Crossword Genius

State irked by decoration (8,5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

victoria cross

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

'decoration' is the definition.
(I know that Victoria Cross is a type of decoration)

'state irked' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'state' could be 'victoria' (Victoria is an example) and 'victoria' is found within the answer.
The remaining letters 'cross' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'by' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for victoria cross that I've seen before include "VC in full" , "Military medal" , "heroic achievement" , "Highest British military decoration for gallantry" , "award" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.