Real dislike of three articles mother follows? (8)
I believe the answer is:
anathema
'real dislike' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't see how they can define each other.
'three articles mother follows?' is the wordplay.
'three articles' means three replacements for 'article'.
'article' becomes 'an' (indefinite article).
'article' becomes 'a' (the indefinite article in English).
'article' becomes 'the' (the definite article in English).
'mother' becomes 'ma' (ma can mean mother).
'follows?' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'an'+'a'+'the'+'ma'='ANATHEMA'
'of' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for anathema that I've seen before include "Accursed by the Church" , "odious" , "Object of repulsion" , "Formal church curse of excommunication" , "Bete noire" .)