Daily Telegraph Prize Crossword 12466

[kesterb]

detective having no time to spare 18d.

[roslyn251254]

how many letters? any placed?

[scorpiojo]

Busy?

[iminoz]

Maigre(t)?

Maigre is French for spare or thin
Seems a bit of a long shot, though

[Jackdaw33]

Both answers sound good, depending on the number of letters. I like the idea of Maigret, though.

[Mamyalynne]

Looking at the clue in a different crossword and working through the clues, leads me to think 'Busy'is correct.

http://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-new-zealand-herald/20150324/281968901178338/TextView

[Jackdaw33]

As it's four letters I agree, but I still think Maigre(t) is very clever.

[Mamyalynne]

It sure is.

[Jackdaw33]

Most of the slang terms for the police have died out. You still hear Cops and the Old Bill, but others have gone, such as Bobbies, Rozzers, the Fuzz, and in gay slang, Lily Law and Betty Bracelets.

[Jackdaw33]

The paper edition will give you the same answer. Busy is an old slang term for a detective. Although Chambers does not elaborate I assume that it is a contraction of busybody, someone poking his nose into other people's affairs.