| SPLITDOWN | Shared equally ... and a hint to a word hidden at the center of each starred clue's answer |
| THEMIDDLE | Shared equally ... and a hint to a word hidden at the center of each starred clue's answer |
| AYCE | Acronym for a buffet restaurant which stands for the words "hidden" at the ends of the *clue answers |
| ARENA | Rough synonym for the words hidden at the beginnings of 17-, 28-, 44-, and 60A |
| ACDC | "Electric" rock band: half their name is found in the center of each starred entry |
| CENTERPIECE | Decoration on a dining table, and what's in the exact middle of each starred clue's answer? |
| WHOMOVEDMY | Business fable with two mice...or a hint to a word hidden in each starred answer |
| GOGETTERS | Overachievers, and a hint to a word that can precede both words of the starred answers |
| CENTRALTIME | Midwestern clock setting ... and a hint to what can follow the start and precede the end of each starred clue's answer |
| COMEONDOWN | "The Price Is Right" catchphrase, or a hint to the meaning and direction of each starred clue's answer |
| SILENCEISGOLDEN | Proverb espousing the virtue of staying quiet, and a hint to a word spelled out by six letters in this puzzle |
| ALTERNATIVEROCK | Nirvana genre, or a hint to the first word of each starred clue's answer |
| FADETOBLACK | Conclude, as a film (Note the first word of each starred clue's answer, plus the letters below that word) |
| LANDHO | Cry from a crow's nest, or a hint to the first 4-7 letters of each starred clue's answer |
| INITIALLY | At the start ... or how the first two letters of each starred clue relate to the answer? |
| LEFTFIELD | Figuratively, where some wild ideas come out of; literally, a hint to a word and its position when p |
| CORNERBARS | Local watering holes, and a hint to a word that can follow eight of this puzzle's peripheral answers |
| IDES | A day approximately in the middle of each month in the ancient Roman calendar (4) |
| BEACHHOLIDAY | Summer getaway that characteristically has the three components hidden at the beginnings of 20-, 28- |
| NONES | In the Roman calendar, the days leading up to the ides (middle) of each month (5) |
