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I'm taking a stab at setting my own cryptic crossword, and I'd like to set this clue:

Simpson's in the air, coming back for wine (5)

Is this valid if the "the" has to be ignored?

(let me know if I should give the answer in this thread)

I'd argue that 'the' doesn't work here. If "the air" was defining a different word that held OJ, it might be OK, but "air" itself is part of the wordplay and so "the", having no part in the wordplay, doesn't belong.

Hmmm - I suspect it's a question to which you really already knew the answer.

It might be salvageable - Simpson caught in turbulent air, or similar - but as noted previously, every word has to have a reason for being there.

Ximenean principle #3.

The problem you've got here is that you want the solver to use the letters AIR 'as is' (albeit reversed), and therefore the word 'the' cannot simply be ignored.

If you were to use a noun synonym for air, say 'mood', then it would be acceptable to add the indefinite article, as solvers will expect that 'a mood' could translate into 'air' (and not necessarily 'an air'). So "Simpson's in a mood, coming back for wine" would be ok. That said, some purists would prefer not to see a 'disappearing' article, favouring "Simpson's in mood, coming back for wine".

If you want to mislead the solver a little, then a synonym for the verb 'to air' will look like a noun in the surface reading of the clue, eg "Simpson in show coming back for wine" and perhaps also suggests Homer rather than OJ. Setters are always on the lookout for such opportunities for misdirection.

Thanks for all the feedback! What if I turn this into,

Wine show returns, welcoming Simpson! (5)

bigblind

It works for me.

asetter

Thanks for your comments. Nice to read your advice again. I have not seen you post for some time but I only look at a few threads.

Extremely sound in my view. Nice work.

One point regarding the punctuation mark at the end. The convention regarding exclamation marks is that they are normally used only in two situations: (i) when the surface reading appears to demand it (eg "Bravo - goal for Crouch!" for BEND), and (ii) when the setter has done something out of the ordinary and wants to tell the solver to 'think outside the box'. Otherwise they are generally avoided by setters.

Some barred puzzle editors would consider 'Simpson' on its own to be insufficient to indicate 'OJ' - 'Simpson' is not a synonym for OJ, rather it is a 'definition by example' (as it would be for 'Homer' or 'Wallis'), and in order that the solver knows this they would expect something like a 'perhaps' or a '?', so "Wine show returns, welcoming Simpson?". In blocked puzzles this wouldn't be considered necessary, so no issue as far as your clue is concerned.

Thanks, jigjag - I don't often post, but I'm always keen to encourage new setters. There are so many solvers who think they couldn't set a puzzle, but they could!

Incidentally, I would strongly recommend the weekly Rookie Corner feature on Big Dave's site (http://bigdave44.com), which is aimed specifically at aspiring setters who haven't yet had a puzzle published elsewhere. Puzzles (which are not expected to be anywhere near newspaper standard) receive a lot of constructive feedback from experienced solvers, and all the setters use pseudonyms, so it's 'no names, no pack drill'!

...or you could enter the 3 weekly competitions here - Clueless, Peer Review, and Weekend Peer Review. I'm sure the "judges" would be happy to give feedback if requested!

I spent several years entering clue writing competitions before I set my first puzzle - in my view they're the best way of all to learn how to come up with multiple possible treatments for the same word and to avoid the obvious.