The fellow dressed in fancy state, ultimate in elegance? (8)
I believe the answer is:
aesthete
'the fellow dressed in fancy state ultimate in elegance?' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't understand how one could define the other.
'fellow dressed in fancy state ultimate in elegance?' is the wordplay.
'fellow' becomes 'he' ('he' refers to a man).
'dressed in' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters are dressed in others).
'fancy' indicates an anagram.
'ultimate in' suggests the final letters.
The final letter of 'elegance' is 'e'.
'state' anagrammed gives 'aestt'.
'he' going within 'aestt' is 'aesthet'.
'aesthet'+'e'='AESTHETE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for aesthete that I've seen before include "Person with deep interest in art and beauty" , "Person with great appreciation of the beautiful" , "Poetry lover maybe" , "One who appreciates beautiful things as in arts" , "Someone sensitive to beauty in art" .)