The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word WHIG
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
W
H
I
G
More clues leading to the result WHIG
- Husband in peruke, a politician once
- Old politician’s wife, elevated, not right wing
- One-time radical husband attempting to conceal baldness?
- Old politician‘s hot in synthetic headgear
- Old politician in hotel wearing toupee
- Headcover I hear, was a politician
- American patriot is hot in toupee
- Old opponent of Tories now highly content?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "One-time radical" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case one-time radical = whig.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 WHIG mean?
WHIG noun- Acidulated whey, sometimes mixed with buttermilk and sweet herbs, used as a cooling beverage.
- Buttermilk
- Urge forward; drive briskly.
- Jog along; move or work briskly.
- Weird out or disturb someone.