Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper is by “Anna Stiga,” Stan Again, Stan Newman, the puzzle’s editor, using a pseudonym that signals an easier Stumper. This one was indeed easy. I hesitated with one square, where 44-A, seven letters, “Reality host with 10 Primetime Emmys” crossed the first letter of 45-D, three letters, “Alphabet-enders preceder.” I sang the alphabet song in my head — it was no help. I finally entered the letter I thought had to be right, and it was, and I couldn’t see why. And then I saw why.

Some clue-and-answer pairs I especially liked:

1-D, five letters, “Word from the Latin for ‘sweet.’” I learned something.

11-D, “Soap substitute brand.” The name brings back my adolescence. I had no idea that this product is still manufactured.

15-A, seven letters, “Have a Bath break.” Just because.

30-A, thirteen letters, “What Robert Louis Stevenson called wine.” It can be that.

35-D, six letters, “Half a Cocoon real-life couple.” I can think of only one real-life couple in Cocoon, with only one six-letter name between them. But the spelling of that name might be difficult for solvers who haven’t seen enough old movies.

38-A, three letters, “Home of the new TWA Hotel.” Spoiler links: everything old is new again.

39-D, five letters, “Dates, e.g.” Neat.

52-A, six letters, “Brewers once worked there.” I found the start of the answer cleverly misdirective.

My favorite clue in today’s puzzle: 20-D, nine letters, “It features Beetle Bailey’s sister.”

The answers are in the comments.