Stumped on ‘Lemme think…’ clue? Get the answer!

As the detective assigned to crack the enigmatic crossword clue, “‘Lemme think…,’” I embarked on a cerebral journey of deductions and insights. At first glance, I realized that the answer to this riddle had to capture the essence of pondering or hesitation. Delving into the intricacies of the English language, I dissected the phrase, searching for familiar patterns or recurring elements that might guide me towards the elusive solution. It struck me that the word “lemme” was a colloquial contraction of “let me,” signaling an informal tone. Armed with this knowledge, I began to consider other informal expressions that denote hesitation or contemplation. And then it hit me! In the realm of casual speech, the word “uhh” stands as the quintessential manifestation of a thoughtful pause. Its phonetic resemblance to the full crossword clue combined with its linguistic bankruptcy perfectly encapsulates the internal process of formulating an answer. With this hypothesis in mind, I tested it against the provided clues and cross-references, and triumphantly discovered that ‘UHH‘ was indeed the definitive response. The mystery was solved, my deductions triumphant.