Cryptic crossword clue
Fool, one of the ancient people reportedly, was overcritical 9

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

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

The straight part
We know that "was overcritical" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case was overcritical = nitpicked.
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 NITPICKED mean?

NITPICKED verb
  1. To correct minutiae or find fault in unimportant details.
  2. To pick nits (lice eggs) from someone’s hair.

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