The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word APHORISM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
P
H
O
R
I
S
M
More clues leading to the result APHORISM
- Saw a Miss Laetitia outside house briefly
- Partial metaphor is misplaced in a maxim
- Saw a head of state outside house, having gentleman around
- Saw mishap jumping over sort of gate
- Saw soldiers involved in terrible mishap
- Saw him as pro-revolutionary
- Saying or mishap, perhaps
- Saying Oprah broadcast, one feminist title recalled
- Saw him as pro-revolutionary?
- A metaphor is mixed but its content is pithy
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Saw" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case saw = aphorism.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 APHORISM mean?
APHORISM noun- An original, laconic phrase conveying some principle or concept of thought.
- To speak or write aphorisms.