| TICTACTOE | Pencil game that hints at this puzzle's theme, found in the first and last letters of 18-, 25- and 4 |
| GUINNESS | Little boy keeps most of 23 confused in 21 25 and 4 down (8) |
| DENNIS | Price of 21 25 and 4 down was wrong returned (6) |
| CIRCLETHEWAGONS | Assume a defensive position (and one way to highlight the puzzle theme found in the first and last l |
| THEINVISIBLEMAN | H.G. Wells classic, and a hint to this puzzle's theme found in the answers to starred clues |
| FUN | Apt word for this puzzle's theme, found by using the three letters that appear nowhere else in this entire puzzle's grid |
| GIMMEABREAK | 1980s Nell Carter sitcom, and a hint to the puzzle theme found in the ends of 17-, 32-, 39- and 46-A |
| STANTON | Pitcher Mike who got the win in the first and last games of the 2000 World Series |
| TREETOPS | This puzzle's theme found in the answers to five asterisked clues |
| TERMINATOR | With "The," Schwarzenegger film released 10/26/1984, and a hint to the puzzle theme found in the fir |
| NONO | Taboo that hints at this puzzle's theme |
| THEBERRYBEGINNING | Pun on a phrase meaning "square one" that hints at this puzzle's theme |
| MIDDLEEARTH | Tolkien's imaginary world (that hints at this puzzle's theme) |
| BLT | Sandwich that hints at this puzzle's theme |
| POLO | Sport that hints at this puzzle's theme |
| SANDP | "500" index that hints at this puzzle's theme |
| STP | Auto additives co. that hints at this puzzle's theme |
| IFTHESHOEFITS | Abridged maxim about accepting an apt description, and a hint to this puzzle's theme found in 20-, 3 |
| ALPHABET | What the first and last letters of 13 answers in this puzzle proceed through |
| STOCKSPLIT | Sign of corporate success, and a literal hint to the puzzle theme found in 18-, 20-, 33-, 42- and 56 |
