Vera is upset after sailor gets caustic (8)
I believe the answer is:
abrasive
'caustic' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both substances as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'vera is upset after sailor' is the wordplay.
'upset' indicates an anagram.
'after' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'sailor' becomes 'ab' (abbreviation for able seaman).
'vera'+'is'='verais'
'verais' is an anagram of 'rasive'.
'rasive' put after 'ab' is 'ABRASIVE'.
'gets' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for abrasive that I've seen before include "Causing irritation" , "Harsh; eg, emery" , "Pumice, for example" , "Emery paper or steel wool, say" , "(Of a character) confrontational or sharply disagreeable" .)