| 100% | ELIDE | 5 | Say "cap'n," for "captain" or "bo's'n" for "boatswain" |
| 51% | ELIDED | 6 | Said "bos'n" or "cap'n," say |
| 51% | ELIDED | 6 | Said "bos'n" for "boatswain," e.g. |
| 50% | GIANT | 5 | N.Y. or S.F. athlete known for the beginnings of 21-, 31-, 42-, and 54-Across? |
| 48% | SKIPPERS | 8 | Slang for captains or troop leaders |
| 48% | SMEE | 4 | Bo'sun for Captain Hook |
| 47% | RANK | 4 | Captain or colonel, for example |
| 47% | RANK | 4 | Captain or sergeant, for example |
| 47% | KAREEM | 6 | N.B.A. first name that's Arabic for "noble" or "exalted" |
| 46% | SNO | 3 | Start for cone or Caps |
| 46% | DIR | 3 | N, E, W or S |
| 45% | JAR | 3 | Container for candy or cookies, say |
| 45% | SNO | 3 | Commercial start for Balls or Caps |
| 45% | DIR | 3 | N, E, W or S: Abbr. |
| 45% | LAT | 3 | N or S position |
| 45% | DAK | 3 | N. or S. state |
| 45% | AGENORM | 7 | Benchmark for a two-year-old's height or weight, say |
| 44% | WED | 3 | Take for better or for worse, say |
| 44% | REGULATOR | 9 | Control mechanism for pressure or speed, say |
| 44% | OPT | 3 | Go for one or the other, say |
| 44% | TALENT | 6 | Natural gift for sports or music, say |
| 44% | PIRATE | 6 | Captain Hook or Jack Sparrow, for example |
| 44% | SMEE | 4 | Captain Hook's bos'n |
| 44% | HAT | 3 | Cap or beanie, for example |
| 44% | DIR | 3 | N, E, S or W |
| 44% | DIR | 3 | N, E, S, or W |
| 44% | DIR | 3 | N, S, E or W |
| 43% | GEN | 3 | Robert E. Lee or Ulysses S. Grant, for example: Abbr. |
| 43% | WALK | 4 | Go on foot for exercise or pleasure, say |
| 43% | WARPDRIVE | 9 | Star Trek captains say engage this for speed |