15 across
Do
a
‘homo
erectus’
and
wash?
(5,2)
Do a ‘homo erectus’ and wash? (5,2)
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The whole clue is the definition (& lit or double definition).
How the clue works
The definition is Do a 'homo erectus' — to stand upright, just as homo erectus (literally "erect man") did. Then wash does the same job from the other direction, as in "that argument doesn't wash" — or, equally, "doesn't stand up." Two completely independent definitions pointing at the same answer.