| North Carolina river |
| Darth Vader and his allies |
| A crossword editor has to be very careful when changing one--unlike this puzzle's editor, who was careless four times herein |
| Talladega" singer who goes by his middle name, not first name (Kenneth): 2 wds. |
| Abnormal vesicle |
| Northern diving seabird |
| Ancient Greek author famous for his fables |
| Phase of history. |
| '80s Norwegian pop group |
| Norse troublemaker |
| First word across in the first-ever crossword (1913) and the first of a dozen appearances of the word in this puzzle's grid, written word search-style (left, right, down, and diagonally) ... Can you f |
| Ignorant |
| River in Northern California |
| Panoramic |
| Flintstones' Snorkasaurus |
| North Carolina university |
| Conversation is ___ in which a man has all mankind for his competitors": Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| Actress Gadot of "The Fast and the Furious" franchise |
| All, e.g., for this answer's last six letters? |
| Activity suggested by this puzzle's theme entries |
| When asked how many slices his pizza should be cut into: "Better make it six. I ___" (Yogi Berra quote): 3 wds. |
| Actor who cross-dressed for his role in "Mrs. Doubtfire": 2 wds. |
| Elvis's middle name, on his birth certificate |
| History book chapters |
| Namesake of a blended whisky brand |
| Actress Paquin who plays Rogue in the "X-Men" franchise |
| Ancient Asia Minor coastal region |
| French city largely destroyed during the Normandy campaign |
| Northern California city |
| Partially obscured (and a hint to this puzzle's theme) |