The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word CRIPPLE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
R
I
P
P
L
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Lame" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lame = cripple.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 CRIPPLE mean?
CRIPPLE noun- (sometimes offensive) a person who has severely impaired physical abilities because of deformation, injury, or amputation of parts of the body.
- A shortened wooden stud or brace used to construct the portion of a wall above a door or above and below a window.
- Scrapple.
- (among lumbermen) A rocky shallow in a stream.
- To make someone a cripple; to cause someone to become physically impaired
- To damage seriously; to destroy
- To release a product (especially a computer program) with reduced functionality, in some cases, making the item essentially worthless.
- To nerf something which is overpowered
- Crippled.