Timid type, prior to gin and Cheddar cheese (9)
I believe the answer is:
mousetrap
'cheddar cheese' is the definition.
(Cheddar cheese might be used to trap a mouse)
'timid type prior to gin' is the wordplay.
'timid type' becomes 'mouse' (I've seen this in another clue).
'prior to' says to put letters next to each other.
'gin' becomes 'trap' (I've seen this in another clue).
'mouse'+'trap'='MOUSETRAP'
'and' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for mousetrap that I've seen before include "For instance, old Cheshire" , "inferior cheese" , "Boring hard cheese (informal)" , "Anti-rodent device" , "Cheese-baited snare" .)