Bill, manufacturer of skis out East (5)

I believe the answer is:

sikes

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'bill manufacturer' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'of skis out east' is the wordplay.
'of' is an anagram indicator (the answer comes from or 'of' the letters).
'out' indicates putting letters inside.
'east' becomes 'E' (synonyms).
'skis' anagrammed gives 'siks'.
'siks' going around 'e' is 'SIKES'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for sikes that I've seen before include "Dickensian villain" , "Bill, the villain" , "Bill - - in 'Oliver Twist'" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.