Crossword Genius

Thought catalogue piece had odd bits removed, unrealistically striving for perfection (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

idealistic

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

'striving for perfection' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'thought catalogue piece' is the wordplay.
'thought' becomes 'idea' (idea is a kind of thought).
'catalogue piece' becomes 'listic' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'idea'+'listic'='IDEALISTIC'

'had odd bits removed unrealistically' is the link.
This may not be right. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for idealistic that I've seen before include "High-minded - italicised (anag)" , "Utopian" , "Naively impractical" , "Seeking the best" , "Visionary" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.
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.