By golly, Sammy. I think you've got it! And the 'tips' is the reverser. More like " Solve The Clue "rather than "here's the clue, solve it for the answer". Reminds me of the 'dreadful' Times crossies. Well thought out!
It's funny how I misinterpreted "tips" as referring to the beginning and end letters of the words rather than reversal of the order of letters. But it all worked out in the end!