| 100% | SOFTG | 5 | Sound heard in 17- and 58-Across and 11- and 24-Down |
| 63% | AEIOU | 5 | They're found once each in 17- and 58-Across and 11- and 27-Down |
| 63% | CAPITAL | 7 | Any of the cities found in 17- and 56-Across and 11- and 24-Down |
| 54% | NOTESOFTHESCALE | 15 | Features found in 17- and 64-Across and 11- and 28-Down |
| 54% | STATE | 5 | Name hidden in 17- and 56-Across and 11- and 28-Down |
| 53% | TBA | 3 | Timetable abbr. hidden in 17- and 61-Across and 11- and 29-Down |
| 53% | DBA | 3 | Corp. alias found in 17- and 55-Across and 10- and 24-Down |
| 53% | CAR | 3 | There's one garaged in 17- and 53-Across and 11- and 28-Down |
| 52% | ABC | 3 | They're "easy" to find in 17- and 53-Across and 3- and 24-Down |
| 51% | ROYALTITLES | 11 | Noble names, and a hint to 17- and 40-Across and 11- and 24-Down |
| 51% | MULLET | 6 | Much-derided hairstyle seen in 1-, 17-, 24-, 39-, 47- and 58-Across |
| 50% | CREAM | 5 | It can follow the first word of 17- and 58-Across and 11- and 28-Down |
| 50% | TRAIL | 5 | A "mix" of this word straddles the two words in 17- and 57-Across and 11- and 29-Down |
| 50% | CUT | 3 | Word that can follow the first parts of 17- and 58-Across and 11- and 33-Down |
| 50% | COAT | 4 | What 17- and 59-Across and 11- and 33-Down are each "bundled up" in |
| 50% | OGDEN | 5 | Poet Nash, who wrote the lines in 17-, 24-, 47- and 58-Across |
| 49% | RESERVE | 7 | What one can do to the last parts of 17- and 58-Across and 11- and 28-Down |
| 49% | GIRAFFE | 7 | Creature with distinctive features seen at the ends of 17- and 53-Across and 11- and 24-Down |
| 49% | FIRSTMATES | 10 | Title of this puzzle, in reference to 17- and 39-Across and 11- and 26-Down |
| 49% | BANG | 4 | Sound suggested by the first letters of the words in 17-, 26-, 44- and 58-Across |
| 48% | FALSESTARTS | 11 | What 17-Across, 11 and 35-Down all have in common |
| 48% | CONSONANTS | 10 | There are six of these in the middle of 17- and 56-Across and 11- and 25-Down |
| 48% | DEVIOUS | 7 | Sly, and a phonetic hint to the pattern in the last words of 17-, 24-, 42-, and 58-Across |
| 45% | GOOD | 4 | With 37-Down, what 17-, 24-, 47- and 58-Across are all said to bring |
| 45% | COLORFULANIMALS | 15 | 17- and 60-Across and 11- and 35-Down |
| 44% | 80SFADS | 7 | 17- and 66-Across and 11- and 30-Down, e.g. |
| 43% | COO | 3 | Sound heard in 45 Down |
| 43% | GET | 3 | See 17- and 58-Across and 3- and 29-Down |
| 43% | COMMAND | 7 | See 17- and 64-Across, and 11- and 34-Down |
| 43% | THEGAP | 6 | Something to mind ... in 18-, 24-, 47- and 58-Across |