The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word HALTERNECKED
H
A
L
T
E
R
N
E
C
K
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "not plunging?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case not plunging? = halternecked.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.