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Puzzle 20160716:

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/456SatPuz07162016.pdf

Solution for previous – 20160521:

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/rimshot_solution.jpg

As always, for best results download, then open & print.

Previous puzzles & threads can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/pyvfuwg

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NB:

Please browse the site. They have a mix of daily (regular) puzzles, variety, & math puzzles.
Older cryptics are not always tagged correctly.
http://blogs.wsj.com/puzzle/

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Thanks, Syzygy, enjoyed as always.
Haven't fully parsed 1a or 'a'
Favourites were 8a, 23a, 11d, 14d & m.

Thanks, syzzie. Very nice.

I liked those too, mattrom- also 7D and d. I puzzled over 1A; I think it just means that you only need the letters in PHRASE but you have to use some of them more than once. I don't get the other one (a) either.

Thanks syzygy, other than the queries raised by mattrom I found this a breeze and apart from 23 across, 4 & 7 down I didn't feel the clueing in general had the usual sparkle, wit or polish.
1a, I can see no other alternative to your suggestion aristo but will happily retract my above comments if I'm wowed by something else.
(a) the best I can come up with is man + hi as a variant of hey being expressions of surprise + lo (usually applied when referring to calories) as being an acceptable daily form of low your side of the pond ? Again Ill gladly accept some more substantial

@ aristo (and any one else who is interested in themed puzzles of the harder variety such as Listener and has syzygy's email address as a means of establishing contact, or possibly Les if he's willing).

I am lucky enough to receive copies of the "big 3" weekend themed puzzles over here, Inquisitor (IQ), Listener & Enigmatic Variations (EV) in PDF format. These all attract forum discussion should anyone need help and I'm more than happy to forward.

Lost among the kitchens. I curse those sods.

1A - had a problem with the parsing too. I think Aristo is right.
(a) - the same, but then found I was pronouncing it incorrectly.
See Wikipedia - this site won't all the phonetic symbols.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English
The first vowel is pronounced as in "tee", whereas Haole tend to say it as in "tie".
So, two homophones - "in the mouth".
Again, quite a number of nice surface reads.
My faves: A - 10, 23. D - 6, 7, 15. IC - e, l.
For (b), I assume that "back" does double duty as head indicator & reversal.

I see Ginge posted while I was composing.

Still problems with this site. Lost all my spacing & 3rd sentence should read:
See Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilo,_Hawaii
- this site won't allow the phonetic symbols.

Hi syzygy, I was in the process of emailing you and hope you didn't mind me assuming you'd willingly be the conduit initially for anyone wishing to take up my offer.
Interesting re (b) which I gladly accept but, as we have discussed many times before, homophones and the like (Spoonerisms etc) our bugbear are very much regionally dependent. Even in a nation as small as the UK certain areas accept urn & earn as homophones (London area !) but most definitely not in the north !

Hi again syzygy, the earlier comments were attributable to (a) not (b).
(b) I took "back" solely as the reversal indicator with each of the 4 words previous being denoted by their first letter abbreviation.

Hi, Ginge. It's very late & I'm off to bed.

I'll send you an email tomorrow about an easy way to present your puzzles.

Cheers.