Crossword Genius

Note small punishment that is not severe (4,1,3,5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

just a few lines

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

'note' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I can't tell whether this works.

'small punishment that is not severe' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'small' could be 's' (abbreviation - e.g. clothes size) and 's' is located in the answer.
'punishment' could be 'lines' (writing the same thing over and over) and 'lines' is located in the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app