Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper is by Lester Ruff, aka Stan Newman making an easier Stumper. It is indeed less rough, or more than easy, and about 31% three-letter words.

Some clue-and-answer pairs I liked seeing:

4-D, seven letters, “Metaphor for holdups.” My mind went first to criming. What does that say about me?

6-D, three letters, “Physical features?” The clue improves the answer.

11-D, eleven letters, “Sound-effects specialist.” Maybe now I’ll finally remember what the term means.

41-D, seven letters, “Many miniatures.” Oops, not HUMMELS.

48-A, six letters, “Word from Old French for ‘bread room.’” Huh. Now it seems so obvious.

49-A, four letters, “Specify multiply.” I like the clue’s playful syntax.

50-A, three letters, “In particular, in the OED.” Because dictionaries. And I find myself typing the answer often.

Two clues I’m not happy about:

18-A, three letters, “2027 Super Bowl designation.” Kinda ridiculous, though it’s difficult to imagine a good alternative. “Roman blues route”?

34-D, three letters, “Detergent brand once ‘rhymed’ with ‘glad’ in commercials.” I found one of these commercials on YouTube — from 1971. I think the time for this clue has passed. How about “Harrison’s ‘When We Was       ’”? Or ”Ab follower”? No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.

And one clue whose answer could, I think, be improved while keeping the puzzle Les Ruff: 22-A, six letters, “Sources of twangy sounds.”

No spoilers; the answers (and some explanations) are in the comments.