Cryptic crossword clue
Dressing and cooking before shaving? 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
P
R
E
P
A
R
I
N
G

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Dressing/cooking" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case dressing/cooking = preparing.
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 PREPARING mean?

PREPARING verb
  1. To make ready for a specific future purpose; to set up; to assemble or equip.
  2. To make ready for eating or drinking; to cook.
  3. To make oneself ready; to get ready, make preparation.
  4. To produce or make by combining elements; to synthesize, compound.
PREPARING noun
  1. Preparation

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