The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 plus 4 letter word OLD NICK
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
O
L
D
N
I
C
K
More clues leading to the result OLD NICK
- The Dickens version of Newgate or Marshalsea?
- Scratch traditional groove
- Scar that reveals Satan?
- Diabolical figure in prison no longer?
- Dickens clink, ordinary version of it holding 500
- What Newgate is for Dickens
- Diabolical brute getting on collar
- One in torment over Liberal Democrat Clegg
- Prince of Darkness seen in the Bastille?
- Cooler way back, his home infernally hot
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Diabolical brute" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case diabolical brute = old nick.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.