The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word AMPERSAND
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
M
P
E
R
S
A
N
D
More clues leading to the result AMPERSAND
- Sign of unity between partners in business, say
- Joiner employed in B&Q
- Read an MP’s novel, it’s set in Bosnia & Herzegovina, for instance
- B&B’s central feature
- … and Pan’s Dream, perhaps
- Short and in character
- Short and curly
- Working man’s first to patiently read and sign
- Parent upset by a smooth character
- … with man spared flogging
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Sign of unity between partners in business, say" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case sign of unity between partners in business, say = ampersand.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 AMPERSAND mean?
AMPERSAND noun- The symbol "&".
- To add an ampersand to.