Cryptic crossword clue
Discerning head of trade should stop moaning 8

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Discerning" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case discerning = sighting.
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 SIGHTING mean?

SIGHTING verb
  1. To register visually.
  2. To get sight of (something).
  3. To apply sights to; to adjust the sights of; also, to give the proper elevation and direction to by means of a sight.
  4. To take aim at.
SIGHTING noun
  1. The act of catching sight of something, especially something searched for.

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