Genius 222

[Unicorn5]

12A - "Shrink and cut growth having lost hundreds" - I think that the answer is "analyst" (= shrink), but cannot for the life of me work out the cryptic bit. Can anyone help please?

[ProfessorMaisie]

(c)ANAL + (c)YST

[Unicorn5]

Thank you. Does "canal" mean "cut"? I couldn't find this meaning anywhere - perhaps I'm missing something?

[bookbinder]

"cut" is, indeed, an old word for a canal.

[bookbinder]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limehouse_Cut

[ProfessorMaisie]

Thanks bookbinder - I wasn't around to give an answer (you'll find it about half way through the very long entry in Chambers, Unicorn5 - ''an excavation for a road, railway etc; a canal'').

[bookbinder]

Glad I could help, ProfessorMaisie.

[Unicorn5]

Thank you very much Prof Maisie and bookbinder - that clue was driving me nuts - I understand now!