What does the cryptic crossword clue "On holiday, a king of Mercia (4)" mean?

The definition is "king of Mercia". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). OFF (synonym="On") + A (abbreviation="a") = OFFA; definition: "king of Mercia" The answer is Offa.

On holiday, a king of Mercia (4)

Telegraph Prize Cryptic #3007 | 6 Across | 2019-06-09 flower

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