The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 2 plus 1 plus 5 letter word AT A PINCH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
T
A
P
I
N
C
H
More clues leading to the result AT A PINCH
- A bit of plumbing in church? If absolutely necessary
- A water source on island if all else fails
- A sort of dance? Move slowly if necessary
- If I must steal, a thankyou’s required first
- In case of emergency, put a drain to part of foot
- If absolutely necessary, holding a non-violent strike in check
- A measure to contain strike in an emergency
- Fancy chain can obtain bathroom feature, if absolutely necessary
- An easy putt can be shown alongside clubhouse, if really necessary
- In emergency, use a bugging device and move slowly
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "if all else fails" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case if all else fails = at a pinch.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.