It sounds like Mrs Fawlty had to make a hissing sound (8)
I believe the answer is:
sibilate
'to make a hissing sound' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'it sounds like mrs fawlty' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'it' could be 't' (abbreviation. e.g. in 'tis) and 't' is found within the answer.
'mrs' could be 'sib' and 'sib' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
'had' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution?
Install my app