Crossword Genius

Scourge of people between rock and hard place (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

tormentor

'scourge' is the definition.
(scourge can mean someone's tormentor or enemy)

'people between rock and hard place' is the wordplay.
'people' becomes 'men' (man is a kind of person).
'between' is an insertion indicator.
'rock' becomes 'tor' (tor is a kind of rock).
'and' says to put letters next to each other (I've seen this in other clues).
'hard place' becomes 'tor' (type of rocky hill).
'tor' after 'tor' is 'tortor'.
'men' inserted inside 'tortor' is 'TORMENTOR'.

'of' is the link.

(Other definitions for tormentor that I've seen before include "One harrying" , "cause of suffering" , "Bully" , "One giving great pain or annoyance" , "One causes distress" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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