The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 3 letter word BRASS HAT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
B
R
A
S
S
H
A
T
More clues leading to the result BRASS HAT
- Senior officer in underwear lounged around hotel
- . Maybe captain‘s lip to bowler?
- Senior Army bod, British, a contemptible person to Americans
- General disorder as Bart, Homer Simpson initially held up
- Phone company about Sarah’s mobile in general, say
- Senior officer needing support squatted, keeping quiet!
- Officer supports second pillbox perhaps
- Officer supports hush over airman’s first hint of treachery
- Supports small cover for top military officer
- Staff officer‘s supporters were seated round hospital
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Staff officer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case staff officer = brass hat.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.