TOO
By Josiah Schwab
First, solve the crossword clues, observing the constraint that each answer contains a double O (and no other Os). The clues are given such that the answers are in alphabetical order.
| Clue | Answer |
|---|---|
| Distant | ALOOF |
| Cake type | ANGELFOOD |
| Video game character "Crash ___" | BANDICOOT |
| It comes before type or bank | BLOOD |
| Volume vendor | BOOKSELLER |
| True or false | BOOLEAN |
| 1947 musical | BRIGADOON |
| Punctual bird | CUCKOO |
| Armageddon | DOOMSDAY |
| Flame resistant | FIREPROOF |
| Modern gourmand | FOODIE |
| Ill-advised | FOOLISH |
| Linux distro | GENTOO |
| Show(down) time (2 wds) | HIGHNOON |
| Dome homes | IGLOOS |
| Australian bouncer | KANGAROO |
| Buzzy instrument | KAZOO |
| Masked mammal | RACCOON |
| Appetizer with crab | RANGOON |
| First year player | ROOKIE |
| Ship | SCHOONER |
| Exclusive stories | SCOOPS |
| Kiss | SMOOCH |
| Oklahoman | SOONER |
| Canine cleaner | TOOTHPASTE |
| Business bigwig | TYCOON |
| Belgian | WALLOON |
Once you have the answers, try and find the them in the word the O-shaped wordsearch. Every answer is in the grid, but with the OOs replaced by other letters.
Reading the letters in the grid where the Os should be (think of it as circling the letters), you get the clue phrase THE PLURAL OF THE LETTER O IN THE NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET IS. Therefore, the answer is OSCARS.