Cryptic crossword clue
Strapping lad initially housed in part of Gt Manchester 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word BURLY

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
B
U
R
L
Y

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Strapping" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case strapping = burly.
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 BURLY mean?

BURLY adjective
  1. (usually of a man) Large, well-built, and muscular.
  2. (East End of London) Great, amazing, unbelievable.
  3. (surf culture and/or Southern California) Of large magnitude, either good or bad, and sometimes both.
BURLY adjective
  1. Full of burls or knots; knotty.

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