Crossword Genius

They baffle co-ed canteen at times (5,8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

mixed messages

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

'they baffle' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I cannot tell whether it can be defined by this definition.

'co-ed canteen at times' is the wordplay.
'co ed' becomes 'mixed' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'canteen' becomes 'mess' (I've seen this before).
'at' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'times' becomes 'ages' (age is a kind of time).
'mixed'+'mess'+'ages'='MIXED MESSAGES'

Can you help me to learn more?

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.