Crossword Genius

Ridicule criminal and part-time worker starting trouble (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

contempt

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

'criminal and part-time worker starting trouble' is the wordplay.
'criminal' becomes 'con' (abbreviation for 'convict').
'and' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'part-time worker' becomes 'temp' (temp is a kind of worker. I am not sure about the 'part-time' bit.**).
'starting' suggests taking the first letters.
The first letter of 'trouble' is 't'.
'con'+'temp'+'t'='CONTEMPT'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for contempt that I've seen before include "Scorn; disgrace" , "Disdain, say, perhaps of court" , "Disdain, scorn" , "Feeling of disdain, sometimes of court" , "Disdain or disrespect, perhaps or court" .)

I've seen this clue in the Irish Times and the Irish Times (Crosaire).
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