| AHATONAHAT | One joke that's ineffectually layered atop another, in comedy lingo . . . and what you'll find in this puzzle's circled letters |
| LONGAGO | Left less than one joke, nothing else, well in the past (4-3) |
| GAGS | Chokes on more than one joke |
| THESNARKWASA | Bizarre humour - one's joke beast's away, for ___ (3,5,3,1,6,3,3) |
| BEATSTOTHEPUNCHLINE | Steps on one's joke? |
| ADOZENROSES | Bunch for one's honey, and what you'll find in this puzzle's answer |
| CLIMBINGGYM | Facility for indoor scaling, and what you'll find in 3-, 9-, 20- and 36- |
| BROKENBONES | *Orthopedist's concerns ... and what you'll find in two parts in the answers to the starred clues |
| CATSUP | Hunt's offering, and what you'll find in the starred answers |
| SPICESUP | Adds some excitement to ... and what you'll find in the starred clues' answers? |
| VEGGIES | Salad fixings ... and what you'll find aptly hidden in puzzle rows 4, 6 and 10 |
| ALTEREDCARBON | 2018 cyberpunk Netflix series based on a 2002 novel ... and what you'll find in three of this puzzle's answers |
| OILSPILLS | Slick spots, and what you'll find in the circles |
| PUTONICE | Allow to chill ... and what you'll find seven times in this puzzle |
| ONCEUPONATIME | Storybook starter, and what you'll find three instances of in this puzzle |
| HIDDENCHARGES | Extra expenses in the fine print, and a hint to what you'll find in the circled letters |
| SILENTS | Many Greta Garbo films, and what you'll find at the intersections of four pairs of answers to starred clues |
| TIER | One of two or more layers one atop another (4) |
| PUTONTHEDL | Sidelined by injury, in baseball lingo, and a hint to how this puzzle's theme puns are formed |
| OUTSIDERARTISTS | Self-taught creators, in modern lingo, and a hint to each set of circles |
