Dole out some retro booklet, embarrassingly (4)
I believe the answer is:
mete
'dole out' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'some retro booklet embarrassingly' is the wordplay.
'retro' is a reversal indicator (retro is Latin for 'backwards').
'some' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue (some parts of the word are used).
'etem' can be found hidden inside 'booklet embarrassingly'.
'etem' backwards is 'METE'.
(Other definitions for mete that I've seen before include "Give as due - say punishment" , "Administer or bestow, as in small portions" , "Administer or hand out" , "Apportion" , "Dole (out)" .)