Copper Brown and detective manage to scarper (3,3,3)
I believe the answer is:
cut and run
'scarper' is the definition.
I don't know anything about this answer so I can't tell whether it can be defined by this definition.
'copper brown and detective manage' is the wordplay.
'copper' becomes 'cu' (chemical symbol).
'brown' becomes 'tan' (tan is a kind of brown).
'and' says to put letters next to each other.
'detective' becomes 'd' (this could be a standard abbreviation I've not previously seen).
'manage' becomes 'run' (both can mean to organise).
'cu'+'tan'+'d'+'run'='CUT AND RUN'
'to' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for cut and run that I've seen before include "Make a rapid escape" , "light out" , "A batsman may" , "get away quickly" , "Exit a thorny situation rather than deal with it" .)