MIND FLEXERS XLV
Merl Reagle
(Title shown below)

Answer each clue by matching it with one of the choices below. The relationships are disguised by double  meanings and/or altered spacing within words. The choices are in random order.

1. Cologne
2. Pertaining to car parts
3. Seafood vendor's display
4. Fifty percent are sleeping
5. Target practice result
6. Bad-mouther's motto
7. Desert denizen had a bite
8. Where a saphead's posterior is
9. Bondage brokers
10. How some clergy dress
11. Producer of liner notes
12. Decorated with pictures of fruit
13. Wall Street surge or a delayed supporter
14. What you might look like after a bad scrape

CHOICES:
a. Half dozen
b. Abandon ship
c. Scarcity
d. Bulletin board
e. Ascent of man
f. Slavering
g. Islander
h. Standoffish
i. At wit's end
j. Came late
k. Investments
l. Laterally
m. Offenders
n. Drew Pearson

Answers:

1. e - Ascent of man ( A scent)
2. m - Offenders (Of fenders)
3. h - Standoffish ( Stand of fish)
4. a - Half dozen (dozin')
5. d - Bulletin board (Bullet in board)
6. g - Islander ( I slander)
7. j - Came late (Camel ate) 
8. i - At wit's end
9. f - Slavering ( Slave ring)
10. k - Investments
11. b - Abandon ship [A band on ship (liner)]
                                     (musical notes)
12. n - Drew Pearson* (Drew pears on)
13. l - Laterally (Late rally / Later ally) 
14. c - Scarcity (Scar city)

*Drew Pearson was a popular but controversial journalist with a widely syndicated column in the 1940's, '50's, and '60's. 

Puzzle title: SPACE EXPLORATION