Is drinking in the afternoon in retirement causing terrors? (4)
I believe the answer is:
imps
'terrors?' is the definition.
(terror is a kind of imp)
'is drinking in the afternoon in retirement' is the wordplay.
'drinking in' is an insertion indicator (some letters get drunk in).
'the afternoon' becomes 'pm'.
'in retirement' shows that the letters should be reversed in order (retire can mean to go back or backwards).
'pm' backwards is 'mp'.
'is' going around 'mp' is 'IMPS'.
'causing' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for imps that I've seen before include "naughty children" , "Mischievous fairies" , "Little devils or scamps" , "Little monkeys?" , "Troublemakers" .)