Crossword Genius

Depressed about Queen up north with One Direction packed in, like, as one? (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sardine

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'packed in like as one?' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.

'depressed about queen up north with one direction' is the wordplay.
'depressed' becomes 'sad'.
'about' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'queen' becomes 'r' (r is abbreviation regina. e.g. in ER ).
'up north with' becomes 'in' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'one direction' becomes 'e' (E is an example).
'sad' placed around 'r' is 'sard'.
'sard'+'in'+'e'='SARDINE'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for sardine that I've seen before include "Young pilchard" , "(Cramped?) fish" , "FRENCH FISH" , "Rinsed a (anag) - fish" , "A diner's small fish" .)

I've seen this clue in the Irish Times.
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