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The clue is:
“The speech of a baby elephant employs it, perhaps (11, 4)”.

The answer is:
“Portmanteau word”

Why?

A portmanteau is a leather trunk and a "portmanteau word" is a combined word like SMOG meaning SMoke & fOG. It's not the best of clues.

Thanks Seamus. I get the Trunk bit but why speech of a baby elephant? This came out of a secret Santa book so maybe clues aren't quite Times level.

Hi

I was also having trouble with this clue. It is in fact a clue from The Times dated 15th August 1939! It's in the Bletchley Park Brainteasers book. I do hope they aren't all that obscure though.

HI Thanks for posting this also found this in BP branteasers book and couldn't figure out why. Still not sure last "word" bit.