The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 5 letter word GRASS ROOTS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
G
R
A
S
S
R
O
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More clues leading to the result GRASS ROOTS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "ordinary folk" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ordinary folk = grass roots.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 GRASS ROOTS mean?
GRASS ROOTS adjective- Of, or relating to people or society at the local level, particularly in politics, social movements, etc.; of the grass roots.