Cryptic crossword clue
Idiots excited by small portraits

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MUGSHOTS

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "portraits" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case portraits = mugshots.
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 MUGSHOTS mean?

MUGSHOTS noun
  1. A photograph taken of the head and shoulders, often from the front and in profile, usually taken in conjunction with somebody's arrest.
  2. An unflattering photograph of a person's face.

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