Crossword Genius

Little taste in an elephant's tusks, might you say? (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

aperitif

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'little taste' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both things that one consumes for nourishment as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see a link between them that I don't see?

'an elephant's tusks might you say?' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'an' could be 'per' (synonymous as in 'once an hour', 'once per hour') and 'per' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'in' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for aperitif that I've seen before include "appetizer" , "Alcoholic beverage as an appetiser" , "it's served before dinner" , "alcohol before meal" , "Pre-dinner drink" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.