So it appears that it was a Guardian typo [as I thought!] and not a Rufus mistake, which he, at comment 29, was willing to concede, if necessary.

There was a similar mistake in a Paul puzzle recently, where the crossword editor simply altered the archive, which, for me, does not constitute an adequate explanation / apology.

I was confusing this example with [much] earlier discussions re something like, ‘I enter’ or ‘I am in’ to indicate an insertion of I, which would, surely, be wrong? – and, as I said, could be made OK by the inclusion of ‘may [be]‘.

Concerning ‘are’, I quite agree with you, and for the reasons you give. I’m surprised it caused any comment.

Just a note of the use of “are” in the anagrind in 1a/elsewhere. It’s fine. When reading the clue “His tables are lost…” the first two words only appear to be words(!) – actually you are reading the group of letters H, I, S, T, A, B, L, E and S and these “are” to be anagrammed.

Rules of grammar and syntax in cryptic clues apply to definitions and wordplay instructions, not to wordplay fodder.

So time to write choice clues is ‘free’ and a luxury? Tell that to the setters who are prepared to spend time on a puzzle, for our entertainment, and for whom quality is more important than ‘output’: those who would never give us stuff like 6, 22 or 26 Across, or 1,2, 13 or 23 down. It’s facile, lazy clueing, and useless as a beginner’s introduction to cryptic solving because Rufus hasn’t worked any decent wordplay, as you put it, here at all. Not that he can’t – his surface readings are justly praised, but, as I said, he spreads his quality stuff thinly. Why? Well, I know what I think.

As for repeating clues: think of a jazz player who never plays quite the same solo twice – elements may, certainly will, be repeated, but freshly each time – and who takes pride in the skill of reworking those elements to make continually new creations. Pure repeating is pure cheating. Not unlike clueing in some ways. Crossword setting may be a minor art form, but art form it is, and it should be performed with a bit more integrity and respect for the solver than this.

Well said. No one beats Rufus for surfaces.

4dn IN FORCE: I thought I knew the difference between ‘effect’ and ‘affect’ and that therefore ‘affective’ in this clue had to be plain wrong. It isn’t so clear, as others have said. But Chambers has ‘affective’ only as ‘arising from or influencing emotion’ and ‘effective’ as inter alia ‘in force’. Occam’s Razor rules.

But then, I am not that veritable pillar of whom we speak. I am a low rascal with nary a scruple.