-Y or -ISH 1

Word endings can often be helpful in crosswords (if the clue ends in -S or -ED or -NESS, you know there's a fair chance you can guess what the answer ends in), but sometimes word endings are deliberately used to confuse. -ISH and -Y have various meanings in English, including (but not limited to) A BIT LIKE, CONTAINING OR COVERED IN, LIABLE TO or OF THE NATION OF. If a FISHY smell is a smell a bit like FISH, and a MEATY texture is a texture a bit like MEAT, why isn't a FAIRY a bit like a FUNFAIR? And if a SHEEPISH person behaves a bit like a SHEEP, why isn't a comedy sketch SKITTISH and a massage RUBBISH? In cryptic crosswords, they absolutely could be! Cue any number of terrible puns, because I'm PUNISH (but not CORNY - that's what tortilla chips are) . If you enjoy my crosswords, you'll LOVE the Cryptic Mystic's fantastic YouTube channel, which has been kind enough to feature a couple of my crosswords and is THE best resource for cryptic beginners: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Cryptic_Mystic