It can help when dad gets nearly half starved! (5)
I believe the answer is:
pasta
'it can help when dad gets nearly half starved' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.
'it can help when dad' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'it' could be 't' (abbreviation. e.g. in 'tis) and 't' is found in the answer.
'when' could be 'as' (eg 'when I walked' means 'as I walked') and 'as' is found within the answer.
'dad' could be 'pa' (both can mean one's father) and 'pa' is found in the answer.
No letters remain.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for pasta that I've seen before include "Italian dough" , "Eg, spaghetti" , "Course of Italian" , "Dried flour paste used in cooking Italian dishes" , "Dish of dough made with durum wheat" .)
