The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word PATE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
P
A
T
E
More clues leading to the result PATE
- English butter served first in spread
- Penny consumed spread
- Loaf and meat spread
- Chatter idly when leaving King's Head
- Perhaps artisanal terrine eaten for starters?
- Nut paste, savvy?
- Spread a little butter on end of slice
- Last of mint put in mushy pea starter
- Papa got stuck into rich spread of fish, say
- Dad not right in the head
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Head" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case head = pate.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.
What does PATE mean?
PATE noun- (somewhat obsolete) The head, particularly the top or crown.
- Wit, cleverness, cognitive abilities.
- The interior body, or non-rind portion of cheese, described by its texture, density, and color.
- A finely-ground paste of meat, fish or vegetables, sometimes with the addition of alcohol.