A pair to pick up with (5)
I believe the answer is:
tongs
'a pair' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't see how one could define the other.
'to pick up with' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'to' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'ngs' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tongs that I've seen before include "Fire-irons" , "Tool used for picking up things" , "lots of criminals out East" , "Gripping device with two hinged legs" , "Tool for grasping or lifting" .)