The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word FALLOW
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
F
A
L
L
O
W
More clues leading to the result FALLOW
- News of river after drought – or land maybe
- Idle chap taking note where point is lost
- Uncultivated chap lacking English, penning article
- First of fields set aside, left unploughed
- Permit given to fine land yet to be cultivated
- Movement of captured criminal is unchecked
- Female and boy despondent and uncultivated
- Unused part of Cricket score card has everything
- Idle autumn: nothing before onset of winter
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Idle" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case idle = fallow.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 FALLOW mean?
FALLOW noun- Ground ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year.
- Uncultivated land.
- The ploughing or tilling of land, without sowing it for a season.
- (of agricultural land) Ploughed but left unseeded for more than one planting season.
- (of agricultural land) Left unworked and uncropped for some amount of time.
- Inactive; undeveloped.
- To make land fallow for agricultural purposes.
- (color) Of a pale red or yellow, light brown; dun.