Whats the shopkeeper doing? Passing on the gossip (9)
I believe the answer is:
retailing
'whats the shopkeeper doing? passing' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.
'on the gossip' is the wordplay.
'on' becomes 're' ('on' can be mean 'with reference to').
'the' becomes 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects).
'gossip' becomes 'ailing' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
're'+'t'+'ailing'='RETAILING'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for retailing that I've seen before include "marketing" , "Commercial activity" , "shopkeeper's daily routine?" , "Giving details" , "Selling (goods)" .)