The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word RINGO
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
R
I
N
G
O
More clues leading to the result RINGO
- 2 goes 2 rounds
- Somewhat retiring old drummer
- Adornment for piercing, its shape once often seen on skins
- Call round for drummer
- He’s famed for drumming patter, swapping hands
- Percussionist must have love to support band
- Token of love — love for drummer
- 007?
- One of four players with some flair in golf
- Call round for the one with the sticks
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "the one with the sticks" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case the one with the sticks = ringo.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.