The term 'hammered obliquely' can be broken down into two crossword solutions: 'toenailed' (9 letters) and 'toed' (4 letters). Toenailing is a carpentry technique in which a nail is driven through the edge of two pieces of wood, usually at an angle, to join them together. Toeing is a similar technique, but instead of using a hammer and nail, a screw is driven through the edge of two pieces of wood. Both techniques are used to join two pieces of wood together securely.