Mail a newspaperman returned, at first showing indifference (8)
I believe the answer is:
deadness
'indifference' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both human attributes as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'mail a newspaperman returned at first showing' is the wordplay.
'mail' becomes 'send' (synonyms).
'newspaperman' becomes 'ed'.
'returned' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'at' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'first showing' becomes 's' (sst letter of 'showing').
'send'+'a'+'ed'='sendaed'
'sendaed' backwards is 'deadnes'.
'deadnes'+'s'='DEADNESS'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for deadness that I've seen is " Lack of life".)