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Lush mountain enthralling mapmakers, you could say (2,2,5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

so to speak

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'could say' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'lush mountain enthralling mapmakers' is the wordplay.
'lush' becomes 'sot' (both can mean a drunk).
'mountain' becomes 'peak' (the peak of a mountain).
'enthralling' is an insertion indicator.
'mapmakers' becomes 'OS' (Ordnance Survey).
'sot'+'peak'='sotpeak'
'sotpeak' enclosing 'os' is 'SO TO SPEAK'.

'you' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for so to speak that I've seen before include "In a way" , "If one may use that expression" , "as one might say" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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