Crossword Genius

Papers, I see, love part of the US (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

idaho

'part of the us' is the definition.
(Idaho is a US state)

'papers i see love' is the wordplay.
'papers' becomes 'ID' (identification papers).
'i see' becomes 'ah' (exclamation used to indicate understanding).
'love' becomes 'o' (love means zero in tennis).
'id'+'ah'+'o'='IDAHO'

(Other definitions for idaho that I've seen before include "found in America" , "US state bordering Canada" , "State of NW US" , "O, I had a change in this state" , "The Gem State (US)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app