Cryptic crossword clue
Pay poet to retain old part of bed 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
F
O
O
T
B
O
A
R
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "part of bed" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case part of bed = footboard.
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 FOOTBOARD mean?

FOOTBOARD noun
  1. An upright board across the foot of a bedstead.
  2. A board or small raised platform on which to support or rest the feet, such as that found in a carriage.
  3. A place to stand on a scooter or skateboard.

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