Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper, by Matthew Sewell, is the most difficult Stumper in memory, or at least in my memory. Forty-five minutes last night, another fifty this morning.

This post is a placeholder. There is work to be done, to be done, to get set for the rest of the day. I’ll post some choice clues with comments later today.

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And here they are:

5-D, ten letters, “Look before you leap.” Nifty.

5-A, eight letters, “What often accompanies a barbershop soloist.” I was thinking of background harmonies.

18-A, three letters, “Background figures.” A killer clue.

24-A, five letters, “Put one’s thumbs down, say.” I thought of a butcher and a scale.

21-D, three letters, “Bridesmaid duo.” Grr.

28-D, ten letters, “One on a panel.” I had to get my head out of academia, and I did.

33-D, five letters, “They can be used to find roots.” I was thinking about DNA tests.

36-D, three letters, “Document placeholder.” I know the newspaper abbreviation TK (“to come”), but this one is new to me.

37-D, eight letters, “Visually striking marine cavern.” I learned something that I hope never to put into use.

40-A, six letters, “Choice words.” My first thought was ABCORD, but A, B, C, and D aren’t really words.

34-A, fifteen letters, “What a trimmer might maintain.” Took me longer than any other clue, perhaps because I take exception to what’s being maintained here, or what it might be called.

43-D, six letters, “Uncle’s relative.” Nice misdirection.

57-A, fourteen letters, “Commencement accelerators.” STARTINGPISTOLS doesn’t fit.

59-D, three letters, “College class suffix.” A bit ridic. My first guess was IOI, or one-oh-one, which would also be ridic.

60-A, eight letters, “Abe Lincoln, as a teen.” My start in the puzzle, in the bottom row.

61-A, five letters, “Boarding announcement.” Clever.

My favorite clue in this puzzle: 39-D, eight letters, “Reasons to ask, ‘What was I thinking?’”

What am I thinking? That this might be the best Saturday Stumper ever. A Christmas gift!

No spoilers: the answers are in the comments.