Cryptic crossword clue
Maintain one’s composure as warder, say, after row during meal left one a little peeved 4,1,5,5,3

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 1 plus 5 plus 5 plus 3 letter word KEEP A STIFF UPPER LIP

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
K
E
E
P
A
S
T
I
F
F
U
P
P
E
R
L
I
P

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Maintain one’s composure" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case maintain one’s composure = keep a stiff upper lip.
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.

Crossword Answer definitions

Latest crossword clues with full explanations