| How bad excuses are given | 25 |
| Feel sorry about | 16 |
| Sing the blues | 14 |
| Feel regret for | 15 |
| Jeremiad | 8 |
| Weep for | 8 |
| Elegy | 5 |
| Cry for | 7 |
| Show sorrow for | 15 |
| Plaint | 6 |
| "Adelaide's ___" ("Guys and Dolls" song) | 64 |
| Monody or threnody | 18 |
| Express sorrow for | 18 |
| Elegy, for example | 18 |
| "Woe is me" soliloquy | 31 |
| "Guys and Dolls" song "Adelaide's ___" | 62 |
| "Alas, poor Yorick!," e.g. | 36 |
| Debussy opus | 12 |
| Poorer, as excuses go | 21 |
| Not so cool | 11 |
| Less plausible, as an excuse | 28 |
| Worse, as excuses go | 20 |
| Worse, as an excuse | 19 |
| More feeble | 11 |
| Less believable, as an excuse | 29 |
| Worse, like some excuses | 24 |
| More weak, like excuses | 23 |
| More hobbled | 12 |
| Worse as an excuse | 18 |
| Weaker | 6 |
| Popular Debussy work | 20 |
| Popular Debussy piece | 21 |
| Orchestral composition by Claude Debussy | 40 |
| Not so good, as an excuse | 25 |
| Not so believable, as an excuse | 31 |
| Not so believable | 17 |
| More unconvincing | 17 |
| More pathetic, excusewise | 25 |
| More pathetic, as excuses go | 28 |
| More pathetic, as an excuse | 27 |
| More inadequate | 15 |
| More flimsy | 11 |
| More disabled | 13 |
| More crippled | 13 |
| More claudicant | 15 |
| Montreal-born, Chief Justice Antonio _____ | 42 |
| Less valid, excusewise | 22 |
| Less valid, as an excuse | 24 |
| Less impressive | 15 |
| Less funny, as a joke | 21 |
| Less effectual | 14 |
| Less convincing, as an excuse | 29 |
| Less convincing | 15 |
| Less adequate, as an excuse | 27 |
| Impressionist composition of 1905 | 33 |
| Feebler, as excuses | 19 |
| Debussy's "___" | 29 |
| Debussy tone poem | 17 |
| Debussy masterpiece | 19 |
| Debussy classic | 15 |
| 1905 Debussy work | 17 |
| Metallic fabrics | 16 |
| Hamstrings | 10 |
| Disables | 8 |
| Cripples | 8 |
| Fabrics with metallic threads | 29 |
| Wings, e.g. | 11 |
| Shoots in the foot | 18 |
| Rich fabrics | 12 |
| Luxurious fabrics | 17 |
| Glittery fabrics | 16 |
| Wings, in a way | 15 |
| Some fine fabrics | 17 |
| Shoots in the foot, say | 23 |
| Shoots in the foot, maybe | 25 |
| Shoots in the foot, e.g. | 24 |
| Rich materials | 14 |
| Metallic materials | 18 |
| Incapacitates | 13 |
| Gold fabrics | 12 |
| Gold cloths | 11 |
| Fancy fabrics | 13 |
| Brocaded fabrics | 16 |
| San Diego suburb | 16 |
| City near San Diego | 19 |
| San Diego suburb whose name means "the table" | 55 |
| City east of San Diego | 22 |
| Suburb of San Diego whose name means "the table" | 58 |
| Suburb of San Diego | 19 |
| Lemon Grove neighbor | 20 |
| El Cajon neighbor in California | 31 |
| City NE of San Diego | 20 |
| Least satisfactory | 18 |
| Unlikeliest, as an excuse | 25 |
| Most contrived | 14 |
| Least plausible | 15 |
| Least believable | 16 |
| Weakest, as excuses | 19 |
| Worst, as an excuse | 19 |
| Unlikeliest, as an alibi | 24 |