Crossword Genius

Single bar, played on lute initially, sounds familiar (5,1,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

rings a bell

'sounds familiar' is the definition.

'single bar played on lute initially' is the wordplay.
'played' is an anagram indicator.
'on' is an insertion indicator (as in clothing \'on\' a person).
'initially' suggests taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'lute' is 'l'.
'single'+'bar'='singlebar'
'singlebar' anagrammed gives 'ringsabel'.
'ringsabel' going around 'l' is 'RINGS A BELL'.

(Other definitions for rings a bell that I've seen before include "What the town crier does" , "Reminds one" , "stirs up memories" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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.