Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday crossword, by the puzzle’s editor, Stan Newman, is another Saturday Stumper. A three-week streak! What doth it portend? More Saturday Stumpers, I trust.

Today’s Stumper begins with a clue that looks off in light of the week’s news: 1-A, six letters, “Afghans, for example.” Perhaps there wasn’t time enough to change it. The puzzle has two good fifteen-letter answers and a few unusual answers. I had immediate assists from 11-D, eight letters, “Ellington partner on a ’63 album” (a great album for all involved), and 37-D, eight letters, “Mad marginalia master.” So I worked in the northeast, then southwest, and then everywhere else.

Some clue-and-answer pairs I especially liked:

6-D, fifteen letters, “‘Believe it or not . . .’” I think I know how grammar would account for the answer.

17-A, six letters, “Stock market sales.” SHARES, right? Wrong.

21-A, five letters, “Elbows on the table.” GAFFE? I can’t believe I fell for this one.

28-A, six letters, “‘Go ahead, it’s an ___!’ (beer slogan).” Here’s an example of what I mean by unusual. I have never heard or seen this slogan. I like that it crosses with 23-D, five letters, “Spirit/spearmint concoction” — which is quite an alternative.

32-A, three letters, and 35-A, twelve letters, “Puh-leeze!” “Puh-leeze!” is more versatile than I thought.

35-D, five letters, “Blow.” I dig.

36-A, fifteen letters, “Redundant-sounding, rather new refreshment.” As my dad would have said, “Never heard of it.”

39-A, twelve letters, “Suite requiring a key.” I don’t think I’ve seen this answer before.

57-D, three letters, “Exclamation not heard (alas) in Hamilton.” The clue adds value to the answer.

59-D, three letters, “Post-retirement acronym.” Sneaky.

No spoilers; the answers (and a bit more about 11-D) are in the comments.