Crossword Genius

Not smart to send up bishop with slander (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

dumb

'not smart' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'send up bishop with slander' is the wordplay.
'send up' is a reversal indicator.
'bishop' becomes 'B' (chess abbreviation).
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'slander' becomes 'mud' (as in to drag someone's name through the mud).
'b'+'mud'='bmud'
'bmud' written backwards gives 'DUMB'.

'to' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for dumb that I've seen before include "Stupid; unable to speak" , "Silent" , "Thick" , "Mute" , "Not able to speak" .)

I've seen this clue in The Everyman puzzle in The Observer.
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