In retirement, occasionally, spouse insults garage job (4-2)
I believe the answer is:
tune-up
'garage job' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'in retirement occasionally spouse insults' is the wordplay.
'in retirement' says the letters should be written backwards (retire can mean to go back or backwards).
'occasionally' indicates alternate letters.
'spouse'+'insults'='spouseinsults'
The alternating letters of 'spouseinsults' are 'puenut'.
'puenut' backwards is 'TUNE-UP'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tune-up that I've seen before include "Orchestra prepare to play" , "Adjust an engine to improve its performance" , "Of orchestra, bring instruments to correct pitch" .)