Time to extract cube root? Not mid-January! (7)
I believe the answer is:
october
'time' is the definition.
(I have seen 'A time' mean 'october' so perhaps 'time' could also mean 'october')
'to extract cube root? not mid-january' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'to' is found in the answer.
'not' could be 'o' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'o' is found in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for october that I've seen before include "Autumn month" , "gets a designation of 10" , "some weeks" , "Strong ale" , "thirty-one days" .)