Cryptic crossword clue
Little son acting badly and making false pretences 8

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
H
A
M
M
I
N
G

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "making false pretences" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case making false pretences = shamming.
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 SHAMMING mean?

SHAMMING verb
  1. To deceive, cheat, lie.
  2. To obtrude by fraud or imposition.
  3. To assume the manner and character of; to imitate; to ape; to feign.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations