The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 4 letter word SMART ALEC
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
M
A
R
T
A
L
E
C
More clues leading to the result SMART ALEC
- Clever clogs packs up absorbing story
- Singular story interrupting short demonstration is annoying person
- Conceited fellow’s keen to get a Guinness
- Clever-clever well-heeled Star Wars actor
- Poseur swots up about literary work
- Wise guy graduate wearing scarlet shift
- Clever Dick’s alias?
- Clever person swots up about anecdote
- Clever clogs regularly sampling some craft beer, cold
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Clever clogs" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case clever clogs = smart alec.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.