Last of handymen smashed thin bit (5)
I believe the answer is:
ninth
'bit' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both quantities as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'last of handymen smashed thin' is the wordplay.
'last of' indicates one should take the final letters.
'smashed' is an anagram indicator.
The final letter of 'handymen' is 'n'.
'thin' anagrammed gives 'inth'.
'n'+'inth'='NINTH'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for ninth that I've seen before include "One over the eighth" , "Beethoven's last?" , "Last of course to go out" , "Next after eight" , "Beethoven's "Choral", for example" .)