Crossword Genius

Tasteless condition of points in teeth (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

tattiness

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

'tasteless condition of points in teeth' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.

'tasteless condition of points in' is the wordplay.
'tasteless condition of' becomes 'tats' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'points' becomes 'tines' (I've seen this in another clue).
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'tats' placed around 'tines' is 'TATTINESS'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for tattiness that I've seen is " in poor condition".)

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.