Cryptic crossword clue
Party character in Athens almost ill with beer 8

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
M
U
S
I
C
A
L
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Party" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case party = musicale.
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 MUSICALE mean?

MUSICALE noun
  1. A musical entertainment, usually private and typically involving classical music

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