Possible Clues:

• "___ better to have loved ..."
• Opposite of 'tain't
• ''__ the season to be jolly . . .''
• "My country ___ of thee ..."
• Abs-working exercise, literally
• It is, condensed
• "'___ the season ..."
• ''My country, __ of thee''
• 'My country — of thee'
• Third word of 'America'