The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 1 plus 4 plus 4 letter word A GOOD DEAL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
G
O
O
D
D
E
A
L
More clues leading to the result A GOOD DEAL
- Very much in the past, occasional ale drunk
- Very much what a poker player hopes for?
- Lots of cards distributed satisfactorily?
- To a large extent in agreement, after intro to Architecture and Morality
- Since remaining ale, drunk a lot
- Something much appreciated by card-players?
- What bargain-hunters look for? Very much
- Chew algae with old rum for piles
- Lots and lots — what a card player expects
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Lots/cards distributed satisfactorily" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lots/cards distributed satisfactorily = a good deal.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.