| MERGELEFT | What you might have to do for some highway construction ... or a first hint to solving this puzzle's theme |
| CRU | French vineyard producing wine of high quality, sometimes classified as either a Great Growth (Grand ___) or a First Growth (Premier ___) (3) |
| AVARICE | A sin involving a first hint of richness |
| SALIC | Frankish? Thus filled with a first hint of legitimacy |
| KIT | Baby fox, or a first-aid box |
| CREW | What the farmyard cock did for some sailors (4) |
| TOOKAPART | Broke down, as the actor did for some income? (4,5) |
| TAKEORDERS | What you might have to do for a general employer to become a father? (4,6) |
| PARESDOWN | Gradually trims ... or a phonetic second hint to solving this puzzle's theme |
| KNOCKOUTGAS | Incapacitating agent of pulp detective and scifi novels ... and a hint to solving this puzzle's starred clues |
| OUTSKIRTSOFTOWN | Border area, which contains a hint to solving this puzzle's 12 border answers |
| CROSSTHEAISLE | Break political ranks and a hint to solving this puzzle's five starred clues |
| MUSIC | What you should have an ear for if you're employed in an orchestra, and what you might have to face |
| AXE | What you might have to grind, in the saying, if you're bearing a grudge or have a particular agenda |
| REPAYALOAN | Presumably, someone will lose interest if you do this? You might have to do it to keep a shark happy! (5,1,4) |
| TAKENAWAY | Removed (and a hint to solving this puzzle's theme) |
| CHANGETHESUBJECT | Switch topics, and a hint to solving this puzzle's theme answers |
| BLOWHARD | What a birthday celebrant might have to do for a boastful type (8) |
| HOPUP | What you might have to do to sit on a barstool |
| OUTSIDETHELINES | How some color (and a hint to solving this puzzle) |
