Almost Loaded

by Dave Shukan

ANSWER: JUGS

Each set clues six 6-letter words in alphabetical order, using all the letters of the alphabet but one. The clue set itself also uses all but one letter. Placed in the order of the missing clue letters, the missing answer letters spell the phrase LIQUOR HOLDERS PACKED IN MY BOX, giving the answer JUGS (from the well-known pangram).

A	Tinkered or fooled unproductively Concerning the fifth rock Province north of the U.S. Extremely eerie, like with ghosts or zombies Body segment of mosquito or June bug Domed hut or tent often covered with hides	FUTZED JOVIAN QUEBEC SPOOKY THORAX WIGWAM	L
B	Threw quick punches Coffee serving size, particularly in an office setting Sounds from certain waterfowl Corner of a polygon Javelin, for example Gentle wind	JABBED MUGFUL QUACKS VERTEX WEAPON ZEPHYR	I
C	Move or tune to be more square or useful Fast-growing jungle grass Traditionally printed and glazed textile Network of nerves Establish the truth of Transitioning to awareness	ADJUST BAMBOO CHINTZ PLEXUS VERIFY WAKING	Q
D	Suitable for consumption Like juice concentrate in a chilly market aisle Having a mischievous quality Blazer, for example Conventional key arrangement Harrowing	EDIBLE FROZEN IMPISH JACKET QWERTY VEXING	U
E	Blazon or graphically portray Savvy, quick, and possibly risky ploy Bad luck charms Clumsy as an ox It has a flag and is found on a staff Swings and majorly fails to hit a pitch	DEPICT GAMBIT JINXES KLUTZY QUAVER WHIFFS	O
F	Damage or smash, especially in Ireland Covered backyard structure Commemorative inscribed tablet Some green ones exist, proverbially Quicken or animate Oz witch adjective	BANJAX GAZEBO PLAQUE THUMBS VIVIFY WICKED	R
G	Monopolize, very informally VIP at Aqueduct Race Track Introductory morpheme Small jewellike plate that adorns clothes Codex Vaticanus material He turned out to be a man behind a curtain	BOGART JOCKEY PREFIX SEQUIN VELLUM WIZARD	H
H	Type of turnover Fraternity rite of passage Small bus or unlicensed taxi Piece of miner's equipment used to remove rock Tentacled ocean denizens Usually written rejection or surrender of a claim	FUMBLE HAZING JITNEY PICKAX SQUIDS WAIVER	O
I	Wordlessly ask someone to approach Decorated zone of an entablature Unevenly jutted or sawtoothed Racquetball analogue Evocatory of the Everglades Tornado, for example	BECKON FRIEZE JAGGED SQUASH SWAMPY VORTEX	L
J	Orchestra crasher Forcibly divert a plane Using a swizzle stick, perhaps Maker of an extremely uplifting pill Emit a burst of liquid in a stream They run in a pack	CYMBAL HIJACK MIXING PFIZER SQUIRT WOLVES	D
K	One of a quartet of board game pieces Sudden mass arrival or flow from outside Jumble of irregular pieces to be annexed One of the Nairobi Trio Twelve Highly piezoelectric crystal	BISHOP INFLUX JIGSAW KOVACS MIDDAY QUARTZ	E
L	Putting a whammy on Stoked or excited (about) How Jack jumped Unit of data sent over a network Chugs (as with quantities of booze) Unconstricted speech sounds	HEXING JAZZED NIMBLY PACKET QUAFFS VOWELS	R
M	Perplex Disease that established the word "vaccine" Radio personality He wrote just shy of two dozen string quartets Slake Norse pirate	BAFFLE COWPOX DEEJAY MOZART QUENCH VIKING	S
N	Expire feebly, like a fuse as it gives out Stored jam, perhaps Criticize or bellyache habitually Periodic table member with vital properties Partially close eyes to improve quality of sight Bearlike marsupial	FIZZLE JARRED KVETCH OXYGEN SQUINT WOMBAT	P
O	What the Snark was Bulging rather than indented Sudden alarm A hundred and fifty-six clues, evidently Eccentric Judgely quality that is Zeus' daughter's purview	BOOJUM CONVEX FRIGHT PUZZLE QUIRKY WISDOM	A
P	Quick burst of activity or weather Eighty-sixed Light-blocking Jezebels Skilled manufacturer African country	FLURRY JUNKED OPAQUE VIXENS WRIGHT ZAMBIA	C
Q	Prize for third Showed off one's muscles Kentucky Derby beverages Fruit mentioned in White Men Can't Jump Extravagant or erratic notion or action Fireplace offering	BRONZE FLEXED JULEPS QUINCE VAGARY WARMTH	K
R	Aquatic golfing obstacle Beams that hold up building elements Vehicle with a cab and a tailgate Elected city official in an animated TV show Unjustifiably attack the good name of Expanding in size	HAZARD JOISTS PICKUP QUIMBY VILIFY WAXING	E
S	Country overlapping the equator Bit of meat that might be found in a tortilla Extra amount added by retailer What real men don't eat Not erotically appetizing Making a troth or pledge, maybe before a judge	BRAZIL FAJITA MARKUP QUICHE UNSEXY VOWING	D
T	Laden railway parallelepiped Having a dowdy appearance Keep balls airborne Used a razor Sharp call, perhaps from a blue jay Cinquain, for example	BOXCAR FRUMPY JUGGLE SHAVED SQUAWK STANZA	I
U	Seller of wares, perhaps at an Iraqi market Heavy-handed bozo It can be direct or indirect Expanded by air, like the grains in some cereals Container for shafted projectiles Alignment of celestial bodies	HAWKER LUMMOX OBJECT PUFFED QUIVER SYZYGY	N
V	Extra turn in croquet, or a soup Bone located just about centrally in humans Inlets between cliffs Archaic broadsword Prize doll trademark High point	BISQUE COCCYX FJORDS GLAIVE KEWPIE ZENITH	M
W	Quiz program priority mechanism Add feathers to a shafted projectile Not being serious Highest values Aroused or provoked, as anger Rotate in an executive chair	BUZZER FLETCH JOKING MAXIMA PIQUED SWIVEL	Y
X	In a cunning manner Impasse or crowd Sleeveless garment Blue, but not azure Juan, from the Doyle Dane Bernbach advertising agency Cricket requirement	FOXILY LOGJAM PONCHO RISQUE VALDEZ WICKET	B
Y	Filled pancake Fused or became liquid, as during soldering It might join words Rhizome root often eaten raw as a salad vegetable Sub-subatomic particles Expressing farewell with one's hand	BLINTZ FLUXED HYPHEN JICAMA QUARKS WAVING	O
Z	Observed Deadline requiring one to be at home Objects thrown overboard Forceful temblors Existing in a misty state Witty, piercing comeback	BEHELD CURFEW JETSAM QUAKES VAPORY ZINGER	X