Crossword Genius

Whack a sausage and get in a pickle (3,1,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

hit a snag

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

'in a pickle' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I cannot judge whether it can be defined by this definition.

'whack a sausage and' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'whack' could be 'hit' (I've seen this in another clue) and 'hit' is found within the answer.
'a' is within the answer.
'and' could be 'n' (common abbreviation for 'and') and 'n' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'sag' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

'get' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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