The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word BOLSHIE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
B
O
L
S
H
I
E
More clues leading to the result BOLSHIE
- Socialist left consumed by nonsense, that is
- Shy, retiring and quiet – that is difficult!
- Red symbol shielded in part
- Send up good-for-nothing husband that’s unco-operative
- Deploying elbow, his wife knocked out revolting Russian
- Radical throw-back, one in female surroundings
- Awkward fling gotten over with short ones
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "difficult" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case difficult = bolshie.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 BOLSHIE mean?
BOLSHIE noun- A government leftist, especially a communist, socialist, or labour union leader.
- Difficult or rebellious.