Dandy maybe, but a failure without money (3)
I believe the answer is:
fop
'dandy' is the definition.
('fop' can be a synonym of 'dandy')
'failure without money' is the wordplay.
'failure' becomes 'flop' (flop is a kind of failure).
'without' is a deletion indicator.
'money' becomes 'l' (L can mean 'pounds').
'flop' with 'l' taken away is 'FOP'.
'maybe but a' acts as a link.
This may not be right. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for fop that I've seen before include "Man excessively concerned with fashion" , "Gallant" , "One affected" , "A dandy like Beau Brummel" , "Affected dandy" .)