Cryptic crossword clue
Mess up and down 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word FLUFF

I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
F
L
U
F
F

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Mess up/down" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case mess up/down = fluff.
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 FLUFF mean?

FLUFF noun
  1. Anything light, soft or fuzzy, especially fur, hair, feathers.
  2. Anything inconsequential or superficial.
  3. A lapse or mistake, especially a mistake in an actor's lines.
  4. Marshmallow creme.
  5. A passive partner in a lesbian relationship.
  6. A fart.
FLUFF verb
  1. To make something fluffy.
  2. To become fluffy, puff up.
  3. To move lightly like fluff.
  4. (of an actor or announcer) To make a mistake in one's lines.
  5. To do incorrectly, for example mishit, miskick, miscue etc.
  6. To fart.
  7. To arouse (a male pornographic actor) before filming.

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