Crossword Genius

Painting is dry and firm (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

secco

'painting' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'dry and firm' is the wordplay.
'dry' becomes 'sec' (similar in meaning).
'and' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'firm' becomes 'co' (abbreviation for company).
'sec'+'co'='SECCO'

'is' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for secco that I've seen before include "Painting technique on dry plaster" , "Dry (of wine)" , "unaccompanied?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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.