The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 plus 8 letter word LIE DETECTOR
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
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More clues leading to the result LIE DETECTOR
- Interrogator may use this … or let deceit run riot?
- Songs about sleuth to help to tell a story
- Unreliable editor-elect tested on this?
- It, with electrode, is dodgy way to find the truth
- Might one recognise a story that is by man who talks backwards embraced by reader?
- Expose falsehood with this or let deceit run free
- One invention designed to show up others?
- One should identify the false wind octet among art-songs
- German songs including moving octet which hopes to reveal invention
- Polygraph’s electrode might need tightening with it
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Is one tasked with picking up pork pies?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case is one tasked with picking up pork pies? = lie detector.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.