| THECASCADES | Range that's home to 18-Across, and a hint to solving this puzzle |
| DOWNUNDER | Nickname for 18-Across, and a hint to how four answers in this puzzle are to be entered |
| URI | Swiss canton, home to 18-Across |
| STUDENTS | They look to 18 across and are written about in 14 across (8) |
| THEBACKSTROKE | Response to 30-/35-Across, and a hint to a hidden word in 14-, 17-, 61- and 66-Across |
| EIGHTMENOUT | 1988 film about 17-Across, and a hint to the starred clues |
| KNOCKOUTGAS | Incapacitating agent of pulp detective and scifi novels ... and a hint to solving this puzzle's starred clues |
| OUTSIDETHELINES | How some color (and a hint to solving this puzzle) |
| AIRLIFTS | Some special deliveries, and a hint to solving this puzzle |
| TAKENAWAY | Removed (and a hint to solving this puzzle's theme) |
| CHANGETHESUBJECT | Switch topics, and a hint to solving this puzzle's theme answers |
| CROSSTHEAISLE | Break political ranks and a hint to solving this puzzle's five starred clues |
| POPINJAYS | Coxcombs (and a hint to solving this puzzle) |
| CROPROTATION | Common farming technique ... or a hint to solving this puzzle |
| OUTSKIRTSOFTOWN | Border area, which contains a hint to solving this puzzle's 12 border answers |
| MERGELEFT | What you might have to do for some highway construction ... or a first hint to solving this puzzle's theme |
| PARESDOWN | Gradually trims ... or a phonetic second hint to solving this puzzle's theme |
| OZARKS | Range that's home to the Mark Twain National Forest |
| ANDES | Range that's home to the 22,831-foot Mount Aconcagua |
| PICTUREIT | Tip to solving this puzzle (with the key parts to be said out loud) |
