Backwards answers...fair game?

[mattdodge]

I'm really new to constructing and I had a tough section I was trying to fill. The word/answer SISAO (OASIS spelled backwards) fit in really nicely. Is cluing that with "Reflection of a desert mirage" or something similar fair game? I don't feel like I've ever encountered that type of clue in a non-theme answer but I wasn't sure.

[mmcbs]

No, this type of entry is generally not accepted unless it is part of the theme.

[mattdodge]

Thanks for the answer, figured that was the case given I had never seen it but I also couldn't find any rules explicitly preventing it. I am finding that there are a lot of "unwritten rules" when it comes to what editors will allow.

[mmcbs]

Right, there is a lot of variation from one publisher to the next in terms of what they will allow, but they all have the basic rule that it has to be a real thing (word, phrase, abbreviation, proper name). The databases on this web site or crosswordgiant or crosswordtracker are best resources for what the various editors might allow, though they often make exceptions to accommodate a theme, so a doubtful entry might not work, even it it's been used before.