How do I solve 16 across in Times Cryptic 3295?

Question

Accepted Answer

16 across reads "Sack amateur belonging to force" (3,3 letters); the answer is LAYOFF. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Sack amateur belonging to force (3,3)

16A — Sack amateur belonging to force (3,3) — LAYOFF