Cryptic crossword clue
Pale flame around national emblem 5,4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 4 letter word MAPLE LEAF

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
A
P
L
E
L
E
A
F

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "national emblem" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case national emblem = maple leaf.
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

MAPLE LEAF noun
  1. The leaf of the maple tree.
  2. A national symbol of Canada.

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