Patriotic type mixes lily with oats (8)
I believe the answer is:
loyalist
'patriotic type' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'mixes lily with oats' is the wordplay.
'mixes' is an anagram indicator.
'with' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'lily'+'oats'='lilyoats'
'lilyoats' with letters rearranged gives 'LOYALIST'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for loyalist that I've seen before include "Person faithful to the government, like Orangeman in N Ireland" , "One supporting established government" , "One true to monarch or government" , "supporter of ruler" , "Patriotic supporter" .)