| LATEBLOOMER | One developing at their own rate, or a hint to the last few letters of 18-, 31- or 50-Across |
| THEFIFTHELEMENT | 1997 Bruce Willis sci-fi film ... or what you'd expect to find at the end of this answer, given the last few letters of 17-, 26-, 33- and 44-Across |
| GOODTOKNOW | "Interesting fact!" ... and a hint for the ends of 18-, 31- and 46-Across |
| BIRDS | They eat at their own table in the garden (5) |
| HOMETEAM | Side playing at their own ground (4,4) |
| FATTUESDAY | What 3/4/2014 is, and a hint to 18-, 31-, 37- and 44-Across |
| BUNWARMER | Appliance sometimes used for part of the food suggested by 18-, 31- and 48-Across' starts |
| OPENINGDAY | Annual ballpark occurrence, or a hint to the first few letters of each starred entry |
| POLARBEAR | Denizen of the frozen north - unusual cases of drowning have occurred due to the extent of ice-pack melt over the last few summers (5,4) |
| ENDPLAY | Tactical play in the last few tricks of a game of bridge forcing an opponent to make a particular le |
| TICTACTOE | Pencil game that hints at this puzzle's theme, found in the first and last letters of 18-, 25- and 4 |
| EARLYBIRD | First to arrive, say, or a hint to each starred answer's first few letters |
| HAIL | Descent or cascade of water or snow; a decrease in size or rate; or, another word for autumn (4) |
| PEOPLEOFNOTE | Luminaries like the eight featured in this puzzle? (hint: look at their first few letters) |
| WELFARESTATE | Shred a few letters about a system of government (7,5) |
| CROPTOPS | Navel-revealing shirts, and a hint to each starred answer's first few letters |
| STOCKHOLDER | Certain investor ... and, based on the word hidden in each, what 17-, 26-, 37- or 50- Across is? |
| BLUECHIP | First-rate or second-rate clue, the first to be last in (4-4) |
| DISAPPEARINGINK | Maybe a code-writer's need to drain fruit gin - one developing into double (12,3) |
| LONGWEEKEND | Break suggested by the first three letters of 18-, 23-, |
