Informed about old fellow returning in promising start (7)
I believe the answer is:
toehold
'promising start' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'informed about old fellow returning in' is the wordplay.
'informed' becomes 'told' (telling is a kind of informing).
'about' is an insertion indicator.
'old' becomes 'o' (common abbreviation eg in OE for Old English).
'fellow' becomes 'he' ('he' refers to a man).
'returning in' is a reversal indicator.
'o'+'he'='ohe'
'ohe' reversed gives 'eho'.
'told' placed around 'eho' is 'TOEHOLD'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for toehold that I've seen before include "Minor position from which further progress may be made" , "Position of initial advantage from which further substantial progress might be made" , "Small established position" , "Advantageous position" , "Precarious footing?" .)