| LEANNRIMES | Winner of the 1997 Best New Artist Grammy (or homophonically, the starts of this puzzle's theme entries) |
| INMAN | Hero of the 1997 best seller "Cold Mountain" |
| EVEREST | Subject of the 1997 best seller "Into Thin Air" |
| MTEVEREST | Subject of the 1997 best seller "Into Thin Air" |
| DYLAN | Music icon Bob who wrote the song suggested by the starts of this puzzle's theme entries |
| DRONE | Bee formed by the letters heard at the starts of this puzzle's theme answers |
| KISS | Popular version of a design principle acronym spelled out by the starts of this puzzle's four longes |
| RED | The starts of this puzzle's three longest answers are shades of it |
| SAWS | The starts of this puzzle's six longest answers are types of them |
| ROBERTAFLACK | She scored a #1 with the hit found at the starts of this puzzle's longest answers |
| COFFEE | Starbucks energizer, and a hint to the starts of this puzzle's theme answers |
| GOODBYES | Farewells ... or, homophonically and read top to bottom, what the first words of the answers to starred clues represent? |
| FORTHRIGHT | Straight to the point ... or, homophonically, what this answer is relative to this puzzle? |
| BUNSOFSTEEL | '80s lower-body workout video (Theme hint: Look at the starts of this answer and the one below it) |
| POTATOES | Carb-rich side that may be cut, and what's spelled out by the letters cut from the starts of this puzzle's foods |
| SYDNEY | At the start of this century, a person claiming to be Lady Agatha Maberley from the Fakenham area entertained the readers of the ... Morning Herald with tales of different disasters and events (6) |
| CASE | Word that can follow the starts of this puzzle's five longest answers |
| EMPTYWORDS | Insincere talk, and a hint to the starts of this puzzle's four other longest entries |
| SWIMMINGSTROKES | Olympic medley found in order at the starts of this puzzle's four other longest answers |
| CRONY | Mate, and a hint to the starts of this puzzle's four longest answers |
