The term 'AFTERNOON EARLY' can be broken down into two crossword solutions: ONE (3 letters). The first solution is 'ONE, ' which is a pronoun that is used to refer to a single person or thing. It is the third person singular pronoun in English and is commonly used to refer to an individual in a group. The second solution is 'EARLY, ' which is an adverb that describes something happening before the expected or usual time. In this context, it is referring to the time of day known as the afternoon, which is typically between 12pm and 6pm. Therefore, the term 'AFTERNOON EARLY' can be interpreted as 'before the usual afternoon time.'