| HOOTIE | 21 Across was ___ & the Blowfish's frontman |
| IST | Across"Was __ das?" |
| BEEB | Where 21-Across was first shown, with "the" |
| COLD | 21 Across was Oscar-nominated for ___ Mountain |
| PINK | Singer whose concert in 21-Across was paused on Friday after a fan went into labor |
| DANMARINO | N.F.L. quarterback featured in the music video for Hootie & the Blowfish's "Only Wanna Be with You" |
| REAR | Hootie & the Blowfish's "Cracked ___ View" |
| IGO | Hootie & the Blowfish's "___ Blind" |
| LET | Hootie & the Blowfish's "___ Her Cry" |
| BETHEONE | Lead track on Hootie & the Blowfish's "Fairweather Johnson" |
| ADARK | 71 "It was ___ and stormy night...": 2 wds. |
| ANGER | With 26-Across: 2003 Adam Sandler comedy, and the kind of class 12-Across was ordered by a judge to attend after the 2022 paparazzi incident |
| FREEMASON | 17 across was one - and so was 23 across (9) |
| ROSECEREMONY | Custom on "The bachelor", the Abc series on which #35-Across was the bachelor in 2004: 2 wds. |
| BOATYMCBOATFACE | British research vessel that is essentially a 17 Across, was named by 28 Across, and is currently making climate-change discoveries in 45 Across |
| NINEMONKEYS | "Cecily G. and the ___," story by 26/78-Across in which 50-Across was introduced |
| LIVE | How the match between 1-Across and 14-Across was aired (though with a few tech issues...) |
| WEIRD | Merriam-Webster recently released its 2024 Words of the Year list, on which 40-Across was the winner; this word, one of the runners-up (like our other theme entries), went viral when used by Minnesota |
| SUBSTITUTE | The much less successful single from 24-Across to which 22-Across was the B- side |
| FRENCH | The language in which the novel of 24, 26 across was written (6) |
