Cryptic crossword clue
When excited, hug or kiss thug 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
R
O
U
G
H
N
E
C
K

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "thug" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case thug = roughneck.
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 ROUGHNECK mean?

ROUGHNECK noun
  1. Someone with rough manners; a rowdy or uncouth person.
  2. An ironworker; a dirty or low-paid worker, a labourer.
  3. A labourer on an oil rig.
ROUGHNECK verb
  1. To work as a laborer on an oil rig

Latest crossword clues with full explanations