| GATEWAY | Means of access - literally and figuratively? (7) |
| RIGHTOFWAY | Legal access, literally |
| STELLAR | Out of this world, both literally and figuratively |
| CLUELESS | Like five answers in this puzzle, literally and figuratively |
| SLIPPERYSLOPE | Literally and figuratively, it usually leads to disaster (8,5) |
| MIDEAST | Hot spot, both literally and figuratively |
| INGMARWAYSTHANONE | Literally and figuratively? |
| BADEGGS | Real stinkers. literally and figuratively |
| VENT | Let off some steam, literally and figuratively |
| WELCOMENEWS | WHAT THIS PUZZLE IS, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY? (two words) |
| DIGEST | Assimilate (literally and figuratively) (6) |
| VIPER | Snake, literally and figuratively |
| LANDLOCKED | Like the countries in the starred answers, literally and figuratively |
| REALSTINKER | Skunk, literally and figuratively |
| DJED | Handled the music (literally and figuratively) |
| UTTERLYCLUELESS | Lost, like three answers in this puzzle, literally and figuratively |
| ARM | With 34-D, body language thought to be defensive, literally and figuratively |
| RUDEAWAKENING | What Lucky got, literally and figuratively, when his alarm clock put an end to a very pleasant dream |
| AUTOCORRECTIONS | Suggestions in a text message ... and what 17-, 24-, 36-, and 48-Across may require, literally and figuratively? |
| FINGERFOODS | 17-, 30- and 45-Across, literally and figuratively |