Crossword Genius

Link to President in saucy verse? (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

hotline

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'link' is the definition.
(I have seen 'critical link' mean 'hotline' so perhaps 'link' could also mean 'hotline')

'saucy verse?' is the wordplay.
'saucy' becomes 'hot' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'verse?' becomes 'line' (verse is a kind of line).
'hot'+'line'='HOTLINE'

'to president in' is the link.
This may not be correct. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for hotline that I've seen before include "linked Washington to the Kremlin" , "Direct phone access (for presidents?)" , "Special phone link" , "Direct telephone link between two officials" , "critical link" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.
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