Crossword Genius

One could mount it with saintly mien (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

stair

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

'one could mount' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'it with saintly mien' is the wordplay.
'it' becomes ''t' (abbreviation. e.g. in 'tis).
'with' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'saintly' becomes 's' (this could be a standard abbreviation I've not previously seen).
'mien' becomes 'air' (I've seen this before).
't' after 's' is 'st'.
'st'+'air'='STAIR'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for stair that I've seen before include "means to go down" , "Bit of a flight!" , "single step in a series" , "one on the way up" , "Tread and riser" .)

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.