Cryptic crossword clue
Copy Brazilian city detectives, turning up every once in a while 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word APERIODIC

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
P
E
R
I
O
D
I
C

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "every once in a while" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case every once in a while = aperiodic.
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 APERIODIC mean?

APERIODIC adjective
  1. That does not recur periodically
  2. That does not have a periodic vibration
  3. (stochastic processes, of a state) for which any return to it may occur at irregular times; not periodic.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations