Cryptic crossword clue
With surprising delicacy, open book 12

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

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

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

ENCYCLOPEDIA noun
  1. A comprehensive reference work (often spanning several printed volumes) with articles (usually arranged in alphabetical order, or sometimes arranged by category) on a range of subjects, sometimes general, sometimes limited to a particular field.
  2. The circle of arts and sciences; a comprehensive summary of knowledge, or of a branch of knowledge.

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