Crossword Genius

Unsafe — as may be pond skater? (2,4,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

on thin ice

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'unsafe' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'as may be pond skater?' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'as' could be 'in' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'in' is found within the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for on thin ice that I've seen before include "In a difficult position" , "In a risky situation" , "In a delicate situation" , "At risk" , "Experiencing treacherous wintry conditions" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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