The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 3 letter word CLASS ACT
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
C
L
A
S
S
A
C
T
More clues leading to the result CLASS ACT
- Girl’s given account in court – it’s something special
- Stylish performer in form on Court One
- Outstanding performer on court contracted canine fever
- Outstanding performer, kind to imitate
- Grade put on man of exceptional talent
- Form and function, someone like 4, say
- A thing of superior quality — affirmative action perhaps!
- Outstanding performer, in form, to play
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "something special" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case something special = class act.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.