| RESPECT | 1967 hit whose title is spelled out in the lyrics |
| PURPLEHAZE | 1967 hit whose title is sung before "all in my brain" (... 7- and 23-Down) |
| LOLA | Kinks hit whose title is spelled out in the lyrics |
| YMCA | Village People song whose title is spelled out in the lyrics |
| GLORIA | Van Morrison song whose title is spelled out in the chorus |
| HOTTOGO | Chappell Roan song whose title is spelled out in its chorus |
| MOCKINGBIRD | Creature in the title of a classic 1960 novel; the author's name is spelled out in the circled letters |
| ARMS | The right to keep them is spelled out in the Second Amendment |
| TARA | Author Westover whose memoir is spelled out in the first letters of this puzzle's eight circled schools |
| RAGMOP | 1950 song title that's spelled out in the lyrics |
| GAMBLER | Seven-card stud player, e.g., who's holding this puzzle's cards (their best hand is spelled out in the circled squares) |
| OSCAAYER | Food company whose name is spelled out in its advertising jingle |
| IMAGISTS | Stigma is spelled out in plain, clear language such poets favour |
| LIPPSINC | Tar Heel St. city named for a part of the mouth with a trident-shaped Greek letter written on it? ... or, when parsed differently, the band with the No. 1 hit spelled out in the circled squares |
| SUPERBOWL | Event that could feature any of the athletes found in five squares in this puzzle ... and a Feb. 9, 2025, event featuring the athletes spelled out in the first letters of five Across entries and then |
| KEVINBACON | Actor whose name is spelled out by the letters between six degrees in this puzzle |
| THEHURTLOCKER | Oscar-winning film whose Oscar-winning director is spelled out by the letters cutting the circled Oscar-winning directors |
| ORGAN | Vital thing in the body, an example of which is spelled out by the first letters of this puzzle's tripled words |
| STU | Guy whose name is spelled out when reciting the alphabet |
| FOOLAROUND | Engage in some horseplay ... or a hint to the words spelled out in the circles |
