Crossword Genius

Say no to bit of coke after last month! (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

decline

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

'say no to' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'coke after last month' is the wordplay.
'coke' becomes 'line' (a line of cocaine).
'after' says to put letters next to each other.
'last month' becomes 'dec' (short for December, last month of the year).
'line' put after 'dec' is 'DECLINE'.

'bit of' acts as a link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for decline that I've seen before include "Refuse - to go down" , "Gradually go down" , "The Latin scholar must" , "Refuse - to take a drop" , "failure" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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