Place where officers eat pickle (4)
I believe the answer is:
mess
'pickle' is the definition.
(both can mean a difficult situation)
I can't explain the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for mess that I've seen before include "Canteen - litter" , "State of confusion or untidiness" , "dirty and unpleasant" , "Military dining area" , "dish" .)