Crossword Genius

Smart, carrying a hatchet (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cleaver

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

'hatchet' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'smart carrying a' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'a' is present in the answer.
'smart' could be 'clever' (similar in meaning) and 'clever' is found in the leftover letters.
No letters remain.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cleaver that I've seen before include "Butcher's knife" , "A clever sort of axe" , "Long-bladed hatchet" , "A butcher's chopping tool" , "Hatchet for chopping meat" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.
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