The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word PELF
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
P
E
L
F
More clues leading to the result PELF
- Money illegally obtained from raffle proceeds sent back
- Quiet little dwarf making money
- Initially pernicious and harmful being ill-gotten gains
- Money taken from chapel funds
- Penny added to mischief-maker’s money
- Money invested in raffle, paid back
- Brownie’s after pennies in old money
- Exercise by Left Front for money
- Positive German football team making money
- Ill-gotten wealth from chapel, Father’s storage
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Money illegally obtained" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case money illegally obtained = pelf.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 PELF mean?
PELF noun- Money; riches; gain, especially when dishonestly acquired (compare lucre).