Seem sad, putting me out of work (4)
I believe the answer is:
mope
'seem sad' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.
'me out of work' is the wordplay.
'out of' is an insertion indicator (some letters on the outside of others).
'work' becomes 'op' (abbreviation for opus).
'me' placed around 'op' is 'MOPE'.
'putting' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for mope that I've seen before include "Poem (anag.)" , "Feel dejected and listless" , "Be mildly depressed" , "Moon around" , "Be listless and apathetic" .)
