Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper, by Matthew Sewell, is a doozy, or at least a semi-doozy. It took me a while. Consider the first clue, 1-A, ten letters, “Soft-soap sources.” I was thinking PUMPBOTTLES, but that’s eleven letters. Or 16-A, ten letters, “Checkout counter suggestion.” BAGYOUROWN?

Today’s puzzle is the fourth Stumper in four weeks. Is the Stumper back to stay? Wait and watch.

Some clue-and-answer pairs I especially liked, in addition to 1-A and 16-A:

1-D, four letters, “eDarling.es user, for short.” A good way to Stumperize a common answer.

5-D, six letters, “Arm of the future.” I thought this clue might refer to a prosthetic device.

7-D, three letters, “Stock tip.” Even after getting it, I didn’t get it. And then I got it.

9-D, five letters, “Pitching pro.” Baseball? Sales?

40-A, six letters, “Essayist’s opener.” Nifty.

48-D, five letters, “Place that ONION might be a cryptogram for.” I’ve read Alvin’s Secret Code, dozens of times.

52-A, eight letters, “Transferred for sporting purposes.” Defamiliarization.

57-D, four letters, “Fee for all.” I can’t resist a pun.

My favorite clue in today’s puzzle: 10-D, eleven letters, “Standards bound to be followed.” See 57-D.

No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.