LA Times Crossword
June 9, 2017
David Alfred Bywaters

Each phrase below is not quite right. That's because one letter in each phrase has been substituted for another. What letter has been wronged and what is a single four-letter word, read in a certain way,  that will explain the whole thing?

STAT PARTIES
PAPER BAT
PERSIAN RUT
LONE RANTER
STRAY DOT
TALE WARNING

HINT TO THE "REVEAL" WORD:
It normally means "essence."

Answers:

The letter G has been wronged - incorrectly replaced by T in each phrase. The phrases should be:

STAG PARTIES
PAPER BAG
PERSIAN RUG
LONE RANGER
STRAY DOG
GALE WARNING

REVEAL WORD:

GIST (G IS T)