Crossword Genius

Ring me first when there's a dispute about a break (4,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

time off

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

'a break' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'ring me first when there's a dispute' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'ring' could be 'o' (letter resembling a ring) and 'o' is found in the answer.
'me' could be 'i' and 'i' is present in the answer.
'when' could be 'e' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'e' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'about' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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