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21a Tropical butterflies, for example. (6, 2, 6)

F _ G _ R _ / O _ / S _ E _ C _

The answer would appear to be FIGURE OF SPEECH but I really don't understand why. Any suggestions

That puzzled me - I assumed an &Lit clue, but have no idea how it is intended to work.

A trope is a figure of speech, and tropical is the adjectival form. Not sure where the rest of the clue fits in.

Maybe butterfly as in butterflies in the stomach is a figure of speech? Anyway, not a good clue I think.

an allusion to "butterflies in the stomach" perhaps? that;s a figure of speech, but the clue still seems incomplete.

Well, OK, maybe it's growing on me. Not real butterflies, but tropical (trope-related) butterflies are a figure of speech. A little too cute but fair enough,

The adjectival form mentioned earlier is confirmed in the BRB, so I agree that the clue is sound. However, I think that the clue would sit better in The Times Club Monthly Puzzle. Bit of a stretch on a Sunday morning for a lad with a morning head!