Cryptic crossword clue
Criticises rival publication: a backward youngsters’ pastime 1,4,2,4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 1 plus 4 plus 2 plus 4 letter word A GAME OF SNAP

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
G
A
M
E
O
F
S
N
A
P

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "youngsters’ pastime" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case youngsters’ pastime = a game of snap.
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.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations