Cryptic crossword clue
Decoy, small, speaking with rough voice we hear 8-5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 14 letter word STALKING-HORSE

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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Decoy" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case decoy = stalking-horse.
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 STALKING-HORSE mean?

STALKING-HORSE noun
  1. A horse used as cover by a hunter stalking game.
  2. A candidate put forward to serve a hidden, ulterior purpose in a political campaign, such as testing the field for another potential candidate by gauging voter sentiment or covertly helping another candidate by attracting voters away from a third candidate.
  3. (by extension) A person, thing, or expedient used in a deceptive manner, to achieve some hidden purpose.

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