Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper, another 2012 rerun while Stan Newman, the puzzle’s editor, is on vacation, is a “Lester Ruff” creation — an easier Stumper by Stan. This one is indeed less rough. If two-letter answers were permitted, I’d say it was E-Z. I suspect that next Saturday’s puzzle, when Stan has returned, will be gloriously difficult.

Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:

16-A, six letters, “Swindle.” I did not know this meaning.

17-A, eight letters, “Twitter message.” Very nice, and the final four letters are something of a tossup.

28-D, five letters, “Common sense.” Ha.

40-A, eight letters, “That’s Not All, Folks! autobiographer.” A friendly giveaway.

41-D, seven letters, “Cornmeal product.” Pairs amusingly with 55-A.

43-A, five letters, “Rule material.” I thought Oh, it has to be _____, and it is, but I’m still not sure I understood the clue correctly.

47-D, six letters, “Zealot.” Well-suited to our times.

49-D, six letters, “Foul.” It’s a good thing I’m reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I knew the answer right away.

55-A, seven letters, “British toast.” Pairs amusingly with 41-D.

No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.