| 100% | HORNBY | 6 | Nick, author of Fever Pitch and A Long Way Down |
| 62% | HORNBY | 6 | Nick —, author of novels About A Boy and A Long Way Down |
| 57% | NICKHORNBY | 10 | Author of novels About A Boy and A Long Way Down |
| 40% | PELECANOS | 9 | George P —, author of novels Nick's Trip and A Firing Offense |
| 40% | USBCONNECTION | 13 | Common PC hookup, and a feature of the four longest Down answers |
| 39% | FALLINGLEAVES | 13 | Autumn occurrence, and a hint to the start of the other four longest Down answers |
| 38% | GOT | 3 | "America's ___ Talent," a long running talent show featuring the likes of Nick Cannon and Sharon Osbourne |
| 35% | ERA | 3 | A long and distinct period of history |
| 35% | EMFORSTER | 9 | Author of Howards End and A Room With A View |
| 34% | ITALOSVEVO | 10 | Author of novels A Life and Zeno's Conscience |
| 34% | RISINGSEALEVELS | 15 | One effect of global warming, and a hint to the five longest Down answers |
| 34% | ALANSILLITOE | 12 | Author of novels A Man of His Time and Birthday |
| 34% | AMAATAAIDOO | 11 | Author of “Our Sister Killjoy” and “Changes: a Love Story” |
| 34% | EDNAOBRIEN | 10 | Author of novels The Country Girls and A Pagan Place |
| 34% | FREYANORTH | 10 | Author of novels The Turning Point and The Way Back Home |
| 34% | GONE | 4 | Ishmael Beah's "A Long Way ___: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" |
| 34% | SIANJAMES | 9 | Author of novels A Small Country and Return to Hendre Ddu |
| 34% | DAVEPELZER | 10 | Author of memoirs A Child Called It and The Lost Boy |
| 33% | STEM | 4 | Long and standing part of a plant |
| 33% | DOOR | 4 | Way into and out of a house |
| 33% | REST | 4 | A period of relaxing and winding down |
| 33% | MORTIMER | 8 | Penelope —, author of novels The Pumpkin Eater and Long Distance |
| 33% | MURDOCH | 7 | Iris —, author of novels The Bell and A Word Child |
| 33% | SVEVO | 5 | Italo —, author of novels A Life and Zeno's Conscience |
| 33% | BURGESS | 7 | Anthony —, author of novels Abba Abba and A Clockwork Orange |
| 33% | KELMAN | 6 | James —, author of novels A Disaffection and Kieron Smith, Boy |
| 33% | HARDY | 5 | Thomas —, author of novels A Laodicean and Jude the Obscure |
| 33% | BARRACUDA | 9 | Predator fish with a long body and tons of teeth |