Times Book Of Crosswords

[barnaclebill58]

Please parse these for me
1. As a form of self-defence, the constructions of epigrams? Ans martial art (self defence) but why the second half?
2. Fiat appears in order . Ans edict . I've googled but have been unable to find anything that says that a fiat is the same as an edict and both appear within an order .
3. Old girl getting a long letter. Ans o meg a but what is "long" doing there ,please?
4. Sort of cash bribe raised-lot asked , but a pound short. (Down clue). I've spend 30 mins and got close but no cigar. Ans is postal order (remember those?). The bribe is sop , leaving talorder. Lot is anagrammed leaving arder but can't get it.
Thanks

[cashier]

2 My dictionary search yielded 'Fiat- a legally binding command'.

[mallyh]

4 postal order

[writesbad]

1 Marcus Valerius Martialis (Martial) was a Roman poet famous for his epigrams

[cashier]

4 Cash bribe - sop reversed
A lot asked for - tall order minus L

[writesbad]

3 I believe "long" means spelt out in full rather than a simple symbol

[scorpiojo]

3

Omega (uppercase/lowercase Ω ω), is a letter of the Greek alphabet. It stood for a long "o" sound in Ancient Greek