The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word DOLING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
D
O
L
I
N
G
Buddy explains!

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 DOLING mean?
DOLING verb- To distribute in small amounts; to share out small portions of a meager resource.
- The act of one who doles.