Crossword Genius

Long and thin piece of wood, not soft (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lank

'long and thin' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'piece of wood not soft' is the wordplay.
'piece of wood' becomes 'plank'.
'not' is a deletion indicator.
'soft' becomes 'p' (musical abbreviation for 'piano').
'plank' with 'p' removed is 'LANK'.

(Other definitions for lank that I've seen before include "Lean and limp" , "Lustreless" , "Limp, lifeless (hair)" , "Flabby" , "Long, thin and often limp" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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