Cryptic crossword clue
This man is deputy to honest labourer 5-4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word RIGHT-HAND

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
R
I
G
H
T
-
H
A
N
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "This man is deputy" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case this man is deputy = right-hand.
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 RIGHT-HAND mean?

RIGHT-HAND adjective
  1. Of, relating to, or located on the right
  2. Designed for use by the right hand
  3. In the direction or orientation to the right-hand rule (a right-hand thread)

Latest crossword clues with full explanations