| 100% | OVALTINE | 8 | "Be sure to drink your ___" (secret message Ralphie decodes in "A Christmas Story") |
| 83% | OVALTINE | 8 | "Be sure to drink your ___" (disappointing message decoded in "A Christmas Story") |
| 40% | BCCED | 5 | Sent secret messages to, in a way |
| 37% | MAGI | 4 | Trio in a Christmas story |
| 37% | MAGI | 4 | Wise men in a Christmas story |
| 36% | FLAGPOLE | 8 | Flick's tongue froze to this in A Christmas Story |
| 36% | REDRYDER | 8 | Ralphie's wish in "A Christmas Story" |
| 36% | MAGI | 4 | The three wise men in a Christmas story |
| 36% | REDRYDER | 8 | BB gun Ralphie covets in "A Christmas Story" (2 wds.) |
| 35% | TONE | 4 | It might be tough to convey in a text message |
| 35% | INNUENDO | 8 | "Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?," e.g. |
| 35% | FUELED | 6 | Stop at a gas station to make sure your car is completely ___before a road trip |
| 34% | ALABAMA | 7 | Montgomery's state that was the first US state to recognize Christmas as a holiday in 1836 |
| 34% | SANTASLAP | 9 | Where Ralphie sits briefly in "A Christmas Story" |
| 34% | POCKET | 6 | I'm a small patch in your jeans to hold a wallet or candy wrappers. Who am I? |
| 34% | CODE | 4 | Secret message that needs to be cracked |
| 34% | IRREFUTABLY | 11 | In a way not to be disproved |
| 33% | KEEPITBETWEENUS | 15 | "Let this be our little secret" … or a hint to letter sequences hidden in 16-, 32- and 40-Across |
| 33% | ALL | 3 | "It is in your hands to create a better world for ___ who live in it," words by Nelson Mandela |
| 33% | EQUITABLY | 9 | In a way that is fair to all |
| 33% | ALE | 3 | Something to drink in your yard |
| 33% | BBGUN | 5 | Gift coveted by Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" (2 wds.) |
| 33% | PURLOINEDLETTER | 15 | Titular item in a Poe story whose Latin epigraph translates to “Nothing is more hateful to wisdom than excessive cunning” |
| 33% | CAP | 3 | Surgical ___, headwear worn in the operating room to maintain sterilization that could be a part of your "Doctor" Halloween costume |
| 33% | CODE | 4 | Secret message that can be cracked with a key |
| 33% | NUTSHELL | 8 | In a __ means to be explained in few words |
| 33% | BREWERY | 7 | In a ___, there's no shortage of ___ to drink |
| 33% | PERUSAL | 7 | Friend sure to throw in a scan |
| 32% | INVISIBLEINK | 12 | Secret message technique ... and a hint to four puzzle clues |
| 32% | SUGARMAPLE | 10 | In a ___, there's plenty of sweet ___ to be harvested |