Figure of speech, e.g. talking head, on a string (5)
I believe the answer is:
trope
'figure of speech' is the definition.
(trope can mean a figure of speech)
'talking head on a string' is the wordplay.
'head' indicates taking the first letters.
'on' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'a string' becomes 'rope' (I have seen 'string of pearls' mean 'rope' so perhaps 'string' could also mean 'rope').
The initial letter of 'talking' is 't'.
't'+'rope'='TROPE'
'e g' is the link.
This may not be right. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for trope that I've seen before include "figuratively speaking" , "Figure of speech - or pet (anag)" , "Figurative use of a word or expression; motif" , "Figurative use of a word, metaphor" , "metaphor, perhaps" .)