Cryptic crossword clue
One of the Xs and Ys, say, positioned transversely 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word CROSSWISE

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
R
O
S
S
W
I
S
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "positioned transversely" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case positioned transversely = crosswise.
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 CROSSWISE mean?

CROSSWISE adjective
  1. Crossing; lying across
CROSSWISE adverb
  1. Transversely; so as to lie across

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