Crossword Genius

Poorly rate poet's musical work (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

operetta

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

'poorly rate poet's' is the wordplay.
'poorly' indicates an anagram (I've seen this in other clues).
'rate'+'poet'='ratepoet'
'ratepoet' with letters rearranged gives 'OPERETTA'.

(Other definitions for operetta that I've seen before include "A short or light musical comedy like those of G & S" , "light-hearted performance" , "La belle Helene, say" , "G&S production, perhaps" , "piece of music?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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.