The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 3 plus 5 letter word NUTS AND BOLTS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
N
U
T
S
A
N
D
B
O
L
T
S
More clues leading to the result NUTS AND BOLTS
- Carries out hit-and-run attack: the main details
- The basic facts revealed by demented novelist and playwright found inside
- Means of securing the basics
- Brass tacks, fasteners
- Fan to rub down athlete’s essentials
- Practical details of purchases from a hardware chop shop
- A hardware shop should have them, the basic facts
- Runs off after teachers on beach to get the basic facts
- Head, smooth, dashes off the basics
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "essentials" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case essentials = nuts and bolts.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.