Crossword Genius

Lustre surrounding vacant blonde boozer (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

shebeen

'boozer' is the definition.
(term for a disreputable drinking establishment)

'lustre surrounding vacant blonde' is the wordplay.
'lustre' becomes 'sheen' (synonyms).
'surrounding' indicates putting letters inside.
'vacant' means to remove the middle letters.
'blonde' with its centre taken out is 'be'.
'sheen' placed around 'be' is 'SHEBEEN'.

(Other definitions for shebeen that I've seen before include "Unlicenced house selling alcohol (Ireland)" , "tavern that's cheap?" , "Illegal liquor shop" , "Illicit bar in South Africa, Ireland or Scotland" , "Unlicensed liquor store" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.