Crossword Genius

Serenade Ivy, hopelessly? Don't give up, no matter what (5,3,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

never-say-die

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'don't give up no matter what' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I can't judge whether this works.

'serenade ivy hopelessly?' is the wordplay.
'hopelessly?' indicates an anagram (I've seen 'hopelessly' mean this).
'serenade'+'ivy'='serenadeivy'
'serenadeivy' anagrammed gives 'NEVER-SAY-DIE'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for never-say-die that I've seen before include "Persevere!" , "Refuse to give up" , "Don't give up" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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