| INQUIRINGABOUT | Showing interest regarding (In this clue's answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 3) |
| APRON | How much interest regarding pinafore! (5) |
| NOISELEVEL | Something kept down in a library (In this clue's answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 3) |
| CAMEINHANDY | *Proved useful (In this clue's answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 3) |
| BAJAFRESH | Tex-Mex chain (In this clue's answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 2) |
| HOUSEMONEY | You may play with it at a casino (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 3) |
| CHAINSTORE | Mall anchor, often (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 3) |
| SPOILERFREE | Giving nothing away (In this answer, note the first 2: letters + the last 3) |
| POKESAROUND | Investigates (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 3) |
| LOSESSTEAM | Falls far behind the race leader, perhaps (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 2) |
| BUDABBOTT | "Who's on First?" comic (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 2) |
| CANADAPOST | Ottawa-to-Halifax shipping option (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 2) |
| THATSAFIRST | "Just when I thought I'd seen everything!" (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 4 letters) |
| PERSONALSHOPPER | One helping others buy clothes (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 4) |
| COUGHBUTTON | It's pressed to mute a mic (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 4) |
| PIECERATE | Hourly wage alternative (In this answer, note the first 2 letters + the last 4) |
| MINIATUREPOODLE | Small dog with curly fur (In this answer, note the first 2 and last 2 letters) |
| TONEPOEMS | Storytelling orchestral pieces (In this answer, see the first 2 letters + the last 2) |
| MECHAGODZILLA | Robotic monster of Japanese kaiju movies (Note the first 2 letters in this answer) |
| SLIMCHANCE | Hundred-to-one shot, e.g. (In this clue's answer, note the first 3 letters + the last 2) |
