The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word SPIRITS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
P
I
R
I
T
S
More clues leading to the result SPIRITS
- Liquor I found in upside-down sports gear
- Drinks bottle’s last dregs
- Sputters, having swallowed Irish whiskey and gin?
- Ghosts’ morale
- Stir and sip mixed drinks
- Emotions generated by shorts?
- Tears up with Italian son’s shorts
- They may be taken for Dutch courage and morale
- Bottle’s alcoholic substances
- Alcohol‘s an insufficient slant on prison uprising
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "shorts" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case shorts = spirits.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 SPIRITS mean?
SPIRITS noun- The soul of a person or other creature. What moves through experience into self-definition as souls purpose.
- A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.
- Enthusiasm.
- The manner or style of something.
- (usually in the plural) A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
- Energy; ardour.
- One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.
- Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; often in the plural.
- Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
- A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.
- Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
- Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
- (dyeing) Stannic chloride.
- To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.
- To animate with vigor; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit; sometimes followed by up.
- Distilled alcoholic beverages.