Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper is by “Anna Stiga,” Stan Again, Stan Newman, the puzzle’s editor, using an alias that signals an easier Stumper. I began with 16-A, six letters, “Column on sports pages” and began sailing, smoothly. The toughest section of the puzzle: the northwest corner.

Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:

1-A, eight letters, “Daily source of answers for decades.” I was sure that the answer had to be OPERATOR.

1-D, seven letters, “Name at boxing weigh-ins.” For me, a name that recalls the dowdy world.

3-D, seven letters, “Outer space measure.” I was not fooled.

6-D, five letters, “Elder ender.” Made me laugh out loud.

9-D, eleven letters, “Needing a car wash, say.” I can’t imagine anyone using the word with reference to a car. Well, maybe Frasier Crane. But I can’t imagine Frasier Crane saying “car wash.”

14-A, five letters, “His museum displays 10 World Series rings.” I know little about baseball, but I love the idea that this guy gets his own museum.

16-D, seven letters, “Plural from the Latin for ‘pleasing.’” I had no idea.

21-D, eleven letters, “China replacer in ’81.” CORELLE is too short.

28-A, nine letters, “Monthly opening, maybe.” Nicely Stumper-y.

30-D, three letters, “____ king.” I filled in the answer with considerable confidence, but I was still surprised to find it correct.

33-A, four letters, “Sort of inclination.” Sort of, indeed.

46-A, six letters, “Stamp catalog descriptor.” The answer takes me back to childhood.

50-A, eight letters, “Serving with sauerkraut.” See also 37-D, six letters, “50-Across cousin.” This puzzle has food on the brain.

My favorite in this puzzle: 26-D, three letters, “‘What can ____ thee, knight-at-arms’: Keats.” Because Keats.

No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.

*

1:28 p.m.: Oops — now the answers are really in the comments.