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The audience has half an hour to spend (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

house

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'the audience' is the definition.
(term for a theatre's audience)

'half an hour to spend' is the wordplay.
'half an' suggests halving the letters.
'to spend' becomes 'use' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'hour' with half the letters taken is 'ho'.
'ho'+'use'='HOUSE'

'has' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for house that I've seen before include "Bingo hall cry" , "Inn" , "Leo, say" , "Residence, dwelling" , "Theatre audience - dwelling" .)

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