Cryptic crossword clue
Boy terribly shy one in front of papa giving formal address 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word LADYSHIP

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
L
A
D
Y
S
H
I
P

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "formal address" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case formal address = ladyship.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does LADYSHIP mean?

LADYSHIP noun
  1. Term of respect for a woman of the peerage without using her title.
  2. (English and Commonwealth) Formal form of address for a lady judge (as opposed to the informal "judge").

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