The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word TROPE
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
T
R
O
P
E
More clues leading to the result TROPE
- Bit of irony from drunkard moving right up
- Figure from writer of some reportage from the east
- Expression in French, too European?
- He’s freed from example of one
- Right about old exercises in figurative language
- Primarily The Moor is a metaphor
- Figure of speech beginning to tickle Guy?
- Figure of speech seen in poet’s last line
- Tory or pleb? Not even a metaphor
- Figure of speech in English – French too, previously
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Figure of speech" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case figure of speech = trope.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 TROPE mean?
TROPE noun- Something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature, such as the ‘mad scientist’ of horror movies or the use of the phrase ‘once upon a time’ as an introduction to fairy tales; a motif.
- A figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning, such as a metaphor.
- Mathematical senses.
- Musical senses.
- Philosophical senses.
- To use, or embellish something with, a trope.
- Senses relating chiefly to art or literature.
- To think or write in terms of tropes.