| 100% | MARKS | 5 | Question ___ (symbols that end this clue??) |
| 52% | DIVA | 4 | "Drop Dead ___" (Lifetime show that ended this year) |
| 52% | PHRASING | 8 | That of this clue is awkward |
| 48% | NURSEJACKIE | 11 | Showtime comedy-drama set in a hospital that ended this summer: 2 wds. |
| 47% | EGO | 3 | Word hidden in this clue that might hold up negotiations |
| 46% | EAGLE | 5 | Bald ___, USA symbol that begins and ends with the letter "E" |
| 45% | EGO | 3 | Word hidden in this clue that might be a detriment to negotiations |
| 44% | ING | 3 | Verb ending found in this clue |
| 43% | ACROSS | 6 | Direction that this clue is headed in |
| 43% | TEN | 3 | Number of clues in this puzzle that contain factual inaccuracies |
| 43% | THE | 3 | Word that appears in ten of this puzzle's clues |
| 43% | MAD | 3 | Humor magazine that will be ending newsstand distribution this year |
| 41% | ULALUME | 7 | Poem that ends "This ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir" |
| 41% | EROS | 4 | Love symbol that names another love symbol if you move the first letter to the end |
| 41% | WHO | 3 | Question that becomes another question when its first letter is moved to its end |
| 41% | TAB | 3 | Diet cola that's being discontinued at the end of this month |
| 41% | THE | 3 | Article that doesn’t appear in any of this puzzle’s clues |
| 41% | EL | 2 | Letter that starts each clue in this puzzle |
| 40% | WHEREARTTHOU | 12 | Question that follows "O Brother" in film ... and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 40% | INABOTTLE | 9 | Words that can follow the ends of the answers to the starred clues |
| 40% | TWENTYONEACROSS | 15 | This clue |
| 39% | PUTONTHEDOG | 11 | Pretend to be wealthy, in old slang ... and a hint to words that end answers to starred clues |
| 39% | CASABLANCA | 10 | 1942 film that ends with the line “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” |
| 39% | TOOLBOX | 7 | Carpenter's accessory that might hold the ends of the answers to starred clues |
| 39% | TEN | 3 | This clue, doubled |
| 39% | SIX | 3 | This clue, doubled |
| 38% | AMEN | 4 | "That's the end of this prayer" |
| 38% | DOWN | 4 | Like the answer to this clue |
| 38% | FOURLETTER | 10 | Like each word from this clue |
| 38% | WORD | 4 | One of six in this clue |