Saturday, August 31, 2019

Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday Saturday Stumper, by Lester Ruff, looked difficult at first. I started with 50-A, seven letters, “Amadeus playwright,” which gave me a handful of words. And then I found myself reading clues that baffled: 19-A, six letters, “Tree-trunk descriptor”? 48-A, eight letters, “Eisenhower’s favorite author”? 66-A, five letters, “Word related to itself spelled backwards”? But a word here, a word there, and the puzzle proved to be not especially difficult, not especially rough. (Lester Ruff = less rough, at least usually.)

Three clues that I especially liked: 28-D, ten letters, “Collapsible?” 47-D, six letters, “Holler at home.” 64-A, eleven letters, “Makes waiters angry.” I don’t think I’ve heard the answer for that last clue since high school.

One awful pun — unless there’s a meaning I’ve missed: 3-D, four letters, “Man’s first name?” Man, that’s rough.

No spoilers: the answers are in the comments.

comments: 3

Michael Leddy said...

SHAFFER. KNOBBY. ZANEGREY. ETATS. RAMSHACKLE. YEROUT. CUTSTHELINE. OTTO.

Josh said...

Otto Mann is the school bus driver on The Simpsons. That's the only thing I can come up with, and that would mean a very odd typo.

Michael Leddy said...

I checked to make sure I didn’t get it wrong. No, it’s “Man’s first name.” I think ottomans everywhere must be unhappy with this clue, unless there’s a tricky meaning I’m missing.