| Start of a farmer's question | 32 |
| Start of a warning to candidates | 32 |
| Question: Part 1 | 16 |
| Assuming even that | 18 |
| "... even!" | 21 |
| Start of some sage advice | 25 |
| Start of a diehard motto | 24 |
| Start of a common-sense quip | 28 |
| Sage advice, part 1 | 19 |
| Start of a Kin Hubbard quip | 27 |
| 2005 Jerry Stahl novel about silent film star Arbuckle | 54 |
| "___ any chance ...." | 31 |
| ''One ___ land'' (Longfellow) | 45 |
| Movie co. behind "Wordplay" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" | 78 |
| Co. that distributes "Wordplay" | 41 |
| "Portlandia" network | 30 |
| "Always On Slightly Off" network | 42 |
| Start of a hazy reminiscence | 28 |
| Part 1 of a quip | 16 |
| Start of an Andy Rooney quip | 28 |
| African hemp | 12 |
| Bowstring hemp | 14 |
| Nigerian university town | 24 |
| Start to a bit of bad news | 26 |
| "This isn't looking good" | 39 |
| "It's my concern ..." | 35 |
| Tag of trepidation | 18 |
| Starting part of a bit of bad news | 34 |
| Start of a bit of bad news | 26 |
| Lead-in to bad news | 19 |
| Concerned opener | 16 |
| Bad news preceeder | 18 |
| Apprehensive lead-in | 20 |
| "There is some concern ... " | 38 |
| "My concern is that ..." | 34 |
| "Methinks," before bad news | 37 |
| "It distresses me to say..." | 38 |
| "Here comes the bad news ..." | 39 |
| "Hate to say this..." | 31 |
| "Hate to say this ..." | 32 |
| "Hate to break it to you..." | 38 |
| "Bad news" | 20 |
| "Alas,..." | 20 |
| "___ the worst ..." | 29 |
| ____ the worst | 14 |
| "___ Song Comin' On" | 34 |
| Flu sufferer's complaint | 28 |
| Weighty complaint? | 18 |
| Self-conscious remark when putting on a new outfit | 50 |
| Chaka Khan song | 15 |
| #3 hit by Chaka Khan | 20 |
| James Brown hit | 15 |
| Beatles flip side about having the flu? | 39 |
| Woman's post-plastic surgery song | 37 |
| Sondheim-BernSTEIN song from "West Side Story" | 56 |
| 1957 Sondheim/Bernstein musical number | 38 |
| "West Side Story" song, or a hoped-for response after experiencing the transition in this puzzle's word ladder | 124 |
| "West Side Story" song sung by Maria | 46 |
| Rueful Presley song: 1961 | 25 |
| Bemused phrase said after your favorite childhood movie turns 25, maybe | 71 |
| Classic Bill Clinton phrase | 27 |
| Words before "Pretty" and "Fine" in song | 60 |
| "If ___" (Beatles song) | 33 |
| Possible answer to "How'd you hurt yourself?" | 59 |
| "If ---" (Beatles song) | 33 |
| "I Didn't Slip, I Wasn't Pushed, ___" (1950 song) | 67 |
| ''If ___'' (Beatles song) | 41 |
| Slapstick comic's apology ... or is it? | 43 |
| Bit of mountain flora | 21 |
| Varieties of African hemp | 25 |
| Assuming, hypothetically | 24 |
| Assuming it'll happen at all | 32 |
| Assuming it will happen at all | 30 |
| Words suggesting a rare occurrence | 34 |
| Intensifier for "seldom" | 34 |
| In song, words before "a wiz there was" | 49 |
| "We can only hope it will happen" | 43 |
| "Should that come to pass" | 36 |
| "In the unlikely event that ..." | 42 |
| ''__ I Would Leave You'' | 40 |
| Part III of the lament | 22 |
| Less definite | 13 |
| More questionable | 17 |
| Less settled | 12 |
| Most doubtful | 13 |
| Least certain | 13 |
| Least sure | 10 |
| Business that supplies shoddy oil changes? | 42 |
| Petrol plan, part 1 of 3 | 24 |
| Start of a quip about the future | 32 |
| "Let him save himself ___ Christ" | 43 |
| Gag: Part 1 | 11 |
| No sign | 7 |
| Hopeful Presley song: 1968 | 26 |
| Comment (Part 3) | 16 |
| 50 Cent single from 2003 | 24 |
| My work commute would be a breeze . . . | 39 |
| 38 Special "___ Been the One" | 39 |
| Controversial O. J. Simpson book | 32 |
| Unpublished O.J. Simpson book | 29 |