Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper is by Stan Newman, the puzzle’s editor, constructing as Lester Ruff. So often I find a Les Ruff puzzle more challenging than perhaps it’s meant to be. This one went quickly at first, with 19-A, three letters, “Work with kimono costuming” and 32-A, six letters, “Farrow's musician spouse after Sinatra,” which together gave me 1-D, nine letters, “Potable portmanteau.” But elsewhere I found more difficulty, and the upper right corner proved really Ruff.

Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:

9-D, eight letters, “Birthplace of Tom Cruise or Archimedes.” Improbable and amusing.

11-D, four letters, “Regular guy.” From the upper right corner.

14-D, five letters, “It’s slashed for everyone.” No, not really, not everyone.

15-A, nine letters, “Irrigation system feature.” I knew only one meaning for this answer, and now I know another.

21-A, seven letters, “Dramatist whose name looks like a Scrabble rack.” Novel, irreverent, and funny.

23-A, four letters, “Small six-footers.” A value-added clue.

49-D, six letters, “Take an angular course.” Huh. I should know this word.

57-A, seven letters, “A WHO Essential Medicine.” Sobering to realize it.

69-A, nine letters, “Anagram of A REM THING.” Another value-added clue. Not difficult to see, but fun.

My favorite in this puzzle, from the upper right corner: 13-D, five letters, “Amount to.” Nicely Stumpery, a plain answer at least semi-fiendishly clued.

No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.