| PIZZATOPPING | Pepperoni, mushroom or green pepper ... or what each cluster of black squares represents in this puzzle |
| CAPSICUM | Genus of plants from the nightshade family native to the Americas, whose fruits are commonly called chilli pepper, red or green pepper, or sweet pepper in Britain |
| VERTEX | What each of this puzzle's circled squares represents |
| WDS | This puz. is full of them |
| LTRS | This puz. has 373 |
| TWELFTHM | Home-field advantage in football ... or what the last square of the answer to this clue represents in this puzzle |
| TWOTHUMBSUP | Signature 44-/49-Down gesture represented by the clusters of black squares bordering this answer |
| TEAR | What the apostrophe represents in this emoticon :'-( |
| WAITING | On hold ... or what the seven rows of black squares in this puzzle's grid spell in Morse code |
| REDACTED | Used a black marker on ... or a hint to three chunks of black squares in this puzzle |
| CHILLI | Small red or green pepper whose pungent pod is used in cooking (6) |
| FLAP | A motion or sound of a flag, sail or a bird's wing; a hinged leaf of a table; a pet door; a loose pendant part of an envelope or a tent, for example; a large broad mushroom; or, a fluster/tizz (4) |
| STIPES | The stems of fern fronds, mosses, mushrooms or seaweed; or, eyestalks, horns or tentacles of crabs or snails (6) |
| RATATOUILLE | Vegetable stew of Provence, typically consisting of aubergine, courgette, onion, green pepper, tomato and garlic, served hot or cold (11) |
| LBARS | Angle irons graphically represented by four sets of black squares in this grid, and by letter formations starting in the four longest answers |
| SOMETHINGSFISHY | "Hmmmmm ..." [as hinted at by the three groups of black squares in the middle of the grid] |
| UTAH | State shaped like two sets of black squares on the sides of this grid |
| WINTERARC | Season-long alternative to a New Year's resolution, or what the letters in the shaded squares represent? |
| POTHOLES | Obstacles for a driver ... or what this puzzle's circled squares represent |
| PIMIENTO | Sweet, red, yellow or green pepper (8) |
