Cryptic crossword clue
Sure of oneself, not half jovial in private 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word CONFIDENTIAL

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "in private" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case in private = confidential.
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 CONFIDENTIAL mean?

CONFIDENTIAL adjective
  1. Kept, or meant to be kept, secret within a certain circle of persons; not intended to be known publicly
  2. Inclined to share confidences; (of things) making people inclined to share confidences; involving the sharing of confidences.
  3. Having someone's confidence or trust; having a position requiring trust; worthy of being trusted with confidences.

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