| 100% | AJAR | 4 | "When it's __": answer to a classic riddle |
| 72% | AJAR | 4 | Answer to the riddle "When is a door not a door? When it's ___" |
| 66% | JAR | 3 | "When it's a ___" (answer to the riddle "When is a door not a door?") |
| 61% | AJAR | 4 | "When it's ___" (answer to the old riddle "When is a door not a door?") |
| 60% | DAM | 3 | Answer to the joke "What did the fish say when it swam into a wall?" |
| 57% | NEVER | 5 | When it's a good idea to argue with strangers on the internet |
| 57% | WORDSQUARE | 10 | Classic letter puzzle -- or, when parsed differently, a hint to three Down answers in this puzzle |
| 57% | TEXTBOOKEXAMPLE | 15 | Classic demonstration, and a way to describe the relationship between each starred clue and its answer |
| 55% | AJAR | 4 | "When it's ___" (answer to an old riddle) |
| 54% | MILNE | 5 | Who wrote, in a classic children's book, "It is hard to be brave ... when you're only a Very Small Animal" |
| 54% | WEBOFLIES | 9 | It's spun by mendacious people ... or a hint to the shaded answers |
| 54% | AJAR | 4 | "When it's ___" (old riddle answer) |
| 52% | ETA | 3 | When a train's expected to reach its destination: Abbr. |
| 52% | ICICLE | 6 | It comes to a point when it's too cold outside |
| 51% | IDO | 3 | Answer to a minister's question |
| 51% | PLEA | 4 | Defendant's answer to a charge |
| 51% | VOICEMAIL | 9 | It may be left after the beep when a call's not answered: 2 wds. |
| 51% | INOVERTIME | 10 | When some contests are resolved, and a hint to ending this puzzle's theme answers |
| 51% | THE | 3 | With 71-Across and each answer to a starred clue, all of it |
| 51% | CDCHANGER | 9 | Classic audiophile's equipment, and a hint to eight long puzzle answers |
| 51% | PAW | 3 | What a dog lifts when it's ordered to "Shake!" |
| 50% | GUESS | 5 | Try to answer a riddle |
| 50% | AJAR | 4 | "When is a door not a door? When it's ___" (classic riddle) |
| 50% | SUPER | 5 | Word that's its own synonym when a "b" is added to the end |
| 50% | AJET | 4 | Answer to the riddle "The higher it goes, the less you hear it" |
| 49% | MIDDLEMARCH | 11 | George Eliot novel that's not the contest answer, but provides a hint to it |
| 49% | FSH | 3 | Answer to the riddle "What do you call a fish with no eyes?"... or a hint to this puzzle's circled letters |
| 49% | HELLO | 5 | Word to use when answering a telephone |
| 49% | AMEN | 4 | The answer to a preacher's prayers? |
| 49% | PIPESTEM | 8 | It's connected to a bowl |