Sizable pasta slices, second being free? (8)
I believe the answer is:
openness
'free?' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't understand how they can define each other.
'sizable pasta slices second' is the wordplay.
'sizable' becomes 'os' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'pasta' becomes 'penne' (penne is a type of pasta).
'slices' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters slice their way in).
'second' becomes 's' (common abbreviation).
'os' enclosing 'penne' is 'opennes'.
'opennes'+'s'='OPENNESS'
'being' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for openness that I've seen before include "Frank attitude" , "Candour, receptiveness" , "4 dn quality" , "Candid nature" .)