Totalled contracts, insuring disaster? (2,5)
I believe the answer is:
in ruins
'totalled' is the definition.
I don't know anything about this answer so I cannot tell whether it can be defined by this definition.
'contracts insuring disaster?' is the wordplay.
'contracts' means to remove the last letter (I've seen 'contract' mean this (contract can mean to shorten)).
'disaster?' is an anagram indicator (I've seen 'disaster' mean this).
'insuring' with its last letter taken away is 'insurin'.
'insurin' anagrammed gives 'IN RUINS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for in ruins that I've seen before include "Effectively destroyed" , "falling apart" , "Wrecked" , "Broken-down" , "Ramshackle" .)