Crossword Genius

Hardy lass has time for a bit of mosaic work (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

tessera

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

'bit of mosaic work' is the definition.
'tessera' can be an answer for 'bit' (I have seen 'Bit of design' mean 'tessera' so perhaps 'bit' could also mean 'tessera'). I'm not sure about the 'of mosaic work' bit.

'hardy lass has time' is the wordplay.
'hardy lass' becomes 'tess' (in Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy novel).
'has' says to put letters next to each other.
'time' becomes 'era' (an era is a period of time).
'tess'+'era'='TESSERA'

'for a' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for tessera that I've seen before include "Mosaic component" , "Reseats (anag) -- small tile used in a mosaic" , "small bit of artwork" , "Small mosaic piece" , "Small stone for mosaics" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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.