Crossword Genius

The idea of a barbarian having a companion (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

hunch

'the idea' is the definition.
(hunch is a kind of idea)

'barbarian having a companion' is the wordplay.
'barbarian' becomes 'hun' (as in Atilla the Hun).
'having' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'a companion' becomes 'ch' (Companion of Honour).
'hun'+'ch'='HUNCH'

'of a' is the link.

(Other definitions for hunch that I've seen before include "Intuition, suspicion" , "Lump - intuitive feeling" , "Intuitive guess" , "Bend over" , "Premonition; hump" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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