The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 plus 8 letter word JEEPERS CREEPERS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
J
E
E
P
E
R
S
C
R
E
E
P
E
R
S
More clues leading to the result JEEPERS CREEPERS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "I say" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case i say = jeepers creepers.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.