Given the Ax? is a phrase that refers to the biblical story of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. The phrase is used to describe a situation in which someone is asked to make a difficult decision or take an action that goes against their own beliefs. In this case, the crossword solutions are HEWN (4 letters) and Fired (5 letters). HEWN means to cut or shape something with an ax, while Fired means to be dismissed from a job. Therefore, the phrase Given the Ax? can be interpreted as someone being asked to do something that goes against their own beliefs, such as being fired from a job or having to cut something with an ax.