Cryptic crossword clue
Shifting pork pie wedged at first in plumbing …

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
P
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Buddy explains!

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

PIPEWORK noun
  1. Any system of pipes or tubes; piping
  2. The pipes and stops of an organ

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