Crossword Genius

Mickey taking hit over working nearby at regular intervals (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lampoonery

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'mickey' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are singular nouns.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?

'hit over working nearby at regular intervals' is the wordplay.
'hit' becomes 'lam' (to 'lam' means to hit hard).
'over working' becomes 'poon' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'at regular intervals' means one should take alternating letters.
The alternating letters of 'nearby' are 'ery'.
'lam'+'poon'+'ery'='LAMPOONERY'

'taking' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.