Crossword Genius

Old hand but never at cooking! (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

veteran

'old hand' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'never at cooking' is the wordplay.
'cooking' is an anagram indicator (cook can mean to falsify or distort).
'never'+'at'='neverat'
'neverat' anagrammed gives 'VETERAN'.

'but' is the link.

(Other definitions for veteran that I've seen before include "One long experienced" , "One with lengthy experience in service" , "Old hand, ex-service person" , "Old soldier's" , "Describing a pre-1905 car (or pre-1919 at a pinch?)" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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.