Crossword Genius

Returning artist gets stick for being abstruse (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

arcane

'being abstruse' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'returning artist gets stick' is the wordplay.
'returning' is a reversal indicator.
'artist' becomes 'RA' (Royal Academician, member of Royal Academy of Arts).
'gets' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'stick' becomes 'cane' (cane is a kind of stick).
'ra' back-to-front is 'ar'.
'ar'+'cane'='ARCANE'

'for' is the link.

(Other definitions for arcane that I've seen before include "Secret, hidden" , "Abstruse, mysterious" , "cryptic" , "Mysteriouss or secret" , "Mysterious - an acre (anag)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Independent.
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