Crossword Genius

Solo wail swamps host joining a carriage? (6,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

hansom cab

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

'carriage?' is the definition.
(hansom cab is a kind of carriage)

'solo wail swamps host joining a' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'host' could be 'mc' (short for master of ceremonies) and 'mc' is present in the answer.
'a' could be 'an' and 'an' is found within the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for hansom cab that I've seen before include "One used to carry fare" , "Victorian means of transport" , "Victorian transport - mob has can (anag)" , "Horse-drawn two-wheeler" , "Horse-drawn vehicle" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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