Naughty niece finally refused to follow copper's order - showing this? (12)
I believe the answer is:
disobedience
'this?' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.
'naughty niece finally refused to follow copper's order' is the wordplay.
'naughty' is an anagram indicator.
'finally' suggests the final letters.
'to follow' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'copper's' becomes 'DI's' (detective inspector, type of copper).
'order' becomes 'obe' (Order of the British Empire award).
The last letter of 'refused' is 'd'.
'niece'+'d'='nieced'
'nieced' with letters rearranged gives 'dience'.
'dis'+'obe'='disobe'
'dience' after 'disobe' is 'DISOBEDIENCE'.
'showing' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for disobedience that I've seen before include "Refusal to take orders" , "Lack of submission" , "Indiscipline" , "Refusal to do what one is told" , "Defiance, unruliness" .)