Striking was usual when such staffs were employed (8,5)
I believe the answer is:
whipping posts
'usual when such staffs were employed' is the definition.
I don't know anything about this answer so I cannot tell whether it can be defined by this definition.
'striking' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'striking' could be 'whipping' (whipping is a kind of striking) and 'whipping' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'posts' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
'was' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution?
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