(ANNIE) DILLARD, AN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD — How ... gracious is the straight ... girl. She spreads before her friend a gift-wrapped, beribboned gag line he can claim for his own, if only he will pick it up instead of pausing to contemplate what a nitwit he's talking to.
| A. | Small shark often seen near shore | DOGFISH |
| B. | Founder of a Mideast kingdom (2 wds.) | IBNSAUD |
| C. | Literary device in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary | LITOTES |
| D. | Show on which Nixon said "Sock it to me" (hyph.) | LAUGHIN |
| E. | Invader of the Roman Empire | ATTILA |
| F. | Patronizing dismissal (2 wds.) | RUNALONG |
| G. | Pass named for an unfortunate pioneer party | DONNER |
| H. | Space shuttle that docked with Mir | ATLANTIS |
| I. | Language of "1984" | NEWSPEAK |
| J. | General who defeated Antony and Cleopatra | AGRIPPA |
| K. | Walk in an affected way | MINCE |
| L. | Low-cholesterol omelet ingredient (2 wds.) | EGGWHITE |
| M. | "Who Has Seen the Wind" poet | ROSSETTI |
| N. | Babylonian goddess of love and war | ISHTAR |
| O. | Make gradual progress; annoying sort | CREEP |
| P. | Maxim or proverb | APOTHEGM |
| Q. | Illustrator of juvenile classics (3 wds.) | NCWYETH |
| R. | Decorative sunken panel; strongbox | COFFER |
| S. | Poem at the center of a 1950's obscenity trial | HOWL |
| T. | Beach town north of Boston | IPSWICH |
| U. | Despicable person, guttersnipe | LOWLIFE |
| V. | Motorcycle for trail riding (2 wds.) | DIRTBIKE |
| W. | 1966 title role for Paul Newman | HARPER |
| X. | Award won by Sam Shepard for "La Turista" | OBIE |
| Y. | Haughtily distant | OFFISH |
| Z. | Ornamental piece of type, in printing | DINGBAT |