Cryptic crossword clue
Vigorously hearty drinking by rugby players 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word BACKSLAPPING

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Vigorously hearty" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case vigorously hearty = backslapping.
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 BACKSLAPPING mean?

BACKSLAPPING verb
  1. To enthusiastically affirm or congratulate a person, especially by patting them on the back.
BACKSLAPPING noun
  1. Action of the verb to backslap

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