THEME: NE, symbol for neon, intrudes in normal phrases yielding strange ones
GOOD ONES: Moniker on a box of pasta? PENNE-NAME [pen name]
Kangaroo from a lab? CLONED-HOPPER [clod hopper]
Cops' disagreement? FINEST-FIGHT [fist fight]
"No military bigwigs allowed!"? BRASS-BANNED [brass band]
Slanted column OPED [are all opinions by definition slanted? --- mine aren't
]
Mind reader? EEG
Rock or metal GENRE [never realized the basic nature of these music terms]
Level or bevel TOOL [I thought TRIM, which would fit but was wrong]
BTW: Cantina
condiments SALSAS [salsa is a sauce and does not connote condiment]
Cold explosion? ACHOO [less an explosion than "expression," which would make a better clue]
Speaking of OUTRE, ARI shipping is certainly that.
The title "Neon Lightness" is a stumper for me. It seems NE is added to phrases so in a sense they, the phrases, would not be "light" or missing something. Perhaps the suggestion is that NE "lights" up the phrases by its intrusion.
RATING:
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun
