| BOLSHEVIKS | Literally, "the majority" |
| THERAVADA | The southern school of Buddhism, literally "the teaching of the elders" |
| ALBANIA | Literally, "the land of the eagle" |
| ZEITGEIST | Literally, "the spirit of the times" |
| SHINTO | Literally, the way of the gods |
| OMEGA | Greek letter, literally the large O as opposed to omicron, the little O (5) |
| MARGINOFERROR | Polling limitation...or, taken literally, the key to the contest answer |
| HOIPOLLOI | Greek term for the common people or masses; literally 'the many' (3,6) |
| UGANDA | The 4Dn of 17Ac setting is literally the centre for sugar (6) |
| MARRIEDMEN | Bachelors no more ... or, literally, the answers to the six starred clues |
| LAPSUSLINGUAE | Eg, the queer old dean — it's literally the tongue's fault |
| RECORDHOLDERS | Guinness book people, or literally, the answers to the starred clues |
| IDEM | Literally the same |
| ALQAIDA | Literally, "the base" |
| JUDO | Literally, "the gentle way" |
| CETERA | Literally, "the rest" |
| LABREA | Literally, "the tar," in Spanish |
| LASCALA | Literally, "the Stairway" |
| LOSALAMOS | Literally, "the cottonwoods" |
| ABRIDGEDVERSION | Literally the result of condensation (8,7) |