Cryptic crossword clue
Shirker with bye in zonals getting shafted 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
L
A
Z
Y
B
O
N
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Shirker" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case shirker = lazybones.
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 LAZYBONES mean?

LAZYBONES noun
  1. A person who is lazy; one who is inactive and without ambition.

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