| STAFF | Sheet music quintet, and with 31-Down, what the first letters of 16-, 22-, 36-, 45- and 56-Across r |
| ICEHOCKEY | Sport suggested by the first few letters of 16-, 22-, 36- and 47-Across |
| OSCARS | "The Sound of Music" quintet |
| BRASS | Canuck music quintet, Canadian ___ |
| INTHELOOP | Up to speed, and like all but four bookending letters of 16-, 22- or 41-Across |
| DISUNION | State of division, and what the first letters of the states divided across black squares in this puzzle spell out |
| TRIPLEPLAY | Baseball rarity, and a hint to the vowels in the first words of 16-, 22-, 29-, 37- and 44- Across |
| FLASHDANCE | 1983 film with many steps, and what the first letters of this puzzle's "motion pictures" spell |
| WRAPPINGGIFTS | Holiday season task, and a theme hint (Note what the first letters of the starred clues' answers spell) |
| PUTARINGONIT | Lock in a spouse, and what the first letters of six Down answers do visually |
| BASIS | What the first letters of this puzzles' superheroes aptly spell |
| FOLLOWTHELEADER | Simon Says relative, and a hint to what happens after the starts of 16-, 22-, 36- and 50-Across |
| COOLCAT | Hipster, and based on their initials, what each of 16-, 22-, 52- and |
| TWISTEDSISTER | '80s hard rock quintet, and what's literally found in each set of circles |
| LESBIAN | What the first letter of an inclusive initialism stands for |
| WOODY | With 63-Across, name associated with the starts of 17-, 23-, 36-, 45- and 57-Across |
| DICTATOR | Takes down what the boss says to tyrant (8) |
| SHORTENING | Cutting down what the pastry cook may need |
| RECORD | Put down what the criminal has (6) |
| RECORDERS | They write down what the musical instruments might be (9) |
