Well that was a delightful MISSIVE. I am glad that it was not too SEVERE. You were an adept FUSIONIST in your ability to COLATE(Sp) what were no doubt many MUTATIONS. At no point did I have to CUSS. I'll praise this from the SPIRES.
The themed answers can all be prefixed by PUR or PER to form a new word. Each of those new words could be an alternate answer for another clue (perform - play, purpose - intent, purport - claim, purloin - nick, perfume - axe, pursuit - tail) and the first letter of each of these answers, from top to bottom using their place in the grid, spells CATNIP.
Berto 🤓3:08 · 2023-08-01T17:58:23.446Z
A puzzle put together by a *spicacious constructor requiring more than a *functory attempt!