| 100% | NINE | 4 | *Start of a 38-Across |
| 91% | OUTOFTHECRADLE | 14 | Start of a 36 Across poem |
| 91% | WHENLILACSLAST | 14 | Start of a 36 Across poem |
| 86% | IJUSTPUTMYFEET | 14 | Start of a 58 Across/25 Down quote, describing his craft |
| 85% | GERM | 4 | Start of a 14-Across |
| 85% | FIVE | 4 | *End of a 38-Across |
| 85% | WHADDYASUPPOSED | 15 | Start of a 35/36 Across quote, after seeing a Murphy bed |
| 83% | CHILDSTOYS | 10 | Bearers of a phrase suggested by saying the starts of 17-, 24-, 38- and 49-Across |
| 81% | GIRLSCOUT | 9 | Original maker of a 38-Across |
| 80% | IDIDNTRECOGNIZE | 15 | Start of a comment that 7 Down/18 Across claimed to have heard ''a million times'' |
| 80% | IREALLYDIDNTSAY | 15 | Start of a quote by 39-Across |
| 80% | TOOMUCHOF | 9 | Start of a thought by 29-Across |
| 80% | HAVINGAFINETIME | 15 | Start of a message on 20-Across |
| 80% | WERELIVINGINAN | 14 | Start of a quip by 67-Across |
| 80% | POETRY | 6 | Start of a quote by 50-Across |
| 80% | LANGUAGEISACITYTO | 17 | Start of a quote by 59-Across |
| 80% | ISIGNEDWITHTHEMILWAUKEE | 23 | Start of a quip by 58-Across |
| 80% | MOSTROCK | 8 | Start of a quote by 102-Across |
| 80% | ISAWANOTICE | 11 | Start of a quip by 44-Across |
| 80% | ALLFORONE | 9 | Start of a quote from 20-Across |
| 80% | ADVERTISINGIS | 13 | Start of a quote by 115-Across |
| 80% | FORGIVEYOUR | 11 | Start of a quote by 56-Across |
| 79% | SOMEONEWHOIS | 12 | Start of a punny definition of 44-Across |
| 79% | ONESMALLTHING | 13 | Start of a definition of the 81-Across |
| 79% | YOUCAMPAIGNIN | 13 | Start of a quote by 1-/73-Across |
| 79% | MYFAKEPLANTS | 12 | Start of a one-liner by 54-Across |
| 78% | IHAVENOTFAILEDIVEJUST | 21 | Start of a motivational comment attributed to 86-Across |
| 77% | SICK | 4 | Start of a "recuperative" word ladder ending at 73-Across |
| 76% | MYGOALINLIFEIS | 14 | Start of a wish by 112-Across on 9/21/09 |
| 76% | IFATFIRST | 9 | Start of a quote about creativity by 58-Across/39-Down |