The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word IN-TRAY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
I
N
-
T
R
A
Y
More clues leading to the result IN-TRAY
- I beam, receiving collection of books — something to put on desk
- Where work is to be done within year?
- Fashionable, arty works – one receives mail arriving first
- Shade without initial evidence of sun – a feature of office life?
- I lifted paintings into extremely nifty
- Things here are to be dealt with sometime when it’s terribly rainy outside
- Matters awaiting attention at home: sounding characteristic
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "something to put on desk" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case something to put on desk = in-tray.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 IN-TRAY mean?
IN-TRAY noun- A desktop organizer; inbox, in-basket.
- (by extension) The amount of new work yet to be done.