Crossword Genius

Repetition of cheers for so long (2-2)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ta ta

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

'so long' is the definition.
(both are ways of saying goodbye)

'repetition of cheers' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'cheers' could be 'ta' (both can mean thank you) and 'ta' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'ta' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'for' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for ta ta that I've seen before include "Cheerio" , "Informal farewell or thank you" , "Bye-bye" , "Informal remark in farewell or gratitude" , "So long!" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.