Crossword Genius

Theatre oddly repeated about a private conversation (4-1-4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

tete-a-tete

'private conversation' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'theatre oddly repeated about a' is the wordplay.
'oddly' indicates alternate letters (letters in odd-numbered positions).
'repeated' shows that letters should be duplicated.
'about' is an insertion indicator.
The alternate letters of 'theatre' are 'tete'.
'tete' doubled is 'tetetete'.
'tetetete' enclosing 'a' is 'TETE-A-TETE'.

(Other definitions for tete-a-tete that I've seen before include "Private conversation between two people as in France" , "Private conversation between two French people" , "Private meeting" , "One-to-one meeting" , "Private couple's conversation" .)

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.