| They have high hopes | 20 |
| Goal-oriented sorts | 19 |
| Steeple before it's built? | 30 |
| The Washington Monument? | 24 |
| Aiming high | 11 |
| Would-be | 8 |
| Two are often prescribed | 24 |
| Popular panacea | 15 |
| "Be thou ___ of health . . . ": Hamlet | 48 |
| Venomous | 8 |
| Venomous, as a snake | 20 |
| Like some cobras | 16 |
| Like a snake | 12 |
| Viperous | 8 |
| Viperine | 8 |
| Venomous in nature | 18 |
| Like a venomous snake | 21 |
| Like a Nile serpent | 19 |
| U.S. Presidency, in Jefferson's words | 41 |
| Swedish island | 14 |
| Drink like ___ | 14 |
| ____ as a church mouse | 22 |
| Comparison to a church mouse | 28 |
| "I am ___ as Job . . . ": Shak. | 41 |
| ___ as a church mouse | 21 |
| Run-of-the-mill snake? | 22 |
| Go on ___ (splurge) | 19 |
| Frolicking, after "on" | 32 |
| Cleopatra's last request? | 29 |
| "These studies are ___ to the young . . . ": Cicero | 61 |
| Comparable to driven snow | 25 |
| "Be thou . . . ___ snow" | 34 |
| Eat ___ meal | 12 |
| Crouching | 9 |
| Very rapid | 10 |
| Not making any sounds | 21 |
| Far from boisterous | 19 |
| Trivia question, part 3 | 23 |
| British P.M. when W.W. I began | 30 |
| Air traffic controllers' sys. | 33 |
| Afternoon prayer, in Islam | 26 |
| Equally unlikely | 16 |
| Comparable to hen's teeth | 29 |
| Equally pink, as steaks | 23 |
| Equally hard to locate | 22 |
| ___ beet | 8 |
| Loaded, so to speak | 19 |
| "The law is a ___ idiot": Dickens | 43 |
| Rene ___, TV actor | 18 |
| Father-and-son rulers of Syria | 30 |
| Syrian V.I.P. and family | 24 |
| Syrian presidential family | 26 |
| Syrian chief and namesakes | 26 |
| Ruling family of Syria | 22 |
| Zulu spear | 10 |
| African spears | 14 |
| Thug at work | 12 |
| Bushwhacker | 11 |
| Goon at work | 12 |
| Hit makers, say | 15 |
| Pounce on some mariners' gear | 33 |
| One on the attack | 17 |
| One casting aspersions | 22 |
| Pack on the attack | 18 |
| Brazilian palms | 15 |
| Brazilian fruit palms | 21 |
| Djibouti lake that is the lowest point on land in Africa | 56 |
| Teas of India | 13 |
| Eri | 3 |
| Indian beverage | 15 |
| Brit's ending to the song "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" | 74 |
| Dispatch, as Caesar | 19 |
| Ford's Theater event: Apr. 14, 1865 | 39 |
| Predacious insect | 17 |
| Hit men | 7 |
| Hitmen | 6 |
| Some mercenaries | 16 |
| Some CIA Special Activities Division operatives | 47 |
| Ninjas, perhaps | 15 |
| Musical that includes "The Ballad of Booth" | 53 |
| 1991 Sondheim show | 18 |
| "There's a new sheriff in town. And he has an army of ___." | 73 |
| Michael Schenker's third | 28 |
| Where the Army Special Forces meet in Utah? | 43 |
| Alien invaders' intent in many sci-fi films? | 48 |
| AK-47s et al. | 13 |
| Attacker's fruity treat? | 28 |
| Nitpicks? | 9 |
| Ore testers | 11 |
| Ones doing rush work? | 21 |
| Mine-company group | 18 |
| Lode analysts | 13 |
| Testing | 7 |
| Gauging ore | 11 |
| Out of whack, or what's featured in each of this puzzle's theme answers | 79 |
| Convoluted beyond common sense | 30 |
| Cleavage revealed by many a low-cut outfit | 42 |
| Made a tax valuation: Abbr. | 27 |
| Set a value on: Abbr. | 21 |
| Made a tax valuation (Abbr.) | 28 |