Crossword Genius

Too quaint novel reference (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

quotation

'reference' is the definition.
('quotation' can be a synonym of 'reference')

'too quaint novel' is the wordplay.
'novel' indicates an anagram.
'too'+'quaint'='tooquaint'
'tooquaint' with letters rearranged gives 'QUOTATION'.

(Other definitions for quotation that I've seen before include "Excerpt" , "Commercial estimate of costs" , "Passage, from a book say" , "Tender" , "showing price" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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