The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word AMATEURS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
M
A
T
E
U
R
S
More clues leading to the result AMATEURS
- Non-professionals playing are a must
- High, as mature hams
- Mature actors heartlessly teased hams
- A sort of meat recipe in the FT for lovers of ham?
- They’re enthusiastic in a game set up among friends
- A carpet sure to excite enthusiasts
- Non-experts united in shaking a master
- A final check on contents of purse for such sporting types
- Those performing for pleasure are a must to broadcast
- Dabblers in art with a muse, perhaps
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Those performing for pleasure" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case those performing for pleasure = amateurs.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 AMATEURS mean?
AMATEURS noun- A lover of something.
- A person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science as to music or painting; especially one who cultivates any study or art, from taste or attachment, without pursuing it professionally.
- Someone who is unqualified or insufficiently skillful.