| 100% | REDPONY | 7 | Classic Steinbeck story, with "The" |
| 67% | THEPEARL | 8 | Classic Steinbeck story |
| 64% | LOS2RLD | 7 | Classic sci-fi story, with "The" |
| 62% | REDSHOES | 8 | Classic Hans Christian Andersen story, with "The" |
| 59% | OLDONETWO | 9 | Classic combo, with the |
| 58% | GEN | 3 | Bk. with the ark story |
| 58% | TELLIT | 6 | "Hit me with the story!" |
| 56% | RUTH | 4 | It begins with the story of Naomi |
| 56% | MADLIB | 6 | Story with blanks to be filled in by the reader |
| 55% | AENEID | 6 | Poem with the story of the Trojan horse |
| 55% | THESHINING | 10 | Movie with the classic line "Here's Johnny!" |
| 55% | NANTZ | 5 | Sportscaster Jim with the classic opening "Hello, friends" |
| 55% | GAMEPLAY | 8 | Interaction with the plot of a computer story |
| 54% | EAST | 4 | With "of" and 71-Across, Steinbeck classic |
| 54% | IRENE | 5 | Classic Broadway musical with the song "Alice Blue Gown" |
| 54% | ANKA | 4 | Paul with the classic 1960 pop song "Puppy Love" |
| 54% | YES | 3 | British prog-rock band with the classic hit "Roundabout" |
| 54% | TWOPARTER | 9 | Story with a cliffhanger, perhaps, and a hint to the starred answers |
| 53% | RENEEZELLWEGER | 14 | Actress with the classic line "You had me at hello" |
| 53% | SHREK | 5 | Animated movie with the classic quote "Ogres are like onions" |
| 53% | CANDYLAND | 9 | Classic board game with the Peppermint Forest and Lollipop Lane |
| 53% | TIEIN | 5 | "This point may ___ with the story" (fit properly): 2 wds. |
| 52% | AIDA | 4 | 2000 musical with the song "Every Story Is a Love Story" |
| 52% | AIDA | 4 | Musical with the opening number "Every Story Is a Love Story" |
| 52% | LOREAL | 6 | Cosmetics brand with the classic slogan "Because I'm worth it" |
| 52% | CCRIDER | 7 | Classic blues tune with the lyric “See what you have done” |
| 52% | MAE | 3 | West with the classic movie line "I'm no 45-Across ..." |
| 52% | LORE | 4 | Stories for the ages, or legends (rhymes with "bore") |
| 52% | OPIONEERS | 9 | Classic novel with the heroine Alexandra Bergson |
| 52% | SHINING | 7 | Classic horror flick with Jack Nicholson: The __ |