Routine intruder? Inspector without lead to cross line (7)
I believe the answer is:
heckler
'routine intruder?' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see a link between them that I don't see?
'inspector without lead to cross line' is the wordplay.
'inspector' becomes 'checker' (checker is a kind of inspector).
'without lead' means to remove the first letter.
'to cross' is an insertion indicator (some letters cross or go round others).
'line' becomes 'l' (used when specifying particular lines from a poem).
'checker' with its initial letter taken away is 'hecker'.
'hecker' placed around 'l' is 'HECKLER'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for heckler that I've seen before include "One interrupting speech" , "piping up from the floor" , "Disruptive sort" , "Person who jeers speaker from the crowd" , "He jeers and interrupts speaker" .)