Plastic card in mess, ATM ejecting it? (4,4)
I believe the answer is:
hard cash
'atm ejecting it?' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.
'plastic card in mess' is the wordplay.
'plastic' is an anagram indicator (plastic can mean easily moulded).
'in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'mess' becomes 'hash' (making a hash of something is making a mess of it).
'card' with letters rearranged gives 'rdca'.
'rdca' put into 'hash' is 'HARD CASH'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for hard cash that I've seen before include "Ready money" , "Coins and banknotes - not a cheque" , "Not plastic!" , "Coins and notes, not cheques or promises" .)