Cryptic crossword clue
Privileged American class used to be soft 4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word WASP

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
W
A
S
P


Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Privileged American class" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case privileged american class = wasp.
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 WASP mean?

WASP noun
  1. Any of many types of stinging flying insect resembling a hornet.
  2. Any of the members of suborder Apocrita, excepting the ants (family Formicidae) and bees (clade Anthophila).
  3. A person who behaves in an angry or insolent way, hence waspish.
WASP noun
  1. A member of the dominant American upper-class culture: a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant.
  2. A member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

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