What does the cryptic crossword clue "Like little birdie said, why affair kept hidden? (6)" mean?

The wordplay uses a hidden word. FLING ("affair") kept Y (homophone/pun/aural wordplay [said] ot WHY) hidden The answer is FLYING.

Like little birdie said, why affair kept hidden? (6)

Guardian Cryptic #29597 | 7 Down | 2025-01-21 flower