Cryptic crossword clue
Serving man sides with gangster in early years 8

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
G
I
R
L
H
O
O
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "in early years" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case in early years = girlhood.
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 GIRLHOOD mean?

GIRLHOOD noun
  1. The state of being a girl.
  2. The childhood of a girl.

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