Crossword Genius

Leave queen, maybe spades? Not spades! (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

quit

'leave' is the definition.
(I know that quit is a more specific form of the action leave)

'queen maybe spades? not spades' is the wordplay.
'queen' becomes 'Q' (chess abbreviation).
'maybe spades?' becomes 'suit' (spades is a playing card suit).
'not' indicates named letters should be taken away.
'spades' becomes 's' (abbreviation in card games).
'suit' with 's' taken out is 'uit'.
'q'+'uit'='QUIT'

(Other definitions for quit that I've seen before include "Leave or abandon" , "Leave or stop doing" , "Leave, depart" , "Leave; give up" , "Depart, resign from" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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