Cryptic crossword clue
Mother I feel off, unhappy despite my best efforts 3,3,4,2,2

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 plus 3 plus 4 plus 2 plus 2 letter word FOR THE LIFE OF ME

F
O
R
T
H
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F
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F
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E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "despite my best efforts" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case despite my best efforts = for the life of me.
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.

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