The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word GLOSS
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
G
L
O
S
S
More clues leading to the result GLOSS
- Paint a little county society
- English county’s superficial attraction
- Superficial attractiveness demands explanation
- 19 across good to get up on 19 across and shine
- Polish commentary on text
- Clarification of paint, of sorts
- Explain away superficial appearance
- On ship clog dancing’s avoided by Charlie Sheen
- Misleading explanation for grand deficit
- Polish bandleader, Joe, after opening in Gdansk
Buddy explains!

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 GLOSS mean?
GLOSS noun- A surface shine or luster/lustre
- A superficially or deceptively attractive appearance
- To give a gloss or sheen to.
- To make (something) attractive by deception
- To become shiny.
- A brief explanatory note or translation of a foreign, archaic, technical, difficult, complex, or uncommon expression, inserted after the original, in the margin of a document, or between lines of a text.
- A glossary; a collection of such notes.
- An expression requiring such explanatory treatment.
- An extensive commentary on some text.
- A brief explanation in speech or in a written work, including a synonym used with the intent of indicating the meaning of the word to which it is applied
- An interpretation by a court of specific point within a statute or case law
- To add a gloss to (a text).