Saturday, July 8, 2023

Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper, by Matthew Sewell, is an easy one, much easier that last week’s “Lester Ruff” (less rough) puzzle. I began with 15-D, fourteen letters, “‘Great big, thick, hot, juicy’ 1971 debut,” thinking my guess had to be right. I didn’t even count letters. And lo: 15-A, four letters, “Place for cast offs?” confirmed it.

Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:

4-D, fourteen letters, “Besties’ milestone.” How would one date it?

8-D, eight letters, “Category for Dracula.” A surprising way to think of it.

11-D, three letters, “‘All we demanded __ right to twinkle’: Marilyn Monroe (with 10 Down).” Not in Bartlett’s, but the quotation seems to be genuine.

17-A, nine letters, “Make whole.” Appropriately Stumper-y.

20-D, three letters, “Elevated opening.” A clever way to redeem a bit of crosswordese.

22-A, seven letters, “Mustachioed modern mythmaker.” His name was in the air (our fambly’s air) last week.

23-A, seven letters, “Grist for a mill.” A great clue.

Two clue-and-answer pairs that I find awfully strained:

42-A, four letters, “What a thesaurus ain’t.” Yes, it’s clever. And I suppose the ain’t signals an informal answer. But still.

59-A, three letters, “Private reception.” Private transmission, maybe?

My favorite in this puzzle: 33-A, fifteen letters, “Cambridge unit selling through Amazon.” Just because it’s so surprising to see.

No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.

comments: 1

Michael Leddy said...

QUARTERPOUNDER. QUAY. FRIENDAVERSARY.

WAS. OUR. From a strange telegram (June 13, 1962):

Dear Attorney General and Mrs. Robert Kennedy: I would have been delighted to have accepted your invitation honoring Pat and Peter Lawford. Unfortunately, I am involved in a freedom ride protesting the loss of the minority rights belonging to the few remaining earthbound stars. After all, all we demanded was our right to twinkle. Marilyn Monroe.

REIMBURSE. AER. (As in Aer Lingus.) STANLEE. HEARSAY.

DINO. BCC. UNIVERSITYPRESS.