Crossword Genius

Somewhat brassy, bilious hotelier's wife (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sybil

'hotelier's wife' is the definition.
(Sybil Fawlty from Fawlty Towers)

'somewhat brassy bilious' is the wordplay.
'somewhat' indicates a hidden word.
'SYBIL' is hidden within 'brassy bilious'.

(Other definitions for sybil that I've seen before include "Dame - Thorndike, English actress" , "Basil Fawlty's wife" , "Female oracle; Mrs Fawlty" , "--- Thorndike, Fawlty" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app