent talk about vegetable and fish (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

pilchard

'fish' is the definition.
(pilchard is a kind of fish)

'impudent talk about vegetable' is the wordplay.
'impudent talk' becomes 'lip' (informal term for impolite remarks).
'about' is a reversal indicator.
'vegetable' becomes 'chard' (chard is a kind of vegetable).
'lip' in reverse letter order is 'pil'.
'pil'+'chard'='PILCHARD'

'and' is the link.

(Other definitions for pilchard that I've seen before include "Item of seafood" , "'Small fatty fish, usually canned (8)'" , "Small sea fish related to the herring" , "Small fatty fish, usually tinned" , "Edible herring relative" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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