Crossword Genius

Revolutionary and eastern saint doubled as important fellows (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cheeses

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'important fellows' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are plural nouns, I don't understand how they can define each other.

'revolutionary and eastern saint doubled' is the wordplay.
'revolutionary' becomes 'che' (Che Guevara the Marxist revolutionary).
'and' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'eastern' becomes 'e'.
'saint' becomes 's'.
'doubled' says to double the letters.
'e'+'s'='es'
'es' doubled is 'eses'.
'che'+'eses'='CHEESES'

'as' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cheeses that I've seen before include "Foods prepared from the pressed curd of milk" , "Dairy products, can be hard or soft" , "Camembert, chedder etc." , "'Gruyere, Brie etc. (7)'" , "Stilton and cheddar, perhaps" .)

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