The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 2 letter word SOBER UP
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
O
B
E
R
U
P
More clues leading to the result SOBER UP
- Clear manager finally dismissed over order to quit the hard stuff
- Very neat in retrospect after biro’s beginning to dry out
- Too much 5? Cry pure tears
- Involved in impure boss’s return to regain control
- Awful bores at university become more realistic
- Recover from awful bore drowning in drink
- Problem consuming liquor — Loss of balance finally! Have some coffee perhaps?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "order to quit the hard stuff" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case order to quit the hard stuff = sober up.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.