Senior staff member gives every other orderly thumbs up (6)
I believe the answer is:
butler
'senior staff member' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'every other orderly thumbs up' is the wordplay.
'every other' indicates alternate letters.
'up' is a reversal indicator (in down clue: letters go upwards).
'orderly'+'thumbs'='orderlythumbs'
The alternating letters of 'orderlythumbs' are 'reltub'.
'reltub' backwards is 'BUTLER'.
'gives' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for butler that I've seen before include "in charge of port?" , "Top servant in posh household" , "Senior servant of a household" , "Samuel -, author of Erewhon" , "See 9" .)