Crossword Genius

Nipper with drink eating very soft fruit (4-5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

crab apple

'fruit' is the definition.
(crab apple is a kind of fruit)

'nipper with drink eating very soft' is the wordplay.
'nipper' becomes 'crab' (I have seen 'Nautical nipper' mean 'crab' so perhaps 'nipper' could also mean 'crab').
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'drink' becomes 'ale' (type of beer).
'eating' is an insertion indicator.
'very soft' becomes 'pp' (musical abbreviation for pianissimo).
'ale' going around 'pp' is 'apple'.
'crab'+'apple'='CRAB-APPLE'

(Other definitions for crab apple that I've seen before include "A small sour fruit - will it keep the doctor away?" , "unappetizing fruit" , "Tree bearing fruit for jelly" , "Sour fruit used for jam or jelly" , "A small sour fruit, part crustacean" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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