Possible Title:
Mm, Some PairsTheme: Phrases featuring two words that are often paired --- and that begin with M!
Good Ones:Colorful candy {and theme} MANDMS [and it’s the last entry!]
Prune, before dying [sounds like a bizarre gardening tip, but note comma]
By the Way:Three more citations I dislike: MRSULU, MOE [as in
The Simpsons], and YODA. I cannot understand the fascination constructors seem to have with these shows. Yes, YODA and SULU make good fill, but I’m a bit abashed at the frequency of references to this aspect of our culture. But we did get OZAWA. Guess I sound like a snob, sorry.
This is probably my favorite Monday puzzle in years.
Some Nits to Pick:AAAMAP is not an idiom or commonly used construction as is, say, BOREDOWNON or any of the theme entries.
RATING:

Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun