Basement Pantry
Anand Sarwate
Each of the clues is for a six letter word:
Apathy | TORPOR |
Bar in Maine, e.g. | HARBOR |
Braided bread (alt.) | CHALAH |
Brazilian mister | SENHOR |
Darmstadt province | HESSEN |
Fatty | PORKER |
Hired thugs | MUSCLE |
Indonesian island | BORNEO |
Invitation to pray | OREMUS |
Kazakh mountain sheep | ARKHAR |
Kidd's Tanzanian hideout | MESALI |
Kristol, e.g. (abbrev.) | NEOCON |
Laser inventor | MAIMAN |
Leighton company | AKAMAI |
Like fly sketch comedy troupe | PLUSHY |
Make dim (obs., rare) | ENDARK |
Many frequent drinkers | LUSHES |
Most timid | SHYEST |
Pakistan city | LAHORE |
Purim book | ESTHER |
Rail genus | RALLUS |
Smart | CLEVER |
Smog monster | HEDORA |
Speaker | ORATOR |
Swift god | HERMES |
Symptom of head ringworm | KERION |
Thickets (obs.) | HORSTS |
Tropical fruits | MANGOS |
Whistler or rockling | GOSSET |
Zambian cooking hut | INSAKA |
END ARK HAR BOR NEO CON CHA LAH ORE MUS CLE VER INS AKA MAI MAN GOS SAT HED ORA TOR POR KER ION PLU SHY EST HER MES ALI RAL LUS HES SEN HOR STSThe first column spells END CHAINS SHED PLURAL. The last column spells CONVERSATIONALISTS. Shedding the plural gives the answer.