A real piece of work

JOB

Think of what you might call paid work or a task that needs doing.

The phrase "a real piece of work" is a playful twist on a common idiom. Normally, it describes someone difficult or unusual, but here it’s taken literally—"piece of work" hints at a task or occupation. The answer "JOB" fits because it’s a straightforward term for work, while the clue cleverly misdirects by making you think of the idiomatic meaning first. The wordplay relies on interpreting the phrase in two different ways.