| 100% | ALICE | 5 | Title literary character who exclaims "How puzzling all these changes are!" |
| 73% | ALICE | 5 | Fictional title character who declares "How puzzling all these changes are!" |
| 35% | AHAB | 4 | Literary character who cries "I am madness maddened!" |
| 35% | LEWISCARROLL | 12 | Writer who was the source of all the words with asterisked clues in this puzzle |
| 34% | NOTRUESCOTSMAN | 14 | All crossword fans love this puzzle; anyone who doesn't love this puzzle can't be a *real* crossword fan! |
| 34% | ITHASCIRCLES | 12 | With 50-Across, how one can tell that this puzzle was up all night waiting to be solved? |
| 33% | IAGO | 4 | Literary character who says "I will wear my heart upon my sleeve" |
| 33% | AHAB | 4 | Literary character on whom Captain Hook is based |
| 33% | EYRE | 4 | Literary character who says, "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me" |
| 33% | ALF | 3 | Title TV character who was over 200 years old |
| 33% | EMMA | 4 | Literary character on whom Cher from Clueless is based |
| 32% | EYRE | 4 | Literary character who inspired the title of the 2016 anthology “Reader, I Married Him” |
| 32% | YOU | 3 | Who is solving this puzzle |
| 32% | POLONIUS | 8 | Shakespeare character who says "This above all: to thine own self be true" |
| 32% | GODOT | 5 | Title character who is never onstage |
| 32% | YERTLE | 6 | Kid-lit title character who says "I am the ruler of all that I see!" |
| 32% | CLUE | 4 | A crossword editor has to be very careful when changing one--unlike this puzzle's editor, who was careless four times herein |
| 31% | SHREK | 5 | Film title character who says "This is the part where you run away" |
| 31% | SMOKEYBEAR | 10 | Character who's wary of the starts to this puzzle's theme answers |
| 31% | OXYMORONS | 9 | What the answers to this puzzle's starred clues all are |
| 31% | ELMO | 4 | "Sesame Street" character who asked people online how they were doing |
| 31% | ONTHEROCKS | 10 | How three circled words are served in this puzzle |
| 31% | INTHREED | 8 | How this puzzle’s nine longest answers are viewed? |
| 31% | ANNIEHALL | 9 | Title character who sings "It Had to Be You" |
| 31% | ONTHEROCKS | 10 | How this puzzle's three drinks have been served? |
| 31% | TINYTIM | 7 | Dickens character (and title of this puzzle) |
| 30% | VET | 3 | Solver to whom this puzzle is dedicated |
| 30% | ZODIAC | 6 | All 12 of its symbols are featured in this puzzle |
| 30% | TESS | 4 | Literary title character who gives birth to Sorrow |
| 30% | THEFRIENDSWEMADEALONG | 21 | With 126/127 Across, companions on our life's journey who were more valuable to us than our destination ... and an alternate title for this puzzle |