Cryptic crossword clue
18, 16 Affectionate expressions for Spooner’s lice? 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 4 letter word BEAR HUGS

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
B
E
A
R
H
U
G
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Affectionate expressions" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case affectionate expressions = bear hugs.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

Crossword Answer definitions

Latest crossword clues with full explanations