"Pistons," by Ross Trudeau

Constructor's Comments

Sometimes I think of an idea for a puzzle that necessarily implies an ambitious grid and let it pass blissfully from my mind.  But SIX CYLINDER(S) kept bubbling back to the surface, and I figured a seven-theme puzzle could work if a couple of the theme answers were short (SPOOL, CIGAR).  No one likes excessive grid wrangling, which can grind you down until you start thinking, "You know what?  NENES isn't such a bad word."

Fortunately, David held the line on NENES (and a few other unsavory bits).  He even suggested replacing LINAGE in the NW corner with OWNAGE, a lovely alternative that wasn't in my word list.  David FTW!  And not the first or last time. . . .