State cut hitch in outstanding item (4,5)
I believe the answer is:
sore thumb
'outstanding item' is the definition.
I don't know anything about this answer so I can't judge whether this works.
'state cut hitch' is the wordplay.
'state' becomes 'sore' (sore is a kind of state).
'cut hitch' becomes 'thumb' (hitch-hiking. I am not sure about the 'cut' bit.).
'sore'+'thumb'='SORE THUMB'
'in' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for sore thumb that I've seen is " It could stick out".)