| 100% | BRAD | 4 | With 59-Down, star of the work revealed by the first letters of the Across clues, which hint at this puzzle's theme |
| 43% | PISAITALY | 9 | Home to this puzzle's featured structure, as hinted at by the starts of the answers to the starred clues |
| 40% | DRONE | 5 | Bee formed by the letters heard at the starts of this puzzle's theme answers |
| 40% | JOHNLECARREBOOK | 15 | Theme of this puzzle, as hinted at by 17-, 23-, 45- and 59-Across |
| 40% | ABE | 3 | Lincoln who gave the "House Divided Speech," which hints at this puzzle's theme |
| 39% | SECRET | 6 | With 46-Across, some areas in Clue … or a hint to the first, fourth, twelfth and fifteenth rows of this puzzle |
| 39% | PRIDE | 5 | With 57-Across, time period honoring the group hinted at by the beginning of the starred clues |
| 38% | JULES | 5 | With 141-Down, author whose work is the basis of this puzzle's theme |
| 38% | ATLAS | 5 | Mythological figure hinted at by the answers to the eight starred clues as well as this puzzle's design |
| 38% | JULES | 5 | With 49-Across, author of the novel suggested by this puzzle's theme; the movie debuted 10/17/1956 |
| 37% | SALTSHAKER | 10 | One of a pair at the dinner table ... or a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 37% | IVEBEENAMINERFORA | 17 | With 113-Across, 1972 song lyric hinting at this puzzle's theme |
| 37% | NATURAL | 7 | With 39-Across, subject of study represented literally by the words spelled out by this puzzle's circled letters |
| 36% | BILATERAL | 9 | With 46-Across, feature of the answers to this puzzle's six starred clues, in a sense |
| 36% | CHRISTMASEVE | 12 | Apt phrase spelled out by the first letters of the answers to the starred clues |
| 36% | ALOHASTATE | 10 | With "The," one of 50 since 8/21/1959, as hinted at by the answers to starred clues |
| 36% | THETIMES | 8 | With 38- and 52-Across, 1964 Bob Dylan song ... or a hint to the answers to this puzzle's starred clues |
| 36% | REVENGEISADISH | 14 | With 11-Down, proverb about delayed retribution, with a hint to the answers to this puzzle's starred clues |
| 36% | MET | 3 | Shook hands with (a hint to the first words of the starred clues) |
| 35% | CROSS | 5 | With 36-Down, intersection ... as suggested by the circled letters in the middle of this puzzle? |
| 35% | PHONETIC | 8 | Apt word spelled out by the first letters of eight answers in this puzzle |
| 35% | LEFTRIGHT | 9 | With 64-Across, the political spectrum, and a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 35% | THINKQUICKLY | 12 | To understand this puzzle's theme, read the ends of the answers to the starred clues and ... |
| 35% | CHINESE | 7 | Language that's the source of the words answered by this puzzle's starred clues |
| 35% | PINACOLADA | 10 | What I'm going to have after I've finished writing these clues and it's spelled out with the first two letters of five of the longest puzzle answers |
| 34% | BIGGIRLSDONTCRY | 15 | 1962 #1 hit by the group hinted at in this puzzle's theme |
| 34% | DISUNION | 8 | State of division, and what the first letters of the states divided across black squares in this puzzle spell out |
| 34% | CHANGESONESTUNE | 15 | Starts looking at things differently, as demonstrated by the first words of the answers to the starred clues? |
| 34% | BLIND | 5 | With 74- & 75-Across, "invisible" part of a distribution list ... or a hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 34% | INNERCITIES | 11 | Urban areas (as hinted at by the circled letters in this puzzle's grid) |