The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word CHAP
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
H
A
P
More clues leading to the result CHAP
- Bloke is vulgar, heartless
- Fellow caught by chance
- Tea party excluding Bohemian fellow
- Fellow hot — better taken outside
- Bloke, hot, better going outside
- Stretch a point to include male
- Watch a policeman detaining man
- Fellow in place of worship, English learner getting put off
- Bloke to crack jaw
- Fellow shortened section of book
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "male" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case male = chap.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 CHAP mean?
CHAP noun- (obsolete outside Britain and Australia) A man, a fellow.
- A customer, a buyer.
- A child.
- A cleft, crack, or chink, as in the surface of the earth, or in the skin.
- A division; a breach, as in a party.
- A blow; a rap.
- Of the skin, to split or flake due to cold weather or dryness.
- To cause to open in slits or chinks; to split; to cause the skin of to crack or become rough.
- To strike, knock.
- (often in the plural) The jaw.
- One of the jaws or cheeks of a vice, etc.
- (authorship) One of the main sections into which the text of a book is divided.
- A section of a social or religious body.
- A sequence (of events), especially when presumed related and likely to continue.
- A decretal epistle.
- A location or compartment.