Guy taking the strain in bar came unstuck (9)
I believe the answer is:
mainbrace
'guy' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are singular nouns.
Perhaps you can see a link between them that I don't see?
'taking the strain in bar came unstuck' is the wordplay.
'taking' indicates putting letters inside.
'the strain' indicates an anagram (I've seen 'strained' mean this).
'unstuck' is an anagram indicator (letters come unstuck from their original positions).
'in'+'bar'='inbar'
'inbar' is an anagram of 'inbra'.
'came' with letters rearranged gives 'mace'.
'inbra' put inside 'mace' is 'MAINBRACE'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for mainbrace that I've seen before include "that got spliced" , "may get spliced at sea" , "Part of rigging" , "It's spliced aboard" , "rope" .)