Cryptic crossword clue
Fail to qualify? Don’t go falling into the canal! 4,3,3

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word MISS THE CUT

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
I
S
S
Â
 
T
H
E
Â
 
C
U
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Fail to qualify" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fail to qualify = miss the cut.
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.

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