| 100% | BOOK | 4 | "Cooking by the ___," LazyTown song a chef might sing while consulting a recipe manual for every tasty dish in this puzzle |
| 36% | GULLIBLE | 8 | How you might feel after reading the third letter of every clue in this puzzle for a secret message |
| 36% | CAKE | 4 | "___ by the Ocean," pop song by DNCE that a pastry chef might sing while frosting a chocolate sponge dessert |
| 35% | PIE | 3 | "American ___," song by Don McLean that a chef might sing while whipping up a lemon meringue dessert |
| 34% | RAIN | 4 | "___ On Me," song by Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga ... or a shower from above that may fill up the water bodies mentioned in this puzzle |
| 34% | DONTSTARTWITHME | 15 | Words that might begin (or prevent) an argument, and a grammar tip for the three speakers in this puzzle |
| 32% | CHOP | 4 | "___ Suey!" song by System of a Down that a chef might rock out to while stir-frying a delicious Chinese dish |
| 31% | APPLES | 6 | "___ and Bananas," children's song that a chef may sing while preparing a fruit salad |
| 31% | STEWPITDITTY | 12 | Song to sing while slow-cooking dinner in a hole in the ground? |
| 31% | TIMES | 5 | Square where the words in this puzzle's dropping balls may be heard at the end of a song's first verse |
| 30% | GYROS | 5 | Next stop: Greece! Fuel yourself for your Greek visit by indulging in this meat dish cooked on a rotisserie (1/3) |
| 29% | CHICKEN | 7 | "___ Fried," song by Zac Brown Band that a chef might hum while making buffalo wings |
| 29% | LEIS | 4 | May 1 was a day chosen by Don Blanding, then of the Honolulu Star Bulletin, in 1927 for a celebration of these |
| 28% | LIBERACE | 8 | Entertainer born in May 1919, the basis for five anagrams in this puzzle |
| 28% | SOAP | 4 | It may be in a dish by the sink |
| 28% | NOPIECEOFCAKE | 13 | What a chef might call each dessert featured in this puzzle, literally or figuratively |
| 27% | COUNTDOWN | 9 | What might end the year, and a hint to five answers in this puzzle |
| 27% | EAR | 3 | In one ___ and out the other (how a word may travel through someone's brain--or through this puzzle grid) |
| 27% | EARLOFCHESTER | 13 | One title for this puzzle's subject, spelled in order by the circled letters |
| 27% | SERA | 4 | ... the sky / "Que ___, ___" (lyric in a song sung by Doris Day) |
| 27% | ITUNES | 6 | Where to find the songs in this grid ... or an appropriate title for this puzzle? |
| 27% | CHCHCHCHCHANGES | 15 | Chorus starter in a 1972 David Bowie song ... or the theme of this puzzle, phonetically |
| 27% | PGTHIRTEEN | 10 | Somewhat family-friendly ... or a title for this puzzle, as suggested by the completed grid? |
| 26% | MOVING | 6 | With 58-Down, vehicle for people on the go? ... or a hint to five strategically placed answers in this puzzle |
| 26% | TEN | 3 | Number of mispelled words in this puzzle's clues (oh, by the way, watch out for those tricky circled squares!) |
| 26% | NODOFF | 6 | At midnight when I'm still writing clues for the puzzle that absolutely has to be in Florida by 8:00 am, I have a tendency to do this |
| 26% | MAKING | 6 | "___ a Fire," song by Foo Fighters that won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance in 2022 |
| 26% | NEWYEARSEVE | 11 | Time to sing the tune suggested by the starts of 10 long answers in this puzzle |
| 26% | CURLINGSTONES | 13 | Items guided by brooms in the Winter Olympics ... or a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 26% | ROCKNROLL | 9 | Joan Jett sang of her love for this in a 1981 song |